MotoGP landed in Brazil for the first time in more than two decades for round two of the 2026 world championship and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing earned a best finish of P9 in the Sprint at the revamped Ayrton Senna International Circuit in Goiânia.
MotoGP received a wet welcome in Brazil as torrential downpours complicated the schedule at the renovated Ayrton Senna International Circuit in the build-up to the fixture and then during Thursday and Friday. Practice sessions finally got underway but complicated the time needed by riders and teams to discover the 3.8km course, as well as set their bikes up accordingly for the 15-lap Sprint on Saturday and 31-lap distance on Sunday.
Brad Binder qualified 21st. The South African made a decent getaway from his grid slot and battled inside the top 13. He eventually crossed the line with 15th.
Brad Binder 21st in qualification, 15th in the Sprint
“Just missing a bit of pace. Not much more to say. In the race I got a great start and was up to 12th place but then I could not do anything from there. Anyway, there is definitely big room to improve on our base for tomorrow. All things considered I think we can do a good job, at least better than today.”
What South African Cross Country Moto Round 1 Report Where Radium, Gauteng When Saturday 14 March 2026 Community South Africa National
South African Cross Country Motorcycle season starts in style
The South African Cross Country Motorcycle racing season kicked off with an excellent opening round at Radium in Gauteng on Saturday. While overall winner Scott Heygate dominated on his KTM, it was Team Tork Craft that walked away with the lion’s share of the honours with no less than five class wins and fourteen podiums across the classes.
Heygate was indomitable on his Bikers Warehouse KTM as he rode home over eight minutes clear of Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha lad Maddy Malan. 250cc OR3 winner Cobus Bester was third overall on his Roost KTM from OR1 men Matthew Wilson’s Roost and John Botha’s Fast KTMs.
OR3 trio, Tyron Beverley’s Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha, Erik Merry’s Bikers Warehouse Husqvarna, and Slade Smith on another Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha followed. Peter Karam’s OR1 Motos Yamaha and Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha High School winner Murray Smith closed off the overall top ten. Also riding a 250, ?Sharisma Kriel took the Ladies win.
Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha lad Ruald Potgieter took the Junior race from 85cc Senior rivals, Rayden Woolls’ Tork Craft Husqvarna, and Lourens Erasmus’ Tork Craft Pepson Plastics KTM. Hein Harvey took 85cc Junior honours on his Team Zonke Husqvarna and Ulrich Sterley won the baby 65cc class on his Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha.
In the classes, Scott Heygate took open class OR1 from Maddy Malan and Matthew Wilson, while Tim Black won 300cc OR2 on his Alfie Cox KTM. Cobus Bester took 250cc OR2 from Tyron Beverley and Erik Merry and Murray Smith led a Yamaha High School 125cc 1-2-3 from Franco Fourie’s Moto’s and Liam Scheepers’ Gravel Pot machines. Wayne Farmer took Masters honours on his Bikers Warehouse Husqvarna ahead of Mielies Le Roux’s KTM and Warrick van Schalkwyk’s Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha, while his teammates, Shimwells man Marco Cocci and Gerhard Vorster led the way in Seniors.
Other team Tork Craft RTR riders included? Rayden Woolls second and ??Lourens Erasmus third in 85cc; ?Liam Sterley, who rode to fifth in 65cc, Cooper Jordaan sixth in Mini Cross and Deruk van Aswegan fourth in OR2.? ?Leading retirements included OR1 frontrunners Brad Cox’s Sherco and Ruan Merry’s Husqvarna and Drikus van der Merwe’s OR3 Yamaha. The second round of the South African National Cross Country Motorcycle championship goes down in Bloemfontein on Saturday 16 May.
Your South African National Cross Country Motorcycle action is brought to you by proud series sponsor Team Tork Craft.
Team Tork CraftMaddy MalanScott HeygateTyron BeverleyUlrich Sterley
The 2026 MSA Short Circuit GP Championship is underway following a successful opening round at Vereeniging Kart Circuit on 28 February. Close racing across all categories and strong participation levels set a positive tone for the season ahead, with valuable support from the FIM helping to strengthen the championship’s growth and development.
From the youngest development riders to experienced senior competitors, the programme featured non stop racing across junior, senior and supermoto classes, each running three competitive heats. The entries in the PW50, NSF100 and 150 Junior classes were particularly encouraging and point to a healthy pipeline of young talent in South African motorcycle racing.
Several riders made an immediate impact on the championship standings. Tsebo Mafokate took top honours in the PW50 class, Naledi Ntwari led the way in Clubmans, and Ryan van Nieuwkerk produced a dominant display in Supermoto with three wins from three starts. Liam Bronkhorst controlled the NSF100 category, Kiros Taliotes edged a close Junior Supermoto contest, Blake Robert secured victory in 150 Junior through consistent results, and Cayden Robert claimed the 150 Senior win.
Off track, strong sponsor backing saw R19 000 distributed across five classes at the prize giving. An additional highlight was a season long lucky draw featuring signed caps from Brad and Daryn Binder, awarded at each round. The first recipients were Marnitz Otten and Jack Green.
Despite a few minor incidents during the day, safety standards remained high and no serious injuries were reported. Competitors and teams responded positively to the event, reinforcing confidence in the championship moving forward.
With early championship leaders established, attention now turns to Round 2 at Redstar Raceway on 28 March. The opening round has provided a solid foundation for what looks set to be a competitive and entertaining 2026 season.
Terra Topia MX Track played host to Round One of the MX Nationals this past weekend, setting the stage for an action-packed day of top-tier motocross racing.
The gates opened early as teams and riders rolled in, setting up their rigs and preparing their machines for what promised to be an unforgettable day. The morning began cool, with overnight rain leaving the circuit soaked and heavy. But if there’s one thing motocross riders aren’t afraid of, it’s a bit of mud. Practice sessions kicked off on a very wet track, and competitors geared up for a slippery, technical start to the day.
Despite the muddy conditions, spirits remained high. Spectators began streaming in, lining the fences to catch a glimpse of their favourite riders. As the morning wore on, the clouds slowly gave way to some much-needed sunshine. The track began to dry, but not before deep ruts had formed, carving challenging lines into the surface and testing rider skill and endurance.
By Heat Two, conditions had shifted dramatically. The mud gave way to dust, creating visibility challenges and adding yet another layer of difficulty to an already demanding circuit.
Heat One and Two saw intense battles across a wide range of classes: MX3, MX3 Vets, MX3 Masters and Senior Support; MX High School, MX 65cc, MX2, MX Ladies, MX 50cc, MX 85cc and the ever-popular MX1. Each class delivered its own brand of excitement, with fierce competition and edge-of-your-seat racing throughout the day.
It was particularly inspiring to see riders as young as five years old fearlessly taking on the challenging track. With proud and passionate parents cheering from the sidelines, the young competitors dug deep, racing their hearts out and showcasing incredible determination.
Congratulations to all the racers who completed the course without mechanical issues or injury. It was a tough day in ever-changing conditions, but ultimately a successful and thrilling start to the MX Nationals season.
Overall Results: MX50cc 1st Gianno Ferreira #11 2nd Nate Small #72 3rd Paul Graven #16
What South African National Motocross Round 1 Report Where Terra Topia, Gauteng When Saturday 28 February 2026 Community South Africa National
Wins and great results at National Motocross opener
It was a golden day at the races for Team Tork Craft with two overall wins and a bunch of podiums across the classes at Terra Topia’s opening round of the 2026 South African Motocross Championships over the weekend. Overall winners, Mackenzie Bam took Ladies Motorcross honours, while Slade Smith powered to an Open class double.
Mackenzie Bam enjoyed a brilliant day with fourth in her opening heat before she won the second moto en route to that Ladies Motorcross victory aboard her Tork Craft Junior Team Husqvarna. She was backed by Katelyn Pretorius in seventh for the day on her Tork Craft Pepson Plastics Yamaha.
Moving on to the senior classes, Slade Smith opened his 450cc open class MX1 season on with a double victory on his Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha. Smith backed that up with second and fourth in his 250cc MX2 heats to end joint third for the day, while Ger-Drie De Beer ended 18th in both heats on his Tork Craft KTM.
It was also a great day for the team in junior motocross. Rayden Woolls rode his Tork Craft Junior Team Husqvarna to a third and a second moto win to end a close second in the 85cc action. Behind him, Lourens Erasmus came home fifth overall on his Tork Craft KTM and Adam Meyer enjoyed a positive day en route to thirteenth on a similar machine.
Tork Craft Junior teammate Kabelo Ledwaba meanwhile delivered a positive 125cc High School debut in fifth aboard his Husqvarna. Little Damien Kritzinger ended a solid seventh in the baby 50cc class aboard his Tork Craft Ride Train Race Husqvarna, and Ulrich Sterley was eleventh in the 65cc action on his Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha.
“Team Tork Craft enjoyed a great start to the 2026 National Motocross season,” team patron Ryan Hunt concluded. “Congratulations to Mackenzie and Slade on their overall wins, Rayden on his heat win, the rest of our riders who all delivered their very best over the weekend and also to our team bosses Tony Riddell and Harry Grobler. Well done all!”
Adam Meyer Photo: Andre LaubscherKabelo Ledwala Photo: Andre LaubscherMackenzie Bam won Ladies Photo: Andre LaubscherRayden Woolls took an 85 heat Photo: Nilitia SteynSlade Smith took MX1 Photo: Andre Laubscher
