Camden Mc Lellan (MX2), Cameron Durow (MXGP), Tristan Purdon (MXOpen), three of South Africa’s top Motocross (MX) talents will compete in the Olympics of Motorsport – the 2024 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations which is taking place between 4 – 6 October in Matterley Basin in Great Britain.

Neville Townsend, Motorsport South Africa MX Commission President, says the event sees 20 nations from across the globe select their three best riders to battle it out over three gruelling races on Sunday 6 October to determine who will be victorious and awarded the much sought-after Chamberlain Trophy.

“We are confident that the selected South African team will represent our country with pride. South Africa had its best showing in 2004 where we finished a respectable fourth overall. Since then, the SA team has participated in 15 events and has managed to finish inside the top 20 overall standings ten times,” he says.
Townsend said the Commission is grateful for the opportunity provided by Motorsport South Africa through its affiliation with FIM and FIM Africa. “The team are all seasoned riders, and we are sure that they will gain even more experience from this exciting event,” he says.

South African team manager, Cheryl Mc Lellan agrees. She says that, in 2023, 37 teams participated at Ernée in France and Team SA finished 13th. This year she is quietly confident the team will be able to break into the top 10.

This is what Team SA looks like:
Cameron Durow
21-year-old Cameron races for Red Bull KTM South Africa and recently wrapped up the 2024 South African MX 2 National Championship and MX 1 Championship. He is an eight times MSA National Champion with even more experience under his belt having participated in many of the AMA Outdoor rounds this year and also getting to experience Motocross of Nations at Ernée in France in 2023. In 2019 he was the first person to achieve both a 125 High School’ and MX2 Overall win at a round of the MSA Nationals.

Camden Mc Lellan
South African born and now living in Portugal racing in the MXGP World Championship, 20-year-old Camden started riding dirt bikes for fun with his dad and his friends but he soon enjoyed the competitive nature of the sport and started racing in local MX events. This escalated quickly and he was racing the National MX series in 2012. With many Junior MSA Championships to his name, he started racing in Germany and secured a European Title in 2018. In 2024 he finished 3rd overall in the MXGP in Sardinia and in 2023 finished the season 13th overall after starting the season with a dislocated shoulder.

Tristan Purdon
Tristan, the oldest of the three at 27, has been riding since he was three and has time after time proven to his competition that it’s not about who has the best ??, but rather who was able to work hard to be the best. He is a seven times SA Champion, has represented South Africa twice in the MXON and was placed 4th in the REVO MXGB Championship in the United Kingdom in 2023.

“MSA would like to wish the team the best of luck. International events like this are an excellent opportunity for our local riders to test their skills against the best in the world and these three talented young riders will definitely be flying the SA flag high,” says Adrian Scholtz, Chief Executive Officer of Motorsport South Africa.

Compiled on behalf of MSA by Cathy Findley PR

What Honda Cross Country Preview
Where Bloemfontein, Free State
When Saturday 14 September 2024
Community South Africa National

Honda Wing Racing looking to stamp advantage home

UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Honda Wing Racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop Tyres heads to the 2024 Trademore South African Cross Country Motorcycle Championship finale in Bloemfontein with one thing in mind on Saturday 14 September. The team leads two crucial championship classes and is in a strong position in four others, so the mission is to bring those titles home.

“Bloemfontein is a crucial weekend for Honda Wing Racing,” UB Leisure TFC Sleepover team boss Harry Grobler confirmed. “Louwrens and Warrick lead their respective Seniors and Masters championships. Seth, Nathan and Murray are right in the High School mix, and Ruald is shining in 85 Seniors. Add Tyron, Blake and Erik fighting their own battle in OR3, and it’s going to be a nerve wracking race weekend!”

Senior class championship leader Louwrens Mahoney needs only score six points to wrap up the 2024 national title. But that’s not how this UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Honda CRF 450 RX hero goes about his racing. Expect Mahoney to be flat out chasing victory in Bloemfontein this weekend.

Warrick van Schalkwyk has now stormed into the Masters class championship lead following his dominant desert double in the Kalahari last time out aboard his UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Honda CRF 450 RX. Riding in his own back yard this weekend, expect old man Warrick to be on the warpath and that nothing less than a win will do!

The UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Racing with Tork Craft 125 cc High School gang also has it all to play for as Seth Young sits in a strong second, with Nathan Westerdale right behind, and Murray Smith in a close fifth. Ever-improving under-13 85cc Senior lad Ruald Potgieter sits fifth in class, close behind his third and fourth-placed rivals.

Tyron Beverley is the best placed of UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Honda Wing Racing with Tork Craft’s OR 3 class Honda CRF 250 RX riders, sitting fifth on the log. He however has a gaggle including fifth and sixth-place teammates, Blake Young and Erik Merry hot on his heels.

“It all comes to a head in Bloemfontein,” Harry Grobler concludes. “We’re in excellent championship form, and leading two classes into this weekend’s finale, so it’s all to play for. We wish every member of our fantastic UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Honda Wing Racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop all the very best on a crucial outing in Bloem.”

*Honda Wing Racing salutes its partners, UB Leisure, The Franchise Co, Sleepover Motels, Tork Craft Tools, Henderson Racing Products & Dunlop Tyres, Motul Oils, Justiracing USA, Bikewise, TBR Suspension & 515 Racing.

Issued on behalf of Honda Cross Country

Race day at the flat and sweeping Misano layout provided freaky weather compared to the heat and intense sunshine on Friday and Saturday. After the 10 minute warm-up rush in the morning, Red Bull KTM focused on the 27-lap Grand Prix, held in front of a record 89,000 Sunday attendance.

Brad Binder jumped into the top five after reacting quickly to the lights and making headway from the second row. After seven laps rain began to fall on one side of the circuit. Six riders pulled into the pitlane to change bikes and Brad profited from the shake-up to surge further forward.

Brad battled for the top five and won 4th, obtaining enough points to move up to 5th in the championship standings.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will now prepare for the last official testing day of the season on Monday at Misano. After a week’s respite from action, MotoGP will then gather again at the coastal venue for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and the last event in Europe before the ‘flyaway’ stint of the calendar begins.

Brad Binder
4th:

“It was a bit of a stressful situation on the grid with rain dropping. A bit sketchy and we weren’t too sure what to do. However, I stuck with my gut feeling and it worked out well. The track was at its worst in the first sector but it quickly dried. It was a chaotic race because you were unsure how hard you could push and how much risk to take. I’m happy with 4th and to be in the top five again and we found a good compromise with the bike. I was comfortable. Now we have to work through the items we have in the test and make more progress.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com

For LIQUI MOLY Husqvarna Intact GP rider Darryn Binder, the race in Misano was quite a positive development. From 25th on the grid, the South African made his way into the top 10 for a solid finish to his weekend.

After a difficult qualifying session, Darryn started the race in his usual positive manner, but the 26-year-old would never have dared to believe that he would put in such a brilliant catch-up. After a solid start, the South African really got going thanks to his strong pace, so that at the end of the 22-lap race he was able to celebrate his fourth consecutive top 10 results, which earned him six more championship points after countless overtaking manoeuvres and duels, some of them with his own teammate. With the knowledge gained from this weekend, the Moto2 rider will prepare for the race on the exact same circuit in two weeks’ time, focusing on a good qualifying session, as he certainly has what it takes to keep up in the race.

Darryn Binder
P10 – (+16.032)
Moto2 World Championship 2024 – P16 – 38 Points

“I’m happy that I was able to continue my streak of top-ten finishes today, this is now the fourth race in a row. Starting from P25 on the grid was definitely not ideal and made the race very long and difficult. But I had a good rhythm and was able to set a good pace and I could overtake a lot of riders during the race. When we come back in a week’s time, I will be fully focused on getting a good grid position. That will be my goal because I know I have the pace for the rest.”

Published by: https://darrynbinder40.com

MotoGP embarked on a second Grand Prix in a row by arriving to the hot and sunny climes of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli located on Italy’s east coast and Brad Binder turned up the heat further by racing hard to 7th position in the thirteenth Sprint of 2024. The South African placed inside the top ten after setting off from 6th on the grid.

Misano welcomed Grand Prix for the thirtieth time and since the first FIM world championship meeting around the flat, 4.2km coastal venue 44 years ago. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were looking to build on their decent form from the Aragon GP in Spain the previous weekend but around a markedly different circuit with the high grip conditions and mix of tight sections and fast zones.

Both Brad and teammate Jack Miller were on the pace through Friday. Brad was unlucky to be nudged to 11th in the last few seconds of the one-hour session. He had to refocus for Q1 and was only half a second from the all-time lap record to make it into Q2. In the 15-minute dash Brad carried his momentum onwards and ranked a decent 6th, 0.4 from the best effort for the last slot on the second row.

The Sprint got underway Saturday afternoon. Brad made a positive launch and was running in P4 in the formative laps. He then fought all the way to the line to defend his position from Jack who had roamed forwards and occupied 8th, less than a second behind.

Brad Binder
6th in qualification, 7th in the Sprint:

“I knew today would be a long day. It was great to get through Q1 and we had a decent qualifying and nice to be on the second row. I knew if I had a good jump behind the guys I could get pulled along but unfortunately I just didn’t have the pace today. I was struggling with the front end and I felt like I was not carrying the corner speed. It’s clear what direction we need to go in for tomorrow so I’m confident for the race.”

Published by: https://bradbinder33.com