Gavin Walton, of Springs, is strongly favoured to score a seventh win in the iTOO VVC DJ (Durban-Johannesburg) Rally for classic motorcycles, when he takes the start of the 2025 event in Hillcrest, outside Durban, on 14 March. Not only has he won this prestigious event in 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, and 2024 but he also put up a phenomenal performance in the recent Pre-DJ Rally, scoring a total of only 52 seconds error at 11 control points. Mike Venables was second with 106 penalty points.

This year’s event, which commemorates the road race held between Durban and Johannesburg from 1913-1936, is the 53^rd of these regularity rallies which began in 1970 and have been held annually except for 1974 (fuel restrictions) and 2021 (Covid). In keeping with the historic nature of this event the competing motorcycles must have been made before 1936.

Clerk of the Course Gwyneth Cronje has received entries from riders of 76 motorcycles and two sidecar combinations for the 2025 DJ Rally. “We are delighted at the support because we know how costs have risen, which ruled out many of the previous competitors who came from the Western Cape,” commented Gwyneth, whose late husband, Pierre, had been both an enthusiastic DJ competitor and Clerk of the Course.

The field this year includes nine first timers – Lloyd Weber from Zimbabwe, Robert Cantwell, Candice Truda, Helen Nicolau, Brian Bontekoning, Michael Buchan (the youngest rider at the age of 21), Justin Langley, Jason le Roux, and Claude Oberholzer. The oldest rider is Neville Smith aged 89.

There are also five woman riders this year – Helen Nicolau, Tamarin Skead, Candice Truda, Benita Palmer, and Bev Jacobs – while Camilla Hyson will be the passenger in Hans Coertse’s 1921 Harley Davidson sidecar combination. The other sidecar entrant is Brian Lange, who will have Patrick Dacey as the sidecar passenger in his 1928 AJS Big Twin combination.

Martin Davies, a former DJ winner, is Route Director this year and he says he has tried to stick close to the R103 road route that was used for the race more than 100 years ago.

Fron the start at 06:00 on Friday the route takes competitors to refuels in Pietermaritzburg and Mooi River and a lunch stop in Estcourt before an overnight stop in Newcastle. The restart is at 07:00, with the route taking the riders over the Majuba and Laingsnek passes to Volksrust for a refuel. The next refuel is in Standerton and then there is a lunch stop and final refuel in Balfour. The first competitor is expected to arrive finish at the finish at the Benoni Northerns Sports Club at 14:00.

This year there are only three previous DJ winners in the field which is fewer that in recent years. Besides Gavin Walton there is Mike Ward (1936 Velocette), and Adrian Hollis (1935 Sunbeam Lion sidecar combination). Ward won in 2004 and 2023, while Hollis took first place in 2000.

Gavin Walton has a long and distinguished history in the DJ Rally, beginning in 2005 when he was invited to ride Hugh Hollard’s 1929 Ariel. The DJ bug bit and he soon bought a 1936 Model 9 side valve 500 cc AJS which he continues to ride to ride to this day.

He won his first DJ in 2009 and then tragedy struck in 2013 when he was involved in a nasty accident on the way home from that year’s Pre-DJ Rally. He had 11 fracturs in his leg and could not ride for a year. He repaired the AJS and rode the 2014 event with a crutch strapped to the motorcycle. He still managed to finish ass runner-up.

Gavin Walton had his only DNF (did not finish), in 2015, and then won again in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022 and last year.

Another enthusiastic DJ Rally competitor is Jaycee van Rooyen, who comes from a motorcycle racing background. His grandfather on his mother’s side was Boet Fereira a South African champion in the late 1940’s and early ‘50’s riding Norton’s and Velocette, while Jaycee’s dad, Jack, enjoyed speedway racing and later got involved with classic motorcycles and cars.

Jaycee began his involvement in the DJ in 2014 when he rode the 1936 350 cc Ariel Red Hunter his father had ridden in previous DJ Rallies. Jaycee and the Ariel completed eight out of the last 10 DJs, but this year he has loaned that motorcycle to his friend, Jason le Roux, and will ride a 1929 500 cc Sunbeam.

Another regular DJ competitor who rides a motorcycle previous ridden by his father is Mark Palmer, who uses the 1936 350 cc Royal Enfield his father, Geoff, rode to win the first DJ Commemorative Regularity Rally in 1970. Mark has ridden it in the last four DJ Rallies, with a best placing being 16^th in 2023.

The 2025 DJ Rally is organised by a group of people from several Gauteng motorcycle clubs on behalf of the Vintage and Veteran Club of South Africa

Published by: Roger Houghton

Gavin Walton scored his sixth win in the iTOO-sponsored DJ Rally which finished in Benoni on Saturday, 16 March. His score of 453 seconds put him 19 second ahead of Martin Kaiser, with Mike Ward, last year’s winner, in third place with a score of 483 seconds. There was a total of 71 timed checkpoints on this year’s rally, with 36 on Day 1 and 35 on Day 2.

This was the 52nd running of this famous regularity trial which commemorates the annual motorcycle road race between Durban and Johannesburg, which was held almost every year from 1913 to 1936 before the authorities withdraw permission for the race due to safety concerns. It is for this reason that competing motorcycles must have been manufactured prior to 1937. This year the average age of the motorcycles in the field of 76 starters was 92 years.

Gavin Walton, who lives in Springs, and had won previously in 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022, once again rode his trusty 1936 AJS 500, which he has now ridden in 20 DJ Rallies. He was the winner on Day 1, seven seconds ahead of Ward, when the route went from Hillcrest, outside Durban, to Newcastle, and placed second on Day 2, when he finished 27 seconds behind Kaiser as the riders continued from Newcastle to the finish at the Benoni Northerns Club in Ekurhuleni.

“This year’s event was most enjoyable with many of the roads repaired that had been potholed last year. The organisation was very professional and there were no protests about the results, which is always a good sign,” commented Gavin after the finish.

Martin Kaiser, who rode a 1934 Sunbeam 500, was runner-up for the second year in a row, while Mike Ward, riding a 1935 Velocette 500, had to be satisfied with third place this year after winning last year’s rally. Ward was also the winner in 2004.

Martin Davis, winner in 2006, 2007 and 2011, finished seventh this year, riding a 1929 Ariel 500.

This year there were 56 finishers and 20 non-finishers from an original field of 76 motorcycles, which included only one sidecar combination this year. Only one motorcycle failed to start the rally and that was the

Brian and Steve Lange, the only entrants on a sidecar combination this year, placed 46th on their 1928 AJS Big Twin 997.

The oldest motorcycle entered for the event was the 1918 Indian Power Plus 1000, to be ridden by Yuvi Jasti. However, Yuvi could not finish preparing the motorcycle in time and entered on another machine, finishing last of the classified finishers. The award for the oldest motorcycle to complete the route went to Hans Coertse who rode a 1922 Harley Davidson. The oldest rider on the event, 87-year-old Cliff le Roux retired his 1936 AJS 500 on the second day.

Youngest rider to start and finish the event was 28-year-old Sasha Corlett, who was 39^th on a 1936 BSA 500. In doing so she beat her mother, Valerie, who rode a 1928 BSA 500 into 43^rd position. Sasha’s father, George Corlett, a former winner of the DJ Rally, was forced to retire his recently purchased 1928 Norton CS1 500 International after forgetting to turn on the engine oil tap, resulting in serious engine damage.

This motorcycle was previously owned by Tony Lyons-Lewis, who competed in 38 DJ Rallies, 15 of them on this Norton, before retiring from competitive riding last year. The 1926 Norton Model 8 500 which Tony rode on 19 DJs prior to buying the International has been sold to Henk Rossouw who rode it to a 40^th place finish this year.

Trevor Binder, father of South Africa’s MotoGP racing brothers, Brad and Darryn, had a good DJ Rally, finishing a creditable 15^th overall, riding his 1925 Indian Scout 600. His total error at the 34 control points was 1 198 seconds.

Four of the record five women riders qualified as finishers. Best placed was Bev Jacobs in 11^th position. She also put up the best performance by a Triumph motorcycle, riding a 1925 250 cc model. The other women to finish were Sasha Corlett in 39^th position, Sasha’s mother, Valerie Corlett, who was 43^rd and Benita Palmer in 47^th position. Tamarin Skead failed to finish on her 1929 AJS M5 350.

There were two accidents involving competitors during the rally. Keith Kendall, son of Graham Kendall, Chairperson of the Classic Motorcycle Club, was T-boned at an intersection controlled by traffic lights. He broke his foot, which is a big blow for him as a regular competitor in the Comrades Marathon who was looking forward to a good run in this year’s event, which takes place on 9 June. The other rider to come to grief was Richard Hyson, who fell off his 1924 Indian Scout 600 and cut his knee.

The DJ Rally was organised by a team from several local motorcycle clubs, under the auspices of the promoter, the Vintage and Veteran Club of South Africa (VVC). Tom Linley, the Clerk of the Course, acquitted himself very well in his first year in this position.

All the trophy recipients were given a copy of the 2024 Vintage Motorcycle Club (VMC) calendar in addition to their silverware. Fifteen of these calendars were also handed out to first time entrants.

“From my side I was pleased that the riders were happy with the road conditions as the VVC had stipulated that the route be as close as possible to the original,” commented Brian Noik, Chairperson of the VVC. The weather was hot, but the riders coped well. The VVC thanks all the participants, volunteers, and sponsors for ensuring it was a most successful rally.”

RESULTS

1, Gavin Walton (1936 AJS 500), 453 seconds error; 2, Martin Kaiser (1934 Sunbeam 500), 472; 3, Mike Ward (1935 Velocette 500), 483; 4, Mike Venables (1933 BSA Blue Star 500), 636; 5, Neville Nicolau (1935 BMW 750), 745; 6, Kevin Kohler (1933 Sunbeam 500), 746; 7, Martin Davis (1929 Ariel 500), 787; 8, JC van Rooyen (1936 Ariel Red Hunter 350), 889; 9, Jason Anderson (1929 AJS 350), 958; 10, Ryan Duncan (1934 Norton 500), 996.

Published by: Roger Houghton