What Trademore Feeds SA Cross Country Round 4 Report
Where Zorgfliet, Bronkhorstspruit
When Saturday 9 July 2022
Community South Africa National

Three wins, podiums galore for Kawasaki

Kawasaki enjoyed another great weekend at the weekend’s Zorgfliet fourth round Trademore National Cross Country Motorcycle race in Bronkhorstspruit over the weekend. Taki Bogiages scored an emotional first ever OR3 win for Kawasaki aboard his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul KX 250 X, while teammate Kenny Gilbert took Seniors and Warrick van Schalkwyk’s Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki took Masters honours too.

Backing that up, Michael Pentecost’s Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki KX 450 X came home sixth overall and second in the open class to extend his national OR1 championship lead, while Jaycee Nienaber ended fifth in the open capacity OR1 class on a Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki from teammates Tyron Beverley and Brendan Kotze.

John Botha’s Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki KX 250 X made it a double Team Green podium with third in the 250 cc OR3 class behind Bogiages. And in junior action, Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki lad Jake Pretorius was second in Interprovincial 65cc, and Jaden Els’ Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki fifth and Johandre Vermaak’s similar machine seventh in the 85cc class.

“Yesterday was more than sweet redemption,” a delighted Taki Bogiages admitted on taking Kawasaki’s first-ever Trademore SA Cross Country Motorcycle OR3 win aboard his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul KX 250 X. “ I cannot explain the feeling of winning OR3 after breaking my back at the same venue in 2018. “The track was super demanding and really tough from lap 2 onwards, but everything clicked, I felt great, my bike felt great and my team just made racing so easy!

“Iain Pepper and the Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki team have done countless hours of work and I can’t thank everyone enough. “It’s an incredible feeling to add Kawasaki as a winner in the OR3 class for the first time. “That’s also four nationals done in 2022, and a new class winner at each round. “Its been crazy racing this year and the competition is insane!”

“Awesome Zorgfliet was the most demanding race so far this year,” undefeated Seniors leader Kenny Gilbert explained. “I had a ball on my incredible Kawasaki KX450X, but it really was rough out there. “I charged hard most of the way before both my hands blistered, so I had to nurse my way home. “Well done to SA Cross Country and a huge word of thanks to my Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul team — especially Iain Pepper for your passion for this awesome sport.”

“That was a super tough race!” Mike Pentecost admited. “My Franchise Co.Tork Craft Kawasaki KX 450 X was magic, but the time trial was way dusty and both Bradley Cox and I lost time and started far back, so the day was a struggle. “Passing in thick dust is so tricky, so I’m happy to be home safe in second with more points in the bag. “Thanks to my team, my family, friends and fans, and don’t worry, Magic Mike is still here and my fire is burning even hotter!”

Pentecost and Gilbert now hold strong respective Trademore South African Cross Country Motorcycle OR1 and Seniors championship leads. Bogiages and van Schalkwyk both meanwhile sit in stronger and very close third places in both the OR3 and Masters title chases, heading to the penultimate round at Porterville in the Western Cape on 27 August 2022.

“Zorgfliet was an excellent weekend for Team Green,” Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki team boss admitted. Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki colleague Iain Pepper concluded, “It could not be better, with three wins in Bronkhorstspruit and our riders leading two class championships and two others in contention for the two more of four titles we are chasing. “Awesome work, team!”

Issued on behalf of Kawasaki Cross Country

Photography by: Action in Motion

What Trademore Feeds SA Cross Country Round 4 Report
Where Zorgfliet, Bronkhrostspruit
When Saturday 9 July 2022
Community South Africa National

Michael turns SA Cross Country on its head

Not many local dirt bike racing fans will relate Michael Docherty with the Trademore South African Cross Country Motorcycle championship, but Saturdays’s dusty and demanding race with the odd splash puddle at Zorgfliet in Bronkhorstspruit, will surely change that. Dubai-based Docherty more recently set the rally raid world alight, before being drafted into the Husqvarna factory cross country team and now turning the local scene on its head with victory on his second outing at Zorgfliet.

Docherty and his OR1 machine held fast-charging Factory Husqvarna teammate Brett Swanepoel’s OR2 winning machine off for overall honours in the GXCC run race, with the ever-improving Kerim Fitz-Gerald’s OR2 Red Bull KTM third from Scott Heygate’s similar Brother Leader Tread machine. Second in OR1 Michael Pentecost’s Tork Craft CIT Kawasaki was sixth.

His class rivals, Bradley Cox’s Brother Leader Tread KTM, Hayden Louw’s CIT Tork Craft Honda and Jaycee Nienaber on a Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki were next from Erik Merry’s OR2 KTM. OR3 winner Taki Bogiages’ Pepson Scottish Motul Kawasaki closed off the top ten. Fellow Kawasaki men, Kenny Gilbert took Seniors and Warrick van Schalkwyk Masters, while Cobus Bester won High School on his Husqvarna, Bruno Niebuhr 85cc on a KTM and Werner Kleinhans’ IPC Husqvarna 65cc.

Docherty laid down his marker from the get-go over OR2 leader Fitz-Gerald, Swanepoel, Gareth Cole’s Honda, Heygate and top OR3 machine, Matthew Wilson’s KTM in the time trial. The top three remained unchanged at mid-distance, but Heygate, Cox and Pentecost had disposed of Cole. As he often does, Swanepoel was on fire as the race wound down to the finish. He tore past Fitz-Gerald and chased after Docherty, taking almost two minutes out of his teammate in the process.

But it was still too little, to late as Docherty hung on to win by just ten seconds. Fitz-Gerald rode home to another podium in third ahead of Heygate, but Pentecost and his green machine beat his OR1 rival Cox’s orange bike to sixth. In the classes, Docherty beat class championship leader Pentecost and Cox to OR1 honours, with Hayden Louw’s Yamaha fourth from Kawasaki trio Jaycee Nienaber, Tyron Beverley and Brendan Kotze and the delayed Gareth Cole Honda.

Swanepoel took OR2 from Fitz-Gerald, Scott Heygate and three more KTM riders, Erik Merry, Kyle Eggar and Juan Niebuhr, and Miguel da Silva’s Husqvarna. A delighted Taki Bogiages took Kawasaki’s first Trademore SA Cross Country Motorcycle OR3 win from Matthew Wilson’s Brother Leader Tread KTM and John Botha’s Tork Craft CIT Kawasaki, making it three different winners in the last three races. Ryan Pelser’s KTM was fourth from Branden Swanepoel’s Sherco and Honda trio, Peter Karam, Haydn Cole and lady rider Leah Heygate.

Kenny Gilbert remains undefeated in national Seniors in 2022 aboard his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki. He beat Marco Cocci Yamaha, Jannie Potgieter on a KTM and Husqvarna duo Ockert Swart and Alain du Toit. Tork Craft CIT man Warrick van Schalkwyk made it Kawasaki madalas double with Masters victory over KTM riders Mielies Le Roux and Kobus Jonck KTM, and Husqvarna trio Wayne Farmer, Greg Nairn and Francois Swanepoel.

In junior action, Cobus Bester made it a Husqvarna Highschool 125cc 1-2 over Wian Wentzel from KTM duo Ross Ramseyer and Nathan Westerdale. Bruno Niebuhr took the 85cc win from Murray Smith’s similar KTM, Husqvarna two Brandon Clarke and AJ Louw and Jaden Els’ Kawasaki. And Werner Kleinhans took 65cc IPC on a Husqvarna from Jake Pretorius Kawasaki, GJ Coetzee’s Husqvarna and Gas Gas kid Matthew Meyer.

The Trademore South African Cross Country Motorcycle championship now moves to Porterville in the Western Cape for round five of six on 27 August 2022.

Issued on behalf of Trademore SA Cross Country

Photography by: Action in Motion

The Highveld is always known for the furiously fast and dusty tracks especially this time of year as the much anticipated fourth round of the National Cross Country Championship hits Gauteng this weekend.

Brett Swanepoel from Husqvarna Racing currently leading the championship with only three rounds remaining. “Joburg never disappoints and the track is always incredibly fast for us coming from KZN, it obviously suits the locals here,” Swanepoel said. He went on to say “I am quite keen to build on my points gap and add some more wins, this is an important round for us to consolidate”. “I know the last two rounds suit me a lot better so that will make this one even tougher to get a good start and a solid finish, it is the championship I have in mind so have to finish well,” he said in closing.

Redemption is front of mind for Michael Docherty also racing in the OR1 class after a disappointing round in Vryburg. “I have learnt a lot racing this format and I know what to expect now so really excited to make it count this time round” he commented.

The thin cold air could be a factor too with the dust adding to attrition riders are sure to have to contend with as they are in for another exciting weekend of racing.

Published by:  Husqvarna Motorcycles SA (Grant Frerichs)

Photography by:  Justin Reinecke – ZCMC Media

National Cross Country Championship – Zorgfliet

This weekend will be another battle of note for the boys in orange as the fourth round of the National Cross Country Championship hits Gauteng with the familiar Zorgfliet track as the host venue. The host club GXCC is renowned for putting together fast-flowing tracks and the dry winter conditions of the Highveld are bound to add some dust to the list of challenges on Saturday.

Brad Cox will be bolstering the team returning from a stint abroad after his intended Rally event got canceled. Cox who was forced to miss the second National due to an injured knee is visibly stoked at the prospect of toughing it out again this weekend. “I’ve had a good run so far this year and after losing 25 points in round two I’m obviously looking to add maximum points again here” he commented. “It is really cool being able to race alongside Kerim, there are maybe 5 of us who can pull of the win this round so it will be tight as usual” he added. Cox who clearly enjoys racing on the highveld highlighted that he is really excited to re-join the team and after having decent success racing the same venue last year has reason to hope for a strong finish.

Kerim Fitz-Gerald impressed at the last round after a ding dong battle with teammate Cox only to overcook it and crash that robbed him of a result is eager to get another crack at walking off with a win. “I raced a GXCC since our last outing and my unfortunate crash, I managed to win there and that was pretty sick” he said. “I’m really looking forward to race this weekend, I will be careful not to overdo it and get my confidence up, I know I have a lot to learn still when it comes to Cross Country racing and it certainly is not as easy as everyone might think” Fitzgerald mused. He wrapped it up by saying “I haven’t won a National yet, but I’m going to do my best to get it!”.

Zorgfliet happens to be the track where Matthew Wilson raced on a 250 for the first time which bodes well for the youngster intent on extending his lead in the OR 3 class. “I know it is fast and flowy so I’m super excited for a good result,” he said.

“The racing in Gauteng definitely suits me and I enjoy the terrain so keen to put in a strong effort and build on my learnings from the season so far and focus on the positives,” Scott Heygate said.
Heygate is still in search of his first OR2 Class win which is sure to happen any time soon.

Published by: KTM Motorcycles SA (Grant Frerichs)

Photography by: Justin Reinecke – ZCMC Media

What South African Cross Country Moto Round 4 Preview
Where Zorg Fliet, Bronkhorstspruit
When Saturday 9 July 2022
Community South Africa National

Kawasaki all set for more Cross Country Success

Kawasaki Racing heads to the fourth round Trademore South African Cross Country Motorcycle Championship at Zorg Vliet in Bronkhorstspruit looking to consolidate its great start to the 2022 season. With two of its riders leading their championships and several others right in contention, the versatile Highveld terrain of Zorg Vliet Farm race also favours the team.

Mike Pentecost leads the open class OR1 championship and sits third overall aboard his Franchise Co. CIT Kawasaki KX 450 X following a consistent if troubled run so far in open class 450cc OR1. Kenny Gilbert remains unbeaten in Seniors aboard his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki KX 450 X, while Warrick van Schalkwyk sits third in Masters on his Franchise Co. Tork Craft Kawasaki. And Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Taki Bogiages arrives in fourth in 250cc OR3.

Other Kawasaki riders to keep an eye on are OR1 men, rider Jaycee Nienaber fresh off GXCC regional success, TFC Tork Craft man Tyron Beverley and privateer Brendan Kotze, and John Botha on an OR3 Franchise Co. Tork Craft KX 250 X. Don’t forget Kawasaki’s Juniors, 85cc kids, TFC Tork Craft lad Jaden Els and Jayden Boyce’s Spanjaard machine, and Jake Pretorius aboard his Pepson Plastics Scottish Cables Motul Kawasaki in the baby Interprovincial 65 cc class.
“It’s been a long break but Team Green is locked, loaded and ready to race on home ground at Bronkhostspruit,” Pepson Plastics Kawasaki Motul Racing with Scottish Cables team principal Iain Pepper explained. Franchise Co. CIT team boss Harry Grobler concluded: “We have two riders leading their national championship classes so the plan is to come back in an even stronger championship position. “Go get it guys!”

Issued on behalf of Kawasaki Cross Country