The 2026 season starts in style… pics by Action in motion.
Report by:Â Motorsport Media
The South African Cross Country Motorcycle racing season kicked off with an excellent opening round at Radium in Gauteng on Saturday. Overall winner Scott Heygate dominated on his KTM. Team Tork Craft walked away with the lion’s share of the honours with no less than four class wins and twelve podiums across the classes.
Heygate was unbeatable on his KTM as he rode home over eight minutes clear of Sigmafix Tork Craft Yamaha lad Maddy Malan.Â
250cc OR3 winner Cobus Bester was third overall on his KTM from OR1 men Matthew Wilson and John Botha, both on KTM.
The OR3 trio of Tyron Beverley (Yamaha), Erik Merry (Husqvarna), and Slade Smith (Yamaha) followed. Peter Karam (Yamaha) and Murray Smith (Yamaha) closed off the overall top ten.
Yamaha’s Ruald Potgieter took the Junior race from 85cc Senior rivals, Rayden Woolls (Husqvarna), and Lourens Erasmus on his KTM. Hein Harvey took 85cc Junior honours on his Husqvarna and with Ulrich Sterley winning 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. Tim Black won the 300cc OR2 class on his KTM.Â
Cobus Bester took 250cc OR2 from Tyron Beverley and Erik Merry.
Murray Smith led a Yamaha High School 125cc 1-2-3 from Franco Fourie and Liam Scheepers.
Wayne Farmer took Masters honours on his Husqvarna ahead of Mielies Le Roux’s KTM and Warrick van Schalkwyk’s Yamaha.
Shimwells man Marco Cocci and Gerhard Vorster led the way in Seniors.Â
Leading retirements included OR1 frontrunner Brad Cox’s Sherco, Ruan Merry’s Husqvarna and Drikus van der Merwe’s Yamaha.Â
The second round of the South African National Cross Country Motorcycle championship goes down in Bloemfontein on Saturday 16 May.Â
The South African National Cross Country Motorcycle action is brought to you by proud series sponsor Team Tork Craft.
