Geat selection of action shots right at the bottom of this feature.
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Rover MX double header: a challenge of man and machine against the legendary Gqeberha sand.
After weeks of preparation and good rains a few days before, the track was a great, dust free weekend of motocross racing at the famous Rover Motorcycle Club in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).South Africa’s top riders started setting up early on Friday and walked the track inspecting the various technicalities which lay ahead.
Since 1950, Rover has been home to the sand dragon, with shifting dunes changing the lines as race days progress.
Daylight had barely snuck through at the early start of the weekend and the brisk air kept the mid-winter shivers alive at riders’ briefing.
The weekend was a double header, double the action, double the entertainment and double the pressure with 100 points on the table per class for the weekend where several champions would be decided.
Pics by Zygmund Brodalka, ZCMC and The Black Sheep.
50cc class dominated by the front runners Riley Geldenhuys #33, Mason Visser #420 and Parker Cik #333.
Eastern Cape’s homegrown Geldenhuys and Visser pulled two wins each out of the bag. Cik was exceptionally consistent with 4 2nd places. Aden Fisher #86 kept the pressure pot extremely tight mixing it up with Ben Jacobs #506 and Dorian Botes #84. Mason Barnes #193, Coby Kretzmann #15 and Joshua Naude #34 kept that mid-pack abuzz as the 50s battled it out. Jarret Botes #83 battled away with Rourke Walker #118 along with Wian Scheepers #263 and Cole Kruger #29.
It was Cik who is the fastest rider on 2 wheels in the 50cc class.
He won the FIM fastest 50cc lap time award of R500. But Mason Visser chiselled his mark on the top step of the podium on Saturday followed by Riley Geldenhuys in 2nd and Cik in 3rd.
Sunday told a slightly different story with Cik nudging ahead on the top step with Geldenhuys in 2nd and Visser in 3rd.
The MX65 class was probably the most daunting class of the day with riders battling it out on Rovers’ sand with the small wheels on the soft sand making it really challenging.
Trenton Kretzmann #94 and home boy Aiden Retief #42 tied for 1st on Saturday but it was Retief’s better 2nd heat that bumped him up the ladder to 1st place with an amazingly smooth ride. 2nd place was Kretzmann followed by Cassie van Zyl #234 on his Husqvarna.
Evan Frost #1 in 4th and Kyle Brunette #305 in 5th and Ross Mackenzie #85 brought a good game and put up a challenging race.
Sunday again told a very different story with Kretzmann taking both wins with Retief hot on his heels in 2nd place. Van Zyl grabbed the last step of the podium.
Frost was close behind in 4th and Brunette in 5th. Rayden Wools #345 in 6th, Ross Mackenzie #85 in 7th, Seth van der Walt #801 in 8th.
The MX85cc pilots put up an incredible fight.
It was some outstanding riding from the Eastern Cape bullet Andrew Venter # 907 picking up two wins, a second and a third on the weekend. Blade Tilley #125 also had some fun in the sand with a win, a second and two fourth places. Ashton Martin #7 did amazingly well to achieve a 2nd , and a 3rd podium spot. Jack Anderson #122 did not let go and kept the hot wheels flying with a 2nd and two 3rd places.
Aiden Henley clinched a spectacular win in the last heat showing the sand dragon how it’s done.
MX High School was overloaded with heart and amazing racing action across all 4 heats.
The crowd was on its feet for these riders as they took on a gruelling pace. Luke Grundy #1 took all four wins but not without a fight from Blake Young #44 and the young star Jordan van Wyk #747.
Van Wyk was on the podium 3 times, clinching two second places and a third.
Young stepped up with 3 podiums, including a second place and two third places.
Tristan Durow #444 had a squeaky clean run in heat 1 on day 1 with a powerful 2nd place. Home town rider Kyle Townsend #447 got onto the podium with a 3rd place in heat 2 on day 1 and two 4th places. Durow was consistent in the top mix with his 2nd, a 4th and two 5th places.
Daniel Venter #222, Thor Johnson #169 and Rory Donaldson #118 kept the pace alive. Rover claimed 2 DNFs from Lucas Venter #121 and one DNF from Bryce Petersen #12 as well as Danyll Brunette #73 and Sean Swart #23.
Mathew Correia #200 and Tyler Petersen #15 battled a bit with the sand but still kept it strong.
MX3: Hard bar bashing.
Anthony Raynard #23 literally rode the wave. Raynard’s skill and fitness was put to the test with Royce Griffin #141 shaving Raynard’s back tyre.
Griffin and Raynard put on a spectacular show, but it was Raynard who ultimately took the top step in all 4 heats. Griffin took 2nd right on his ass.
Levy Doherty #99 shared 2nd places across the 4 heats with Craig Kruger #29 pushing the limits on all levels in MX3. Doherty pulled two 3rd places and Kruger clinched two 3rd places.
There was plenty of action in play with Sheldon Watkins #757, Jonathan du Plooy #15 and Morne Janse van Rensburg #144 battling it out in the ranks.
MX 2 was a minefield of action every second of the race.
Cameron Durow #1 in true champion style took all four wins but was under pressure from Michael Docherty #129 on day one. Dalton Venter #151, Stav Orland #265, Mark Carty #24, Davin Cocker #87 and Jayden Proctor #81 shared the steps of the Red Bull podium over the weekend.
Docherty and Orland were determined not to make it easy and fought from the gate drop until the chequered flag.
MX 1 is what the crowd comes to see.
The boys pulled out all the stops. Fear is not in their vocab and every rider wants that win with a passion. Cameron Durow #58, riding two classes, carved his name in the sand with 3 wins and a 3rd due to mechanical issues in the last heat.
Michael Docherty #129 took one 2nd place and Dirco van der Westhuizen #100 snapped that remaining 1st place and one 2nd place finishe.
Jesse Wright was right up there with a consistent ride the entire weekend bagging two 2nd places and two 3rd places.
MX Ladies:
The ladies race saw Leah Heygate #176 rise to the occasion, gelling in the sandpit as she eased her way to four wins. Kayla Raaff #1 held on tight to a consistent four 2nd places. Cheyenne de Lima #484 was also very consistent with 4 3rd places. Jadene de Lima #77 took 3 4th places and an unfortunate DNF.
Rover MX is one of the favourite MSA MX tracks in South Africa and they offered all that was challenging to bring out the top A grade riders in South Africa.
Championships won: High School, MX1 and MX2 :
KTM’s “Camshaft” Cameron Durow and Luke Grundy stole the show snatching up the top step in their respective classes.
Durow put on one of his best performances of the season to secure the prestigious MX1 title for the very first time and claim the MX2 title for the second consecutive year.
A visibly stoked Durow commented: “My very first MX1 title and a back-to-back MX2 title! I am so excited and can’t be happier with how the weekend went.” He went on to say, “I managed to get 7 out of 8 wins for the two rounds coming close to a perfect double-header weekend. I’m so excited for the last round and to end this year off on a high note.”
KTM’s Luke Grundy took a clean sweep to win the High School Championship. All the rider had to do was put the finishing touches on the 54 point lead that he’d established at the double header. With yet another double win, Grundy takes the title for the second year in a row.
“I had such an amazing weekend! Even though I didn’t have perfect starts this weekend and I had to work myself back up from being stone last in the second heat in round 7, I still managed to fight for my championship and climb onto that top step for myself and the team. It was absolutely unreal, and I am back-to-back 125 Highschool class champion for 2023.”
Adrenalin was free of charge with no break in action, excitement and pure high energy racing.
See you at the next one!
