Race report & photos by Deon vdl Photography.
The gates dropped and the dust flew at ERORA as Round 4 of the Inland MX Championship delivered another full day of hard-fought racing, big jumps and elbow-to-elbow battles across every class. Riders of all ages came out swinging, turning the dirt circuit into a battlefield of speed, skill and determination.
MX50cc & MX65cc
The smallest machines on the circuit kicked off the day as the MX50cc and MX65cc riders rolled up to the gates together, proving once again that the youngest racers often bring some of the biggest determination to the track.
In the 50cc Juniors class, #59 James Gibson and #16 Nate Verrier traded blows across both heats in a tight little showdown. Gibson grabbed the win in Heat 1 ahead of Verrier, but Verrier struck back in Heat 2 to level the score. Consistency across the day handed Nate Verrier the overall victory, with James Gibson finishing a close second overall.
The 50cc Seniors class saw #112 Logan Fulton ride uncontested, but that did not stop him from putting in a solid performance to secure first place overall.
The MX65cc riders wasted no time getting down to business, with #20 Luan Jordaan leading the charge all day long. Jordaan delivered two composed rides to take victory in both heats. Behind him, #88 Reestin Bartlett kept the pressure on with a pair of second-place finishes, while #38 Hayden Kasser rode consistently to claim third in both heats and secure the final overall podium position.
Overall Results:
MX50cc Juniors
1st Nate Verrier
2nd James Gibson
MX50cc Seniors
1st Logan Fulton
MX65cc
1st Luan Jordaan
2nd Reestin Bartlett
3rd Hayden Kasser
MX1 & Senior Support.
The MX1 and Senior Support riders turned the intensity up another level as bigger bikes and bigger power produced some of the fiercest racing of the day at ERORA.
MX1 delivered a proper scrap from the very first gate drop. In Heat 1, #136 Mark Anthony Filip put together a strong ride to take the win ahead of #746 Adriano Catalano, while #38 Ethan Louw rounded out the top three. Heat 2 saw #108 Kerim Fitzgerald charge to victory, with Catalano once again finishing second and Filip taking third after another consistent outing.
When the points were added up, it was Mark Anthony Filip who narrowly secured the overall victory by just a single point over Adriano Catalano. Ethan Louw’s solid performance across the day earned him third overall.
The Senior Support class brought its own drama as #303 Damyon Taljaard stamped his authority on the field with victory in both heats. Behind him, the fight for the remaining podium spots stayed wide open throughout the day. #16 Nicolas Verrier claimed second place in Heat 1 ahead of #13 Devon Collard, while Heat 2 saw #128 Jordan Moore break into second with Collard once again finishing third.
Although Collard scored enough points for an overall podium finish, his points did not count after changing classes. That promoted Jordan Moore into second overall, while #222 Mario Bezuidenhout secured third place overall behind the dominant Damyon Taljaard.
Overall Results:
MX1
1st #136 Mark Anthony Filip
2nd #746 Adriano Catalano
3rd #38 Ethan Louw
Senior Support
1st #303 Damyon Taljaard
2nd #128 Jordan Moore
3rd #222 Mario Bezuidenhout
MX125cc High School.
The MX125cc High School class kept the weekends race momentum rolling with fast, aggressive action and no shortage of commitment from the young chargers. These riders are quickly becoming some of the most exciting talent in the Inland Championship, and Round 4 was no exception.
#280 Kabelo Ledwaba was the rider to beat all day He put together two controlled and confident rides to secure victory in both heats. Behind him, #3 Asher Brown stayed firmly in the fight with a pair of second-place finishes, keeping the pressure on from start to finish.
Heat 1 saw #555 Maxwell Fourie claim third place after a solid ride, while Heat 2 belonged to #91 Connor Schlebusch, who fought his way into third.
With consistent results across both heats, Ledwaba walked away with the overall win ahead of Asher Brown in second, while Maxwell Fourie did enough to secure third overall.
Overall Results:
1st #280 Kabelo Ledwaba
2nd #3 Asher Brown
3rd #555 Maxwell Fourie
MX85cc Junior & MX85cc Pro.
The MX85cc Junior and Pro classes brought plenty of energy to the ERORA circuit, with young riders pushing hard and showing exactly why the future of motocross looks very bright.
In the MX85cc Junior class, #204 Luke Schlorke delivered a flawless day on the track. Schlorke controlled both heats from the front, taking two convincing victories to secure the overall win. Behind him, #199 Nicky Kasser remained consistent with two second-place finishes, while #413 Rocco Kapp matched that consistency with a pair of thirds to complete the podium.
The MX85cc Pro riders turned the pace up even further as #40 Henrico Barwise put together a dominant performance across both heats. Barwise claimed victory in Heat 1 and Heat 2, keeping #246 Ryan Boggett firmly behind him in second place on both occasions. #19 Tommy Wotherspoon rounded out the podium positions with two solid third-place finishes.
The overall standings reflected the consistency shown throughout the day, with Barwise, Boggett and Wotherspoon locking out the podium in the same order they finished both heats.
Overall Results:
MX85cc Junior
1st #204 Luke Schlorke
2nd #199 Nicky Kasser
3rd #413 Rocco Kapp
MX85cc Pro
1st #40 Henrico Barwise
2nd #246 Ryan Boggett
3rd #19 Tommy Wotherspoon
MX4 Ladies.
The MX4 Ladies class delivered an entertaining battle as the women took to the ERORA circuit with determination.
#422 Kirsten Santillan proved untouchable across the day, taking victory in both heats with two strong rides to secure the overall win. Behind her, the fight for the remaining podium positions stayed close throughout the event.
In Heat 1, #111 Anka Jonker claimed second place ahead of #461 Dakota Gennitsaris in third. Heat 2 saw Gennitsaris respond with a strong ride into second position, while Jonker crossed the line in third after another consistent performance.
When the final points were counted, Kirsten Santillan stood on the top step overall, with Dakota Gennitsaris securing second place and Anka Jonker rounding out the podium in third.
Overall Results:
1st #422 Kirsten Santillan
2nd #461 Dakota Gennitsaris
3rd #111 Anka Jonker
MX2 & MX3 Vets.
The MX2 and MX3 Vets classes kept the action flowing with a mix of young talent and experienced racers putting on a proper show at ERORA.
MX2 produced some of the closest racing of the day as riders traded positions and fought hard for every point. Heat 1 belonged to #280 Kabelo Ledwaba, who charged to victory ahead of #38 Ethan Louw, while #74 Cole Meyer completed the top three.
Heat 2 saw Ethan Louw bounce back in style, taking the win ahead of #3 Asher Brown, with Ledwaba finishing third after another solid ride.
The consistency across both heats gave Ethan Louw enough points to secure the overall victory, with Kabelo Ledwaba taking second overall and Asher Brown rounding out the podium in third.
The MX3 Vets class saw #108 Kerim Fitzgerald put together a commanding performance across both heats. Fitzgerald took victory in Heat 1 ahead of #73 Brandon Wheeler and #127 Kevin Spagnut, before repeating the result in Heat 2 with Spagnut moving into second and Wheeler taking third.
With two wins from two starts, Kerim Fitzgerald comfortably secured the overall victory, while Kevin Spagnut claimed second overall ahead of Brandon Wheeler in third.
Overall Results:
MX2
1st #38 Ethan Louw
2nd #280 Kabelo Ledwaba
3rd #3 Asher Brown
MX3 Vets
1st #108 Kerim Fitzgerald
2nd #127 Kevin Spagnut
3rd #73 Brandon Wheeler
MX3 Masters & Grand Masters.
Experience and determination took centre stage in the MX3 Masters and Grand Masters classes, proving that speed in the dirt does not fade with age.
The Masters class delivered one of the biggest twists of the day. #28 Callan Theron looked set for a dominant overall after taking victory in Heat 1 ahead of #50 Nicolaas van der Linden and #16 Nicolas Verrier. Theron once again led the charge in Heat 2, but disaster struck when a hole in his radiator forced him out of contention and opened the door for the rest of the field.
Nicolaas van der Linden capitalised perfectly, taking the Heat 2 victory ahead of #8 Damion Purificati, while Verrier secured another third-place finish with a consistent ride.
When the points were finalised, Van der Linden walked away with the overall victory, followed by Purificati in second and Nicolas Verrier in third.
The Grand Masters class saw #7 Gary Killian put together a textbook performance across both heats. Killian claimed victory in Heat 1 ahead of #19 Darrell Lehman and #61 Alex Robinson, before repeating the exact result in Heat 2.
That consistency handed Gary Killian the overall win, with Darrell Lehman securing second overall and Alex Robinson completing the podium in third.
Overall Results:
MX3 Masters
1st #50 Nicolaas van der Linden
2nd #8 Damion Purificati
3rd #16 Nicolas Verrier
MX3 Grand Masters
1st #7 Gary Killian
2nd #19 Darrell Lehman
3rd #61 Alex Robinson
The Inland Championship now takes a short break before the riders line up once again for Round 5 on 8 August at Ridgeway MX Park, where the battles for championship points and momentum will continue to heat up.
