Where : Scottburgh, KZN
When : Saturday 9 March 2024
The weekend’s race pushed riders to their limits with merciless temperatures, humid conditions, and the air thick and heavy with dust. Scorching temperatures, oppressive humidity, and blinding dust pushed riders and machines to their limits.
The Husqvarna Racing Team had a dream start to the 2024 Cross Country racing season, winning both the Open and OR3 classes at Rocky Bay in Kwa-Zulu Natal this past weekend.
Davin Cocker, who claimed the OR2 championship in 2023 season took to the Open Class with confidence and had a golden day in the saddle finishing 1st in his class and bagging the overall win for the day!
Cocker commented on the day saying, “This was an amazing race! It was close out there, but I dug deep and grabbed the win in both my class and overall. The track was rough, but the team’s support and my Husqvarna FX350 made all the difference.”
In the OR3 class, young gun Luke Walker wasn’t fazed by the competition. He rode his FC250 to victory in OR3 and an impressive third place overall, adding another win to Husqvarna’s fantastic day.
Walker commented, “I had a blast racing and a great day out. Managed to finish fourth in the time trial which helped me a lot in the main race with the dust. I managed to get out of the dust for most of the race and pull a gap on the rest of the guys in my class.”
He continued to say, “The track had some tricky bits, but my FC250 handled it perfectly and I am extremely happy to start my season off with a win and to put the Husqvarna brand on top!”
Megan Prinsloo, Husqvarna’s Marketing Coordinator commented, “We are very proud of both rider’s performances this weekend and looking forward to a strong season ahead for Husqvarna Racing”.
GASGAS Racing also got a podium finish with Enduro rider James Moore.
Moore, who is well-known for his success in Enduro racing, surprised the field with a stellar performance when he decided to join the race to keep up his race fitness in his first-ever National Cross Country outing. Starting at a challenging 49th place in the time trial, Moore displayed his versatility by qualifying with an impressive 12th overall and 6th in the OR3 class for the main race.
The demanding track tested Moore’s endurance and fitness but his impressive ride culminated in a well-deserved third-place finish in the OR3 class.
Having an enduro background, the technical track played into Moore’s advantage in the race. He commented, “The terrain here in KZN definitely played into my favour in being more technical than usual. Overall, I am happy with my performance and cannot thank the team enough for all the support. It was really fun to bang some bars with the boys for this one!”
Megan Prinsloo, GASGAS’s Marketing Coordinator commented, “We are really impressed with James Moore’s performance and this result just shows his true skill and ability to adapt to different terrain”.
The Brother Leader Tread KTM Team faced a tough challenge.
Brad Cox, sported the coveted #1 plate for the season in the Open Class. A crash forced him to withdraw after a few laps… Fortunately, the only damage was bruising on the chest, diaphragm muscles, and ribs. Despite this setback, Cox still managed to score valuable points, finishing 12th in the Open Class.
“Not the start I wanted,” said Cox. “The heat, humidity, and dust were brutal, and a crash unfortunately ended my day early. The bike had to be rebuilt but unfortunately, the crash made me feel worse as I kept on racing and decided to stop. On the positive side, I only have some bumps and bruises, and I was able to salvage some points. I’ll be back stronger for the next race.”
Kerim Fitz-Gerald, fresh off his 2023 Seniors Championship win and a challenging Dakar Rally appearance where he sustained a wrist injury, demonstrated his toughness by completing a lap in the Seniors Class, enough to secure a sixth-place finish.
“Competing with a wrist injury wasn’t ideal and definitely not how I wanted to race,” said Fitz-Gerald. “But finishing the race is a credit to the team and my will to push through. I’m focusing on recovery and I’ll be ready to fight for the Seniors title and points again soon.”
Matthew Wilson, the defending OR3 Champion, faced a couple of difficulties and battled through the dust, ultimately finishing fourth in his class. He also managed to bag some valuable points for the season.
“It was a real tough one for me, my time trial started off well but got held up in dust and came in 10th overall for the start of the main race,” commented Wilson.
He went on to say “Getting stuck in the dust early on in the race made it very difficult for me to catch and pass riders on a rough track. Despite the difficulties, I managed to get some valuable points, and I’m already looking forward to redemption in the next round.
Scott Heygate secured a podium finish on his rip-roaring 450 XC-F for the season with a hard-fought third place.
“A frustrating day in the dust riddled with mistakes on my end. Nevertheless, I am glad to have walked away with good points in the bag and I will build on this going forward”, he stated
Heygate continued to say, “Racing conditions were extremely demanding due to the heat which made hydration critical all day. Track conditions weren’t favourable but happy to have walked away healthy.”
“We’re proud of the team’s fighting spirit at Rocky Bay,” said Group Marketing Coordinator, Megan Prinsloo. “The conditions were harsh, but all our riders showed their determination. We learned valuable lessons this weekend, and we know the teams will be back in top form for the next race.”
Honda’s Mahoney opens season with Seniors victory
UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Honda Racing with Tork Craft and Dunlop Tyres overcame Saturday’s tough and testing 2024 Trademore South African Cross Country Motorcycle Championship opening round to come home with a class win and a few more notable results.
“The Scottburgh Rocky Bay Rodeo on the KZN South Coast proved a tough challenge over the weekend, but Louwrens Mahoney still won in Seniors,” UB Leisure TFC Sleepover Honda Racing team boss Harry Grobler confirmed. “Murray Smith was second on his High School 125 debut, while Mike Pentecost dusted himself off after a crash to come home fourth in OR1.
“Our youngest star Ruald Potgieter was sixth on his first time out in 85 Seniors, but our
OR 3 riders battled on a hard day in the saddle. Blake Young was an impressive eighth on his 250 debut, Tyron Beverley ninth, and Erick Merry 12th on their Honda CRF 250 RXs. KZN has always been tough and the Rodeo was no exception. But we made a positive start to the season and can now look forward to some races more in line with our riders’ strengths.”
“What a great way to start our National season,” Mahoney reported. “Scottburgh was super-tough, but all that hard work since I made my racing comeback last year has paid off, my Honda was on point, and my team awesome in support. Huge thanks to Harry for his belief in me and to the team for the huge effort as always!”
“I really enjoyed my step up to High School 125s,” South African 85 cc Senior champion Murray Smith admitted. “I took my time to settle in, before pushing a bit, so I am delighted to start off with a strong podium second on my first run on the bigger bike. I must thank Uncle Harry, my dad, and my team for having my back, but best of all we have a great result to build on!”
“It’s a pity, because my bike was running like the Red Rocket it is and I was having a great run until I had a big crash on the final lap,” Mike Pentecost owned up. “I picked it up but had to contend with no rear brakes on the run home from there, so I’m pretty happy to have picked up fourth in OR1 and fifth overall, so a good haul after all. Thanks to the team, now to push next time!”
The teams now prepare for the first of two Gauteng home outings at the 13 April Trademore South African Cross Country Motorcycle Championship Elim Farm second round.
Sherco’s Brett Swanepoel: 2nd open class.
Brett started right at the back with time trial and worked his way into 2nd place overall in very dusty conditions. With enduro bike setup he got up front and took the chequered flag
“Took the leash off the dawg👊🏼
Solid day at Rnd 1 @sa.offroad.motorcycles 💪🏼
P2 Open and Overall”
Thomas Scales: Winner high School class:
That was the first round of the @sa.offroad.motorcycles down at Rocky Bay. The track was definitely demanding and a tough first race of the season.
Dealing with a couple injuries I am more than happy to come out on top with P1 in National Highschool class.
It wouldn’t have been possible without the people that are behind me.
Some happy trophy winners.
