Pics by The Black Sheep and ZCMC.
The racers made their way to Kwa-Zulu Natal and Thunder Valley Motocross Track in Pietermaritzburg.
50cc
Heat 1.
Reigning Champ #1 Riley Geldenhuys’ performance so far has put him in a good position to hang onto that #1 spot. When the gates dropped he made a beeline for the finish and took the win, #117 Trey Dean came through in 2nd place with #34 Joshua-Zion Naude in 3rd.
Heat 2.
Geldenhuys had more of a challenge this time but kept up his winning streak as he took the win. Naude had a better race as he stormed off the line and got 2nd place, crossing the line in 3rd was #20 Luan Jordaan.
Overall Results:
MX3 – Vets & Senior Support
MX3 & Vets combined.
Heat 1.
Wheeler is on a mission to be number 1 again, a title he claimed in the 2022 championship. With full points throughout the year he looks well on track for that #1 spot. He took off like a bat outa hell and won the heat, #99 Levi Doherty crossed in 2nd place with #144 Morne Janse van Rensburg taking the 3rd spot.
Heat 2.
Dean Wheeler , keepiong up his quick pace took the win scoring perfect points not only on this day but in all rounds thus far. Doherty stayed on course to claim another 2nd place and this time it was #121 Jonathan Hubbard who took 3rd.
Senior Support.
Heat 1.
It was a really good start to the day for #73 Brandon Wheeler as he pulled off a convincing win, #36 Astin Allin rode well to secure 2nd place with #100 Sean Strunkheide in 3rd.
Heat 2.
Brandon Wheeler had all the right moves to get him over the line safely in 1st, Allin took 2nd again with another repeat by Strunkheide in 3rd place.
Overall Results:
MX High School
Heat 1.
With just a two point deficit between #444 Tristan Durow and #37 Trey Cox, the challenge for top honours is still very much on. KZN rider #16 Kade van Deventer pulled one over on the big names as crossed the line in first with Durow close behind in 2nd and Cox taking 3rd.
Heat 2.
Cox took the fight right to van Deventer for their last heat of the day. The two produced some good racing, but van Deventer pulled off another win. Cox got 2nd place right behind the KZN rider placing Durrow third.
Overall Results:
Trey Cox:
“It wasn’t my best day behind the bars, been feeling a bit sick after coming back from Europe. I felt fast but not fast enough to push to my maximum for that first place but I’m proud of how I managed to recover and still finish strong,” said Cox. “I qualified P1 at the start of the day and it all just turned around from there crashing in my first heat. Racing at this level is always a learning experience, and I’m taking everything in stride as I continue to improve. Luckily, I didn’t lose any valuable points and I am still in the run and looking forward to Cape Town.”
65cc
Heat 1.
65’s is another class with the championship on the line and with just a single point between #30 Brody Bircher and #345 Rayden Woolls, the tension is running high. Bircher kept his cool all the way to the line to take 1st place. Woolls took 2nd and #83 Ross Mackenzie who is three points behind Bircher placed 3rd to keep his chance for the title in reach.
Heat 2.
Bircher made sure that he walked away with full points taking the top spot on the podium. Mackenzie and Woolls were fighting tooth and nail as they closed in on the finish line, Mackenzie took 2nd by 0.27sec ahead of Woolls in 3rd place.
Overall Results:
Cameron Durow:
“It’s been an incredible season so far and the day was real exciting racing on my home turf,” said Durow. “Thunder Valley is a challenging track and the track was a bit different this weekend, but the competition and experience I’ve gained in the US has really helped me step up my game. I’m thrilled with the results and looking forward to keeping this momentum going.”
MX1
Heat 1.
Cameron Durow, KTM’s Factory Rider came out in full force as he powered his way to claim 1st place. #87 Davin Cocker, Husqvarna Factory Rider had to push hard to get to the line in 2nd with #81 Out Of Africa Yamaha’s Jayden Proctor hot on his heels in 3rd.
Heat 2.
Durow had a cracker of a race as he took the checkered flag in 1st place.
Overall Results:
Davin Cocker:
“It was a tough race, especially after the crash in the second heat,” said Davin Cocker. “I had to dig deep and pushed hard fighting my way back. I’m happy with a third overall, but I know there’s room for improvement. I’m looking forward to the next race.”
MX Ladies
Heat 1.
For the last two years #176 Leah Heygate has played second fiddle to #1 Kayla Raaff, but this year Leah said no more. Heygate had a tough time with Kayla but managed to clinch the win by less than a second, the reigning champ took 2nd and great ride saw #202 Mienke Caywood crossing in 3rd.
Heat 2.
Heygate really gunning for that #1 spot, proving that she is champion material collecting another win. Raaff was not far behind when she crossed the line in 2nd place with Cawood in 3rd.
Overall Results:
85cc
Heat 1.
Evan Frost the 2022 65cc National Champ has his sights firmly set on becoming an 85cc champion, but has his work cut out for him with running very close. Frost took 25 valuable points as he grabbed the win, #418 Cruz Martin crossed in 2nd and #94 Trenton Kretzmann got 3rd place.
Heat 2.
Kretzmann brought the heat and raced his heart out or a better spot in the overall results and what a run it was! He claimed 1st place and that took him to the top of the podium. Martin kept things the same to take 2nd and now with equal points with Kretzmann. Frost placed 3rd and is still leading the championship by 3 points.
Overall Results:
MX2
Heat 1.
#1 Cameron Durow in the form that he is in, is well on his way to repeat what he did last year to win the championship in two classes. He made a clean break for the front and stayed there all the way until the end of the heat.
#450 Luke Grundy, Durow’s KTM team mate got 2nd place after grabbing his first ever P1 in the qualifiers. #81 Jayden Proctor took the 3rd spot.
Heat 2.
Again, Cameron Durow was unstoppable.
He powered his way to another win. Grundy kept it steady in 2nd place followed by #25 Ricky Raaff in 3rd place.
Overall Results:
Grundy:
“Getting my first P1 in the MX2 class is a really big accomplishment for me,” said Grundy. “The competition is fierce, and the track was tough, but I pushed through and stayed focused. This is just the beginning, and I’m excited for what’s to come.”
That’s it for now! It’s been a cracker of a year so far and there’s more to come!,
Round 6 of the National MX series heads off to the mother city, attacking Zone 7 in Cape Town on the 31st of August.
Until then, Keep it pinned.
