The Vogelstruispan 200, run in the Bela Bela area at the weekend might have been only 180km long, but it has already earned its place as one of the most demanding races competitors in the SA Off-Road Motorcycle and Quad series will face this year.
Louwrens Mahoney (KTM) and Jurie Meyer (Yamaha) showed why they are the defending 2012 title holders of the motorcycle and quad categories respectively when each won his class at this sandy race outside Bela Bela where ruts and whoops tested both the fitness and talent of the riders.
Even Mahoney, who won every round of the 2012 championship, admitted that it was a tough race and that his high level of fitness played a major role in his victory. He also commented on the extremely fierce competition this season.
Seven minutes behind him second-placed Nicholas Pienaar (KTM), who also finished second behind Mahoney in OR1 (Open Class), came home only 24 seconds ahead of Kenny Gilbert (Yamaha) after a race-long battle. Seventeen-year-old Michael Pentecost (Yamaha) caused something of an upset by finishing fourth overall - and winning the OR3/200cc Class, while Altus de Wet gave Husqvarna its first result in SA nationals with a solid fifth overall.
TIGHT DUELS
The short 60km course threw up some tight duels, including one beween De Wet and privateer JC de Bruyn (Yamaha), who missed the top five by only 11 seconds and had to settle for sixth ahead of Juan van Rooyen (KTM) and Ruan Roberts (Beta).
Chris Webster (Yamaha) had posted a 'problematic' qualifying time and had to fight his way into contention from midfield. He finished ninth, only 36 seconds ahead of OR2 (250cc) winner, Vincent Crosbie (KTM) who rounded off the top ten.
Francois de Greef (KTM) was second in OR2 (11th overall) with Jono van Wyk (KTM) third in this class. Another former Junior National Championship competitor, Jaycee Nienaber (Yamaha) finished second behind Pentecost in OR3 with Renier Kotze (KTM) rounding off the OR3 podium. KTM rider Louw Schmidt won the OR4 / Under 21 Class while junior rider, Mauritz Meiring (McGee Yamaha Lydenburg) won the Silver Class Challenge, in his maiden national event.
OUT OF IT Dakar Rally hero, Riaan van Niekerk (KTM) who picked up mechanical gremlins towards the end of the race while he was in the top 10, as did Dillon Inggs (KTM) - while Timmy Young (Yamaha) was stopped by gearbox problems and Michael Creevy (Husqvarna) crashed into a tree.
A new name appeared at the top of the Senior Class in the motorcycle category: Pieter Holl (KTM) won this class first time out, well ahead of Justim Broughton (KTM) and Dennis Williams (KTM) rounded off the podium.
The Master Class was won by KTM rider Leon Gerber who had a comfortable lead ahead of Martin Poole (Yamaha) and Nichoas Kirk (Yamaha) with the demanding track taking its toll on the more 'senior' competitors.
This is the first year that the ladies have their own class, and Kirsten Landman (KTM) became the first winner in this category.
QUADS
Meyer took the overall win (and the Q1 honours) but only 25 seconds separated him from veteran Jacques 'Boesman' Struwig (Suzuki) who now competes in the Senior Class! Fitness also played a role in this category as the rutted track took its toll on competitors. Struwig passed John Aylward (Yamaha), who was running out of steam in the tough conditions just after the halfway mark. Leonard dos Santos (Suzuki) won Q2 and finished fourth overall with Stefan Swanepoel (Honda) just six seconds behind him in fifth.
Top contenders Brian Baragwanath (Yamaha) and André du Plessis (Suzuki) started on the front row but Baragwanath had to call it a day while leading when a bolt on a broken rear shock absorber let go, and the broken end of the shock did terminal damage to the electrical system, while Du Plessis' Suzuki overheated and he had to settle for 15th in Q1.
Danie Erasmus (Suzuki) was sixth overall (and fourth in Q1) followed by the 2012 Junior National Champion, Jaco Moller (Suzuki) who crashed, but still finished seventh. Rorke Millar (Can-Am) was eighth and beat Jay-Zet Potgieter (Suzuki) by 35 seconds while Freddie Taljaard (Suzuki) rounded off the top 10.
ADULT ENTERTAINMENT
Senior Class stalwart Russell Ferreira (Honda) had to settle for second place behind class newbie (Struwig) while Kobus Erasmus (Suzuki) rounded off the podium.
Jurie Meyer's father Jurie Senior (Yamaha) beat Tony dos Santos (Suzuki) by 42 seconds to win the Master Class for riders older than 46, with Peter Schenk (Honda) well down in third.
Graeme Howell (Suzuki) won the Silver Class Challenge while Chardri Monk (KTM) made a great comeback after a back injury last year to win the Ladies Quad Class even though her quad's rear shock blew early in the race.
The next round of the SA Off-Road championship will be run on 27 April in the Bronkhorstspruit area; it will another sprint-type race of only 180km over demanding terrain and will again be combined with a round of the GOC Series.