Wade Young (Yamaha), competing in his first national enduro season, claimed his second consecutive victory by winning a wet and slippery Creighton Enduro, the final round of the SA championship in the Myddleton Dam area outside Creighton at the weekend.
Heavy rain during Friday evening combined with thick mist and a testing, but slippery track designed by the WFO Club, resulted in only a handful of competitors being able to complete the race.
Both the E1 (Open Class) and E2 (200cc Class) titles were still up for grabs before the race and, after a survival game where perseverance and fitness played important roles, the Yamaha team mates Jade Gutzeit and Marc Torlage were crowned the 2012 E1 and E2 champions respectively. It was Torlage's third consecutive E2 title and provisional scoring sees him finishing the season second behind his team mate on the overall standings.
The battle between Young (who won the Winterberg Enduro earlier this year) and Torlage was as hot as the weather was cold with the new E2 champion finishing only 39 seconds behind Young in second overall.
Young, who finished the 2012 season in a provisional third on the overall standings, described his race as 'enjoyable and fun' on an extremely muddy route where he, like so many other riders, got stuck a number of times. Young won six of the 12 special timed stages with Torlage winning four.
DON’T ARGUE WITH THE TREES, CHRIS
Although defending title holder and E1 champion, Chris Birch (KTM) enjoyed the rainy conditions and muddy route, he did not have a great day in the saddle after damaging his bike when he crashed into a tree quite early in the race. He kept his composure and still won four of the racing stages on the day to round off the overall podium and win E1 for the last time in South Africa as he will be returning to New Zealand after competing in the Roof of Africa in November.
Birch finished just 45 seconds ahead of Altus de Wet (KTM) who was in E2 behind Young and Torlage. Kenny Gilbert (Yamaha) finished second in E1 and was fifth overall after a race he compared with racing in the USA where he competed for five years.
Newly crowned E1 champion and overall title winner Gutzeit had a dismal day, plagued by mechanical problems that had him struggling and losing time. He rounded off the E1 podium and finished sixth overall, 71 seconds behind team mate Gilbert.
De Wet's team mate, Louwrens Mahoney, probably lost the most at this race; his seventh place overall (fourth in E1) resulted in him falling from second on the overall standings to fourth place with both Torlage and Young overtaking him.
Mahoney has, however, already claimed the 2012 SA Off-Road title and OR1 (Open Class) championship.
Scott Bouverie (KTM) also got stuck and lost lots of time, but was one of the few finishers; his eighth place overall and fourth in E2 ensured that he retained his seventh position for the year - because no other National competitor finished!
Only three competitors in the Senior Class for riders older than 38 years of age reached the chequered flag, with 2012 champion, William 'Wild Will' Gillit (Yamaha) taking the class honours for the fourth time this season.
Bruce May (Yamaha) crowned his first enduro season at national level with a third podium position, finishing second behind Gillit while Bruce Gargan (Yamaha) nailed down his second place in the 2012 championship with a third place at Creighton. His team mate, Jodi Engelbrecht, was second before the race, but didn't finish, resulting in Gargan leapfrogging him to take second for 2012.
Experience counted at this tough event - three-times National Master Class champion, Denzil Torlage (Yamaha) was the only finisher in his class, maintaining an unbroken record of class wins since February 2009. Charl Rohrbeck (KTM) was the runner-up for the season, with Graydon Ilderton (KTM) third.