Exciting Ermelo Toyota 400 awaits off-road bike and quad competitors

Feb. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- MUSICAL CHAIRS SCENARIO SETS SCENE FOR EXPLOSIVE OFF-ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP

The musical chairs scenario especially in the motorcycle category of the national off-road championships for bike and quad competitors, sets the secene for an exciting season that will start on 12/13 February with the Ermelo Toyota 400, the opening round of the 2010 season, in Mpumalanga.

Almost all the big names will be competing again this season, but one will have to get used to seeing them on new bikes, in new teams and in the colours of new sponsors. Team DCM Yamaha is a brand new three-man team with two multiple former champions – Louwrens Mahoney and the 2009 Open Class champ, Jade Gutzeit – who will both aim for the top spot.

Podium positions are, however, still within reach of Team Bavarian Motorcycles/BMW Motorrad – Wynand Delport has teamed up with Gray Dick, who will only start to compete in the second half of the season as he is still recovering from a back operation.

Inbetween his international racing responsibilities, the 2008 and 2009 overall winner, Riaan van Niekerk,  will aim for a hat-trick in the colours of Brother KTM where his team-mates include the two-time enduro champion, Altus de Wet and Ruan Roberts who is returning to the sport after senious injuries.

Another former champ, Spencer Kriel, will lead Team ORD/Insurance Zone/Pro Action KTM and together with CJ Blackman (brother of the 200cc Class champion, Jarrod Blackman, who will not be competing due to serious injuries sustained after a crash earlier this year) and Mark Garland, they will be a team to take note of.

The competition for the podium will be stiff and will also come from Team Ramco Honda Cayenne where the youngster, Theo Potgieter, will make his come-back to the sport. Laurence Murton has frequented the podium in the past and together with fellow Swaziland racer, Jonathan van Wyk, as well as Craig Ramsay, they would like to prove a few points.

The Kawasaki racers have also proved that they are worthy of victories although The Roost/Out of Africa Kawasaki’s Juan “Bollie” van Rooyen would hope he has more luck this year while Gavin Louw (The Roost Kawasaki) will be aiming to win again after doing so for the first time last year.

With so many talented racers – be it with experience or the youth on their side – it will be foolish to predict possible winners while riders like Wade Blaauw (Connix Internet/Salley’s Yamaha); Zac Botha (Shimwells Yamaha) and Dillon Inggs (Naledi Motors Wesbank Racing Yamaha) can also upset the applecart.

Not much has changed in the national quad category although some of the top names like Hendrik Potgieter and Enrico da Silva (Da Silva’s younger brother, Mikhail, will however compete) do not appear on the Ermelo Toyota 400 entry list. The 2009 Quad MX and off-road champ, Dirkie Baard, will defend his title with the support of his brother, Philipie and Eric Williams, in the colours of Honda Windhoek.

Former champions Brian Baragwanath (EMD Racing Yamaha) and Brendan Badenhorst (Brother KTM) will both be on the start line as well as the 2009 runner-up, Juan Coetzee (Race Nation Honda); the Open Class champ, Stefan Swanepoel and Jacques Struwig (Boesman Racing LTR).

EMD Racing will also be represented by André du Plessis (Suzuki) who has visited the podium on various occassions the last few seasons. Leander Pienaar (Connix Internet/Salley’s Yamaha Can-Am) did not give up after a horrendous season and would hope that his luck will turn. Vincent Loubser (Team Yamaha) will tackle the season without ‘kleinboet’ Glen while Dale Stock (Roost/Out of Africa Kawasaki) will also again be in action.

A few youngsters that will add lots of interest to the mix include Junior National Off-road racers, Jurie Meyer (Yamaha); Reghardt Oosthuizen and the 2009 Silver Challenge winner, Elaine Roberts, both representing CDV Racing with the Can-Am DS450as well as Keegan da Silva (Belcherbuilt HST Yamaha).

The senior competitors in both the motorcycle and quad categories now only have to complete three-quarters of the race while the Master Classes will carry championship status in both categories. Entries for these classes are also healthy with four-time quad champion, Cornel de Villiers, making a come-back in the Senior Clas.
On two wheels Wayne Farmer (World of Accessories Gas Gas) will not only be tested by his arch-rival, Brian Bader (The Roost Kawasaki), but also by veteran racer, Errol Dalton (Connix Internet/Salley’s Yamaha).

The Ermelo Toyota 400 will also form the opening round of the AMU Southern African Off-road Championship and will start with a 50km time-trial on Friday (12 February) in the Douglas Dam area just outside Ermelo. The time-trial determines the starting order for the main race on Saturday (13 February) and competitors will have to tackle a 400km route consisting of two loops in the Sheepmoor area. The start of the race as well as the finish and the central pit area will be at the De Rust Guest Farm.

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