LW Mag LW Magazine
Every now and then, we are privileged to arrive at a track that just captures the essence of what motocross is all about. The rolling hills of the the KZN north coast is where round 4 of the Full Throttle National Champs was hosted, in the sleepy hollow of TEZA, some 30km north of Richards Bay. There were about 125 of the fastest riders who showed us what true pace is all about and there was some fantastic racing in all classes.
The 50cc class was a great one to watch as the current championship leader, Justin Sangster, battled it out with rising star, Camden McLellan. Justin is on his way to compete in Europe, so was on great form. Justin managed to win both races on a track that probably didn’t really suit him. Camden had to make do with 2nd and Jonathan Mlimi rode a great 2nd heat to end up in 3rd overall. Ethan Coleman is proving to be one of the most improved in this class with his 4th overall.
The 65cc class was missing the championship leader, Slade Smith, who is nursing a serious injury he picked up in training. This left the door open for the two local boys, Cayle Dormehl and Cameron Durow. They would have to fight off the challenge from Dalton Venter who was jumping all the jumps and looking ominous on a track that really suited his no-holds-barred riding style. The give-all-or-nothing style of Dalton Venter is ultimately what cost him the day though as several mistakes left him 4th in heat 1 and he managed to fight back with a 2nd in heat 2. The ever consistent Cayle Dormehl rode to two solid wins. His hometown mate Cam Durow was happy with 2nd overall, as he has another year in this class. The PE boy who was awesome at the start of the season, Grant Hutton, had to settle for 4th and will use the next two home nationals to try and get back to winning ways.
The 85cc junior class has been a real mixed bag this year. Justin Thompson dominated the start of the season, but has hit a bit of a wobble of late. He is a talented rider and even though he was able to finish 3rd overall, he will want to win the next two. The front two spots were fought out between Marcus Phelps who has just come back from competing successfully in the UK and the rising star of the class and KZN local, Janes Van Sandwyk. Janes won heat 1 in emphatic style, but the roles were reversed in heat 2 as Marcus won the heat and the overall. Matthew Kruger had a solid day in 4th and managed two holeshots, whilst Cape Town winner Bevin Potgieter had to settle for 5th.
The Pro-mini class was a battle royale between the two PS Honda boys, Dirco VD Westhuizen and Tristan Purdon. They were some 3 to 5 seconds a lap ahead of the rest of the chasing pack. They battled back and forth in heat 1, but Tristan managed to hold on for the win. In heat 2, Dirco got away and Tristan struggled with a bad start, which has been common ground for him this season in heat 2. He managed to close up to Dirco, but slid out in a turn with two laps to go. This handed the race win and overall win to dirco VD Westhuizen, his 2nd national win of the season. Jaydon Proctor rode his first Womza national of the season and managed a respectable 3rd overall. Charl Van Eeden lives on the property the track is on and despite riding more enduro these days, managed a 4th overall, with JHB’s Joshua Mlimi in 5th.
The 125cc class was one of the best to watch on the day. Any one of six riders could win. Justin Mittens dominated the last round, but was unable to match that this time with a 6th overall. The win went to another man that just arrived home from several months in Europe, Zane Farquharson. He didn’t have it all his own way, as the pocket rocket Maddy Malan, walked away with heat 2. I must make mention that Maddy was riding with pain killers and a seriously sore back and face after a BIG crash in practice. Championship leader, Jesse Wright had a solid day in 3rd, but threw away a chance to win, when he ran off the track and hit a spectator. The enduro star, Travis Teasedale proved he is still a strong candidate with a 4th overall.
The MX2 class was sponsored generously by Northside electrical, but the riders are still racing for the chance to win an all-expenses-paid holiday to Europe or Thailand, courtesy of Contiki tours. Richard VD Westhuizen looked great all day, but a mechanical failure on the last lap while leading, left him with only three points for the heat. This has shaken up the championship, as the riders chasing him, Kerim Fitzgerald, Wyatt Avis and Anthony Raynard had great days, finishing 1,2, and 3 on the podium respectively. Grant Frerichs is starting to show some good speed by finishing 4th overall.
The Vets and Masters had a small field, but the racing was fierce. Roger Bergstrom and Wayne Smith rode hard and took each other out in heat 2. Both got up and finished; a true sign that these guys are here to race and not just make up numbers. Wayne was able to win the Masters class, but Ian Topliss won the vets class with Roger in 2nd. James Van Staden made a return to MX recently and finished 3rd in the vets.
The MX1 class saw the return of Michael Kok in new colours, GREEN. Riding for the Fast Wetherd Kawasaki team, Michael managed to win heat 2 and do his famous sprinkler move. This put Michael in 2nd overall behind championship leader Richard VD Westhuizen, who opened up more points by winning the day. Wyatt Avis had his best MX1 performance of the season by finishing 3rd overall.
