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These race pages brought to you by<br />
RACEWORX KTM CLEARWATERMALL<br />
NATIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY<br />
MOTORCYCLE AND QUAD CHAMPIONS<br />
EMERGE AFTER TOUGH BATTLES<br />
Tough battles and close racing characterised the 2016 SA<br />
National Cross-Country Motorcycle and Quad Championship<br />
and the various class champions had to work hard for their<br />
crowns. It was, however, not only at the front where the<br />
challenges continued race after race as the competition further<br />
down the ranks was as nerve-racking for the crews, supporters<br />
and sponsors.<br />
After six events across the country including three days of<br />
racing in Botswana, competitors can look back at a testing<br />
season and hard earned points. Most championships went<br />
down to the wire after various ding-dong battles.<br />
In the motorcycle category, two Botswana riders claimed<br />
their crowns (Ross Branch and Dartagnan Lobjoit) with both<br />
winning a SA national cross-country title for the very first time.<br />
Branch (Brother Leader Tread KTM), a multiple SA motocross<br />
champion, took the OR1 (Open Class) title ahead of the<br />
defending champion, Kenny Gilbert (Kargo Racing Husqvarna)<br />
with a mere five points separating them. Altus de Wet (BCR<br />
Arrow Yamaha Racing) rounded off the podium with Michael<br />
Pentecost (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), who took the early lead in<br />
the class after winning the first two rounds, fourth after a double<br />
dose of trouble in Botswana.<br />
Branch’s team-mate, Louw Schmidt, defended his OR2<br />
(250cc) title successfully despite an early scare and another at<br />
the <strong>final</strong> round. He claimed four victories during the rest of the<br />
season. Cameron Becker (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing)<br />
lead the class during the first half of the season and finished<br />
second with Brendon Fourie (Sherco SA Racing) finishing third<br />
ahead of former champion, Jaycee Nienaber (Super Moose<br />
Racing KTM) fourth after an up and down season and Deon du<br />
Toit (KTM) fifth.<br />
The Botswana rider, Dartagnan Lobjoit (Yamaha) walked<br />
away with the OR3 (200cc) crown after a nail biting season that<br />
included two victories in his home country. He was followed by<br />
Eduan Bester (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing) who moved<br />
up after winning the High School championship for the past two<br />
seasons with the defending OR3 champion, Brett Swanepoel<br />
(Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) third. Swanepoel took the first two<br />
victories of the season and won at the last two races again,<br />
but could not finish in Botswana. Calvin Wiltshire (Droomers<br />
Yamaha) just missed the podium after his first national season<br />
with Willem Schönfeldt (BCR Arrow Yamaha Racing) having to<br />
settle for fifth place after being second and fighting for the title<br />
when a broken leg kept him from competing in the <strong>final</strong> event.<br />
The Senior Class title was on a knife’s edge the whole season<br />
before the defending champion, Juan ‘Bollie’ van Rooyen<br />
(Brother Leader Tread KTM), whose season started dismally,<br />
UM 03, Clearwatermall, Hendrik Potgieter & Christiaan de Wet, Little Falls, JHB
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