1701 DT final

(more about that…), and French national
motocross champion Marc Bourgeois who came
to visit for the first time. Finally Lars Enockl was
alsoback for another try.
Our boys shone – Trav Teasdale (4th) enhanced
his reputation by stopping his race to help some
silver bronze riders climb a pass after they had
helped him. Blake Gutzeid showed his mettle
literally manhandling his Yammie back onto the
race line after following an unrideable ridge up
Bushmans Pass. Brett Swanepoel was dicing the
whole way he won 2 of the three days but day
2 got the better of him. He came in sixth. Altus
de Wet, Henco Botha, Dwayne Kleinhans, Kyle
Flannagan and Kirsten Landman. Yes, you read
it right, Kirsten, a gal… she has been setting
records at many tough races around the World,
and had now set her sights on a good result in
the Roof. So looking at this lot – it could have
realistically been anyone’s day.
The Roof of Africa never had humble
beginnings. Right from the start 49 years ago
in 1967 it has always been an in your face
challenge of man and machine against the
elements and terrain.
It has always challenged the dare devils, the
adrenaline junkies and the best of the best, once
upon a time in cars, racing off-road specials,
bakkies and later quads. In one of the very early
races, maybe the second or third one, a hard
core motorcyclist, Barry Broady, entered a Honda
350 scrambler. There wasn’t even a class for him
back then, so he just pulled in with the cars. He
did that for two years in a row, and won overall
both times. The rest is history…
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18 DIRT & TRAIL MAGAZINE JANUARY 2017