All eight classes racing in the 2021 Cannabis Energy Drink TRP Distributors South African National motocross championships will go down to the wire at the Pretoria finale in November after another utterly spectacular weekend of racing at Bloemfontein’s penultimate races on Saturday.
Red Bull KTM star, Eastern Cape hero Tristan Purdon put one hand on the SA national MX1 championship with a double win on the day. His title charge was further boosted by title rivals, Red Bull KTM teammate and Cape rider David Goosen’s Energy Drink Husqvarna sharing out the second and thirds to allow Purdon to extend his top class title advantage over Goosen to 29 points. Anthony Raynard’s Yamaha ended fourth for the day ahead of Johan Vogelesang’s KTM and Yamaha lad Jesse Wright.
Cameron Durow however kept the 250cc MX2 title wide open with a double win over Tristan Purdon each time as Goosen and Raynard followed in third and fourth in both races too. KTM trio Jayden Proctor, Stav Orland and Leonard du Toit and Dalton Venter’s Yamaha ended in that order after fighting it out for the minor placings. Durow’s win saw him close his title deficit down to 10 points behind Purdon with Goosen also still in with a shout in third.
Over-30s Husqvarna rider Grant Frerichs took MX3 honours to further open up his title advantage over Ian Topliss’s Yamaha. Over 40 Honda duo Bruce Viljoen and Philip Harper were next up. So that one’s going on to the Pretoria final too. Kayla Raaff’s Kawasaki did the Bloemfontein Ladies Motocross double, but KTM lass Leah Heygate kept her championship odds alive with a double second over the Husqvarna-mounted de Lima sisters, Jadene and Cheyenne.
Red Bull KTM lad Jonathan Mlimi did his 2021 High School 125 cc Motocross title hopes no harm at all with another double win to extend his title advantage in Bloem. He now needs to just score a handful of points over the final weekend to wrap up the championship. Title rival Ethan Hoffman was the best of the rest with a second and a fourth on his Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha, ahead of Barend du Toit and Miguel de Waal’s KTMs and Luke Grundy and Wiaan du Plooy’s Husqvarnas.
The 85 cc Pro Mini title chase is however one of the closest in this year’s championship and its even closer after Bloemfontein. Emmanuel Bako now on a Husqvarna blasted himself back into title contention with a double win over Rockstar Husqvarna lad Neil van der Vyver. Ryan Adler was third on another Husqvarna with Trey Cox’s Red Bull KTM next from Alon Orland’s GasGas and Damien Venter’s KTM. Van Cox provisionally leads that title chase by a couple of points from der Vyver and Bako.
Tyler Petersen’s Husqvarna took the 85 cc Junior win with a double moto success over championship leader Matthew Correia and Andrew Venter’s KTMs in Bloemfontein. Caden Weise was fourth on a Husqvarna with Kassim Hassim and Mienke Cawood’s KTMs next up. That has allowed Petersen to close up to 21 points behind Correia with Venter hanging in there in third in the title chase.
Blake Frost’s KTM and Blade Tilley’s GasGas shared out the Bloemfontein 65cc motocross wins and seconds. Husqvarna lads Sven Larsen and Nicol Smit each took a third place to end up third and fourth for the day ahead of Even Frost’s KTM and Aiden Henley’s Out of Africa Monster Energy Yamaha. All of which had a null effect on the top of the 65cc championship table, where Frost and Tilley remain separated by 14 championship points.
There was a bit of a shake-up in baby 50cc motocross, where Aiden Retief’s KTM took a double win with Rayden Woolls’ GasGas second and championship leader Trenton Kretzmann second and third each time. Lou Rademayer’s Husqvarna ended fourth for the day from KTM duo Ross Mackenzie and Kaylin Oosthuizen. That has little effect, but to slightly close up the title top three as Kretzmann continues to lead Wools and Retief in the championship chase.
All of which means that with 50 championship points still on the table in each class, it is now down to the championship finale at the Legends Motocross Park at Rhino Hills in Pretoria on Saturday 20 November to decide all eight 2021 Cannabis Energy Drink and TRP Distributors TRP Distributors South African Motocross champions…
The 2021 South African National Motocross Championship is proudly presented by Motorsport South Africa in partnership with Cannabis Energy Drink, TRP Distributors, Prepsol, Bridgestone, Thor, Gaerne, FMF, Pro Taper, 100%, Fly Racing, Ogio, Bandit Graffix and the Race Shop.
