information supplied by: ET.Komm 30 July 2012
PREVIEW: OFF-ROAD SA 400
5th Round of the 2012 SA National Off-road Motorcycle & Quad Championships
3-4 August 2012 (Sun City, North-West Province)

ALL NEW ORSA 400 TO TEST OFF-ROAD MOTORCYCLE/QUAD COMPETITORS IN SUN CITY AREA

Off-road motorcycle and quad competitors have not participated in a national event in the Sun City area for some years now, but this will all change when they take on the Off Road SA 400 this weekend (3-4 August) in the Pilanesberg in the North-West Province.

The race organisers, Off Road SA, have just returned from hosting a successful Sun City 400 national off-road race for vehicles this past weekend and many sections of the route will be used for the ORSA 400, the fifth and penultimate round of the 2012 National Off-road Motorcycle and Quad Championship. The ORSA 400 will consist of a time-trial on Friday (3 August) that will determine the starting order for the race on Saturday (4 August) and competitors can prepare themselves for a demanding race where dust and heat can play a role in the outcome of the results.

The overall leaders of the motorcycle and quad categories, Louwrens Mahoney (Brother Broadlink KTM) and Jurie Meyer (Yamaha Support) will feel the pressure, but where Mahoney, who has already won four times this season, can be a bit more relaxed with a gap of 31 points to his team-mate, Altus de Wet, Meyer will feel the heat as only one point separates him from André du Plessis (Evolution Racing Suzuki) in second place.

Du Plessis has not yet won this season and would like to forget about his bad luck at the recent BELL 300 while Meyer would like to add another victory to his previous two wins this year. Stefan Swanepoel (Quad Revolution Yamaha) is currently third and only one point ahead of fourth-placed Brian Baragwanath (Lonestar PEP Yamaha) while Jacques Struwig (Boesman Racing Suzuki) can catch up as he is trailing the former champ by a mere three points.

In the OR1 (Open) championship, Mahoney has a comfortable lead to Chris Webster (Micks Motorcycles Yamaha) who is third on the overall standings and three points behind De Wet. De Wet can wrap up the OR2 (250cc) championship at this event although second-placed Timothy Young (Kargo Racing Yamaha) will be pushing hard for a good result. Young also rounds off the overall top 10 where Juan ‘Bollie’ van Rooyen (Out of Africa Kawasaki Racing) is fourth, one point ahead of Jonathan Webster (Micks Motorcycles Yamaha) who has also visited the podium like his brother, Chris, earlier this season.

Riaan van Niekerk (Brother Broadlink KTM) has been on the podium twice and is sixth and leads Kenny Gilbert (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) who has a point to prove after leading the recent BELL 300, but not finishing it due to the mousse collapsing in his rear tyre just before the finish. Gilbert shares the same amount of points with his team-mate, Marc Torlage, as well as OR3 championship leader, Michael Creevy (Brother Broadlink KTM) who leads Bradley van Aswegen (Kargo Racing Yamaha) and his team-mate, Tyron Miller, comfortably in the OR3 title chase.

On four wheels, John Aylward (Yamaha) will chase Struwig as only four points separate them while seventh-placed Leonard dos Santos (Suzuki) will aim for another consistent result and to stay ahead of Kalahari 400 winner, Damien Lee (Honda) who is only one point behind him, but experienced some bad luck recently. The winner of the opening round, Giacomo Antiga (Can-Am) is ninth with Henk Seevinck (Quad Revolution Suzuki) rounding off the overall top ten.

Those currently inside the top ten can not relax for a moment as a few youngsters have proven themselves to be top ten finishers and can do so again – former 2011 Junior National Championship competitors Matthew Barnard (SABCool KTM) is 11th while Team Can-Am’s Jamie Fensham and Tinus Bredenkamp is 12th and 14th overall with experienced racer, Hannes Saaijman (EMD Racing Suzuki) sandwiched between them in 13th place.

The Senior Class battles will continue in both categories – Amanda Eardley (EPS Racing Can-Am) led the class on four wheels after the first two events, but is now second behind the consistent Peter Schenk (Thesen’s Generators Honda) while third-placed Russell Ferreira (Sand Palm Doors Diamond Trailers Honda) has also won this season.
On two wheels, current class leader Guy Henley (Out of Africa Kawasaki Racing) and defending champion, Wayne Farmer (LCP Racing Gas Gas) have both scored two victories each with Farmer missing a race due to an injury and this battle, that has been raging for a few seasons now, will continue at the ORSA 400.

The ORSA 400 will also provide competitors in the Master Classes to score more valuable points. Here defending motorcycle champ, Neil Gailey (Naledi Wesbank Racing KTM) will aim for a fourth victory and to wrap up the title while Kobus Visser (EPS Racing Can-Am) leads on four wheels although Milton Thesen (Thesen’s Generators Yamaha) is in a position to catch him. It is however third-placed Vicus Breedt (Suzuki) who has won on the last two occasions and will aim for a hat-trick.

EPS Racing Can-Am team-mates, Visser and Eardley, are also leading the Q3 Utility Class and Ladies Quad Class respectively and would like to keep it like that. Junior National Championship competitors Louw Schmidt (Dirtstyle Suzuki Honeydew) and Adriaan Uys (Water Rite Racing Kawasaki) are leading the Silver Class Challenge on two- and four wheels, but they can not bargain on more victories as the competition in the Silver Challenge has been tough this season.

The ORSA 400 will start and finish at the Sports and Recreation Club next to the Sun City complex where the main service point will also be situated. Spectators can be part of some exciting racing action along the route as view points are easily accessible. Time-trial for national motorcycle and quad competitors will start from 10h30 on Friday (3 August). On Saturday (4 August) motorcycle competitors will tackle the 300km race at 08h00 while quad competitors will race from 12h00.

(The ORSA 400 is a Motorsport SA-sanctioned event.)

End

Issued by the MSA Off-road Motorcycle, Quad & Enduro Commission by ETdotKomm
(Elza Thiart Kommunikations Tel: 082 4588 517 / etdotkomm@worldonline.co.za)
Visit www.mqoecommission.co.za for more information. ORSA 400 Preview.doc (98kB)

VOORSKOU ORSA400.doc (97kB)

Complete Release: ORSA 400 Preview.zip (1,171kB)