The team once again had mixed fortunes during the running of the 4th National event this past weekend.

For Matthew, nothing could have gone better in the 65cc Class. Having changed bike from a Kawasaki to a KTM, made all the difference needed to get him where at the end of the day he should have been this whole season.

We collected the bike on Wednesday evening, thanks to the assistants from Mike Swanepoel, and were only able to fully run the bike in the day before the event. Matt had never practiced with this bike which made his achievements even more noticeable. During practice it already became clear that he felt at home on his new bike.

The first heat was something we had not seen from him this year. Although he was mostly placed in second this season, he was now able to compete for the lead. Still a way behind the lead, the margin had been cut by a mile.

The second heat was equally impressive and he was again able to hold his own in second place. The third heat went as the first two, except that he had a fall early in heat. By then he built a large enough gap to third that his position was never under threat and built up the gap again so much so that he even lapped third place.

Just over a week ago we borrowed Tristan Muller’s KTM 65 to test and thanks to the Muller family, Matt is now in a position to compete. He not only won second overall, but was also awarded the floating trophy for the best Junior rider.

What does Tommy have to do to finish a weekend without disasters? Practice went well and no-one in the team had any idea of what was to come. During the first heat, while placed second, Tommy was involved in a tremendous battle for the lead. It went right down to the wire, but with two laps to go, his clutch started slipping. By now the bike was overheating due to blocked radiators but he was able to hold on to second. Straight after the race, the clutch was replaced and after a test run, the bike was declared fixed for the second heat. Again it was a tough battle and once the race had settled down, Tommy was again placed in second. He however stuck to his guns and on the third last lap made the pass for the lead. That was short lived, as one lap later, the clutch again gave up and he lost all drive to the back wheel. With one lap to go, Tommy had no choice but to push the bike back to the pits.

No-one had an answer for the problem and it was decided, with the help of our trusted friend Gareth and Dieter, to change motors again.

The third heat and also the premier race of the day, the ‘King of the Dirt’, eventually saw what Tommy had to offer.

After a bad start, he was placed mid-pack but immediately started making up positions with every lap that passed. It was not long, and Tommy had gained the lead and stared to open a fair gap to second position. Over eagerness caused Tommy to go down spinning his bike out of a corner. He had lost two places by the time he re-mounted and re-joined the race. Time was running out and he had to put all he had to get back to the front. With two laps to go, he made the pass and held on to the lead for the remainder of the race. With a DNF in one of the heats, Tommy was able to consolidate his efforts and WIN the day trophy.

Some good and some bad, but definitely a day to remember. A special thanks to the guys at the coast that made this event possible. It was a great days racing and am sure was enjoyed by most.

To our sponsors, thank you for your input and assistance.
Regards
THE TEAM