The battle for titles and championships will continue in the East London area in the Eastern Cape when competitors tackle the Liquorland Kei Enduro, the fourth round of the 2011 Liquorland National Enduro Championship that takes place this Saturday (2 July).
This time it will not only be all new terrain for the winner of the past three events, the Kiwi Chris Birch (Comsol Alfie Cox Racing KTM), but for all the competitors as it will be the first time they compete at the Inkwenkwezi Farms 30km outside East London. Halfway through the 2010 season it seemed as if the defending title holder, Jade Gutzeit (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) could not be caught after he has won all three the races and this year he has come closest to Birch, but had to settle for three runner-up positions.
Birch will hope to continue his winning streak in South Africa while Gutzeit and the rest will be even more determined to beat him and this scenario will set the scene for yet another exciting round of the 2011 Liquorland National Enduro Championship.
After three rounds Birch is leading Gutzeit by nine points with Louwrens Mahoney (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), who finished sixth at the last event after he lost time getting stuck, still third. Darryl Curtis (Brother Broadlink KTM) had a good run last time out and is still fourth, but he has closed in on the former champ (Mahoney).
Behind them former trials and multiple supermoto champion, Brian Capper (Full Throttle Red Bull KTM) and another former champ, Altus de Wet (Brother Broadlink KTM) are fighting a neck to neck battle and with De Wet’s former team-mate, Lionel Seydoux, now back in Switzerland, East London’s Mark Fox (Wildcoast KTM/Umso Construction/Rib-co KTM) can move up on the points ladder.
Riaan van Niekerk (Brother Broadlink KTM) has fallen back somewhat as he could not finish the previous event due to an injury. Scholar Scott Bouverie (Mr Price Yamaha) has passed him after a strong top ten finish at Humansdorp. Bouverie’s team-mate, Marc Torlage, found himself back in the top ten after a top three finish and he will do his utmost to make up for not scoring any points towards the overall standings at the second round in the Montagu area in the Western Cape.
Bradley van Aswegen (Kargo Racing Yamaha) can better his top ten position while Gray Dick (Brother Broadlink KTM) has also fallen back after not finishing the previous race. Dick’s team-mate, Scott Scheepers, has just passed another teenager, Dominic Mantle (Comsol Alfie Cox Racing KTM), but the battle between these KZN youngsters (Van Aswegen, Scheepers and Mantle) will continue at the Liquorland Kei National Enduro. PE riders, Timothy Young (Mitas Racing Honda) and Tom Moolenschot (Team Rockstar Thor Honda) will try to better their top 20 result scored at their local event.
Wynand Badenhorst (Leo Racing Yamaha); Mark Garland (Kargo Racing Husaberg); Paul Carrick (Comsol Alfie Cox Racing KTM) and Stefan Oosthuisen (Nomadik Tents Husaberg) as well as James Hodson (Liquorland/Alfie Cox Racing KTM) and CJ Blackman (KTM) have been earning some points on a regular basis and they will aim to better their current overall standings.
Birch leads the E1 (Open) Class from Gutzeit while De Wet is still the E2 leader, but Torlage’s healthy amount of points saw him moving into second place behind De Wet.
Defending Senior Class champion, William Gillit (Comsol Alfie Cox Racing KTM) took the lead in the class after a head to head battle with Mike Morris (cc Gallery KTM) who experienced some problems at the last event when a sixth place resulted in him slipping to the second place. Local East London rider, Stephen Landman (Team Liquorland Gas Gas) did not have a good last race, but kept his third place after finishing eighth and he would hope to deliver the goods in front of his home crowd.
There is not much difference between Calvin Wright (cc Gallery KTM) and Bruce Gargan (FeverX Criterion Yamaha) after they finished second and fourth respectively at the Humansdorp enduro. Another local rider, Peter Jung (Wildcoast KTM/Umso Construction/Rib-co KTM) is however within striking distance of their points.
A hat trick of victories for defending Master Class champ, Denzil Torlage (Mr Price Yamaha) sees him leading the championship from Mark du Plessis (Habitat KTM Cape Town) who was again the runner-up at the last event. Gary Sox Smith (Comsol Alfie Cox KTM) scored his second consecutive podium position that pushed him onto the overall podium while the tight battle between himself, Graydon Ilderton (Nomadik Tents KTM) and Barries Barnard (Honda) will continue as only a handful of points separates them on the standings.
Dricky Morkel (Leo Racing Yamaha) has entered the Silver Challenge Class consistently and finished third last time out to ensure he keep his lead in this class.
The Liquorland Kei Enduro is organised by the East London Motorcycle & Car Club and the action will start at 09h00 at Inkwenkwezi Farm.
