By Bernd Kroemer
Björn Bierbrauer was the overall winner of the second leg of the Namibian Moto Cross Championships, which took place in Okahandja on Saturday. It was a highly exciting racing day with lots of spectators, while the participation of South African Hennie Hanekom from Upington enhanced the MX1/MX2 Class. In the late 1990’s he was a regular competitor in Namibian MX-sport.
You don’t often get a chance to view spectacular races such as the previous one. In the first heat of the combined MX1/MX2 Class, the Xpert Security Class, Björn Bierbrauer grabbed the holeshot, and Animal Wise stayed on his tail for several laps. Another rider who knew how to impress spectators and foes alike was young Jaco Loots, who held tight to a good third place. Tristan Muller on his inferior 85cc bike kept up well with the Open-Class riders. Tommy Gous however could not assert himself against his colleagues in the MX2 Class this time.
In the second heat Bierbrauer stalled his engine at the start and had a lot of catching up to do. Rudi Brand won the holeshot, pressed hard by Jaco Loots on the only two-stroke bike in this category. Alexander Howard was in the leading pack as well, closely followed by South African Hanekom.
Already on the third lap we saw Björn on fifth position practically flying across the track in a breathtaking pursuit. During the sixth lap it happened: Bierbrauer passes Loots, assumes the lead and sticks to it till the finish line. It was a masterly performance, while Jaco Loots also gave a great performance.
In the final race “Muller Entertainment King of the Dirt” Jaco Loots wins the holeshot, but is passed by Bierbrauer on the second lap. This made the spectators cheer! Again Alexander Howard is found in third place, ahead of Frank Klosta and Ronnie Adams. From behind, Animal Wise storms through the field, aggressively assuming second place, behind Bierbrauer, during the sixth lap. This one however is a tough nut to crack. Overall winner for the second time is Björn Bierbrauer.
Results: Muller Entertainment King of the Dirt
1. Björn Bierbrauer, Windhoek, Honda Muxima Racing, 25 points
2. Brannigan Wise, Windhoek, Honda Muxima Racing, 22
3. Alexander Howard, Windhoek, Honda Pupkewitz, 20
4. Frank Klosta, Swakopmund, Bikes 4 Fun-KTM, 19
5. Ronnie Adams, Kappps-Farm, Kawasaki-Namibia, 18
6. Jaco Loots, Windhoek, Suzuki-Namibia, 17
7. Hentie Hanekom, Südafrika, Honda, 16
8. Ruhan Gous, Windhoek, Honda Muxima Racing, 15
9. Henry o’Kennedy, Windhoek, Honda Muxima Racing, 14
10. Jose Teixeira, Windhoek, Honda Muxima Racing, 13
The races in the MX 65 Class were exciting as well. Newcomer Kenneth Grobler was a real surprise; as he finished in third place. Matthew Nederlof and Michael Barlow battled up front. This time Matthew won with a maximum number of points.
In the MX Lites Class (formerly known as 85cc Class) Tristan Muller won in the absence of champion Mark Sternagel. Pauli Loots finished in second place and Matthew Nederlof (taking part in two categories) won the third spot on the rostrum.
The Clubmen’s Class was very attractive with 15 riders at the gate. Jean Pierre Hugo won ahead of Frank Steyn and Wiehan Kohne.
The Quads-A-Class made a real show in Okahandja. In the preliminary races Michael Behnke from Walvis Bay won ahead of Jean Venter and Fanie Steenkamp. The highlight – the “Ardilla Mini Lodge King of the Quads – was extremely exciting. Fanie Steenkamp won the holeshot, followed by Wolfgang Röhl and Michael Behnke. On the second lap Behnke passes Röhl and on the third lap he gets past former champion Steenkamp, winning the race ahead of Steenkamp and Röhl. B-Class rider Ecki Spoerer finished fourth ahead of champion Jean Venter.
It is unbelievable how fast our girls have become. Three years ago this class was called the Powder-Puff Class and was held as a fun race after the official races. Today the Ladies Quads-Class is a national class and a real gain for Quads-sport. Namibia has a new poster child, namely Charney Joubert. The 17-year old came, saw and conquered – that’s what one could call her debut in 2008. Three weeks ago she obtained third place at the AMU-Championships in South Africa and now she won with a maximum number of points in Okahandja. Cee-Anne Greyling has really improved, finishing second ahead of Maike Bochert.
In the supporting programme we had races in the Quads-C-Class. Freddie Stander won ahead of Jaycee le Roux and André Maree.
This racing day was the highlight of the ongoing season. A thank you must go to the companies Muller Theron, Grobler Transport and Lewcor Plant Hire. It was a most successful joint project.