Close championship battle in fledging cross-country category
Pienaar will again team up with Stephan Marais, who missed the opening event, with Capper sharing the Regent Racing entry with Jaco Swart.
Two drivers in the fledgling Class G category will go into round three of the Donaldson Cross Country Championship, the Nkomazi 450 in Malalane on May 16 and 17, separated by only four points.
Leander Pienaar (Can-Am Maverick) has a slender four point lead over motorcycle legend Brian Capper in the Regent Racing Polaris. Both drivers have a win apiece with the difference between the pair a second place for Pienaar on the Toyota Dealer 450, and a third for Capper on the RFS 450 at the start of the season.
Pienaar will again team up with Stephan Marais, who missed the opening event, with Capper sharing the Regent Racing entry with Jaco Swart. Pienaar/Marais and Capper/Swart, along with KwaZulu-Natal pair Gareth Woolridge and Boyd Dreyer (Polaris Razor), look to be the pick of the field.
Woolridge, however, will have to pick himself off the floor after dropping out of the last event in Mooi River. Also in the frame will be Werner Mostert/Henno Du Plooy in the Moto-Netix Racing Polaris Razor .
A tough course on the Toyota Dealer 450 took a heavy toll on Class G competitors. The Mpumalanga route, however, will not be as taxing and should provide for a good race.
Class G, designed to be a feeder series for the national championship, made its official debut at the RFS 450. Competitors will again complete a 100 kilometre qualifying race and one loop of the two laps that make up the national championship event.
Only the Polaris RZR and Can-Am Maverick models are eligible for Class G. The class runs independently of the Donaldson premier categories, and crews start after the national competitors.
Race headquarters, the start/finish and designated service point for the Nkomazi 450 will all be based at the Riverview Preparatory School. Public entry to these areas and viewing points along the route is free of charge, with spectator guides available at race headquarters and Malalane Toyota .
The qualifying race to determine start positions will start at 11:30 on May 16, and the race at 8:30 the following day.
