DJ ends in Durban for 2020
South Africa’s biggest and oldest motorcycle event, The Durban-Johannesburg (DJ) Run, will be starting in Johannesburg and ending in Hillcrest tomorrow, Saturday 14 March.
Although the initial DJ Race dates back to 1913, and was originally run between Johannesburg to Durban until 1919, it is only the second time since 1970 when the DJ restarted as a regularity time run that the end point has been on our shores, the first being in 2013 when the event celebrated its centenary, and this year the DJ celebrates 50 years as regularity rally.
The DJ Run is renowned for the test of man and machine as many great motorcyclists raced between the two cities in tough-going conditions. In 1936 authorities banned racing on public roads due to high speeds and increased volume of traffic and that was the end of the DJ race. In 1970 the first DJ commemorative rally was held and has taken place every year since, except for 1974 when the authorities refused permission due to the petrol shortage.
In keeping with the motorcycles ridden in the actual DJ races, entrants may only participate on motorcycles manufactured before 31 December 1936. The machines are divided into different speed classes; Class A: 50km/h; Class B: 60km/h and Class C 70km/h. As with other regularity rallies the aim is not to be the fastest, but rather to stay on the prescribed time across all timed checkpoints.
Clerk of the Course, Larina MacGregor, describes the DJ Rally as an event of high skill as riders have no odo or speedometres to refer to. The riders may only navigate the route schedule with stopwatches, and GPS data loggers help race officials record the exact time riders pass set route points. For every second earlier or later past these points, the riders are penalised one point. The rider with the lowest score is the winner. Will this be the first year that we see our first DJ Rally winner with a 0 score?
Among this year’s 107 entrants will be 18 motorcyclists from the Natal Classic Motorcycle Club including one woman rider, Samantha Anderson and two novices, Trevor Davids and Hennie De Jager. Also competing for the first time are Brad and Darren Binder of Moto GP fame, and UK entrant Derek Crutchlow, father of world Superbike champion Cal Crutchlow, among other international riders.
The first DJ motorcyclist will set off at 9am on Friday, 13 March, from the Heidelberg Museum with the route taking riders to an overnight stop at Majuba Lodge in Newcastle, and the rally resuming on Saturday (14 March) at 5.30am, with the route leading riders down Botha’s Hill, from Cato Ridge, to end at the Shongweni Club on Cassier Road, Hillcrest.
Classic motorcycle and car enthusiasts are encouraged to support the DJ motorcyclists at the finish point, with the first rider expected in from 3 – 3.30pm and the last riders coming home around 6pm. The venue offers food and refreshments, but the prize giving will be for competitors only.
Natal Classic Motorcycle Club’s 2020 DJ entrants – DJ number followed by motorcycle details:
Billy Thomas (11) – 1929 AJS M8, Stephen Knight (18) – 1934 Levis D34, Terry Chesterton (19) – 1935 BSA B35-2, Hank Raatgever (20) – 1929 AJS M8, Samantha Andrson (38) – 1918 Harley-Davidson 1000V Twin, Jayson Anderson (39) – 1929 AJS M6, Hennie De Jager (40) – 1935 Triumph 3.1, Hans Coertse (42 – winner of the Cannonball Endurance Event in 2016) – 1921 Harley-Davidson R1000, Derek Pirie (50) – 1922 BSA H2, Grant Vacy-Lyle (59) – 1931 Ariel SF31, Andrew Mather (65) – 1933 OK Supreme GS/33, Robin McDonald (68) – 1934 BSA Bluestar, Trevor Davids (69) – 1930 BSA Sloper, Rodwyn Thomas (71) – 1928 OK Supreme SV, Dennis Pullen (79) – 1920 Sunbeam 8HP, Douglas Watson (84) – 1935 Sunbeam Lion, Robert Thompson (86) – 1936 Royal Enfield J500, Raymond Meyer (103) – 1934 BMW R11.
