SANORA and the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Championship have again demonstrated a flair for innovation.A one-day Super Sprint event has been added to next year’s calendar with the Donaldson Championship to be run over seven rounds. The 200 kilometre Super Sprint event will run alongside three 450 kilometre sprint events, two 650 kilometre endurance outings and the marathon Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana.
The 2016 season will also see the Donaldson Cross Country Championship share venues with three South African National Off-Road Motorcycle and Quad Championship races. SANORA has acquired the rights to administer the motorcycle and quad series and three events in Vryburg, Botswana and Westonaria will see the two championships run side by side over separate routes.
“The Donaldson Championship mix in 2015 of sprint events, longer endurance races and the Botswana marathon race was a major success,” said SANORA chief executive officer Siegfried Rousseau. “The one-day Super Sprint race takes the concept a step further and, apart from providing for an affordable event, adds to the championship menu of varied race distances, terrain and challenges.”
The Super Sprint will include a 30 kilometre qualifying race to determine grid positions, with the main race to be run over two100 kilometre loops with two-minute dust gaps between the competitors to add further variety to the new race format. There will be a compulsory 20 minute service halt at the end of the first of the two loops.
Following a trend set over the last couple of seasons, selected Donaldson national championship events will run in conjunction with rounds of the Northern Regions and Kwa-Zulu Natal regional championships. Four Northern Regions events and two KZN race will run alongside national races.
The season opens with the RFS Endurance in Vryburg in North West province and is followed by the Super Sprint and the flagship Toyota 1000 Desert Race in Botswana. The Super Sprint will be held at a Gauteng venue yet to be announced.
The Toyota 1000 Desert Race is followed by two sprint events, the Nkomazi 450 in Malalane in Mpumalanga and the KZN 450 in Dundee in KZN and the Harrismith 650 Endurance in the Free State. In recent seasons this has been the opening event of the Donaldson series, but next year moves to a later slot on the calendar.
The final event in the Donaldson Cross Country Championship will be the Atlas Copco Gold 450 on the West Rand. The RFS Endurance, Super Sprint, Nkomazi 450 and Atlas Copco Gold 450 will include rounds of the Northern Regions championship with the KZN 450 in Dundee and the Harrismith 650 Endurance including rounds of the KZN regional championship.
“The mix offered by the Donaldson series and the national off-road motorcycle and quad championship means there is a little bit of everything for everyone during the course of the year,” said Rousseau. “The three Donaldson Championship events to run alongside the off-road motorcycles and quads ensure enthusiasts will be spoilt for choice.
“SANORA is committed to promoting competitive racing that is safe, affordable and fun for the whole family and all the signs are there for a season that ticks all the right boxes.”