For many motorcycle and quad competitors, the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race (TDR 1000) is a well-known event and regarded as the ultimate challenge on the racing calendar. This year, the TDR 1000 is back and forms round three and four of the SA National Motorcycle and Quad Cross Country Championship and riders are looking forward to tackle the desert from 24 to 26 June in Botswana.
Many riders might be aiming to simply survive and complete the race, but this gruelling race will be the ultimate test for those who are fighting for the various championship titles.
The Botswana motorcycle rider, Ross Branch (Brother Leader Tread KTM) will be a crowd favourite and victories in OR1 (Open Class) can mean the lead for him in this championship. The current points leader, Michael Pentecost (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) will aim to continue his clean sweep while defending champion, Kenny Gilbert (Kargo Racing Husqvarna) would like nothing better than to present his new sponsors with a victory. Altus de Wet (BCR Arrow Yamaha Racing) is fourth and is geared for podium results as is Ruan Smith (Sherco SA Racing) and Charan Moore (Super Moose Racing Yamaha) who share the same amount of points behind De Wet. Another Botswana rider, Vincent Crosbie, has just returned from completing the Merzouga Rally in Morocco with a top 20 result and his experience of sand riding might come in handy.
Experience of the desert will play an important role in the outcome of the results and in the OR2 (250cc) championship, riders like Louw Schmidt (Brother Leader Tread KTM), Jaycee Nienaber, now in the colours of Super Moose Racing KTM and Shaun Mostert (KTM) will have a slight advantage due to their prior experience. The four points that cover the top three riders, Cameron Becker (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing), Schmidt and Brendon Fourie (Sherco Racing SA) – probably look insignificant, but at the end of the race the standings could look totally different before round five of the championship.
The OR3 (200cc Class) battle is between young riders although many of them have raced the desert before. Jarryd Coetzee (Brother Leader Tread KTM) is out of action due to an operation and defending champion, Brett Swanepoel (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) will face a hungry pack that is getting closer at each race. With a mere four points separating Taki Bogiages (KTM) in third from Eduan Bester (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing) in sixth, a shuffle in the standings looks like a given. Calvin Wiltshire (Droomers Yamaha Racing) and Wilhelm Schönfeld (BCR Arrow Yamaha Racing) are both in the top six mix, but seventh-placed Jonathan van Wyk (Brother Leader Tread KTM) has desert racing experience while Botswana rider, Dartagnan Lobjoit (Yamaha), who has the same points as Van Wyk, knows the desert and this can count in his favour.
There is no lack of experience in the Senior Class Championship where defending champion, Juan ‘Bollie’ van Rooyen (Brother Leader Tread KTM) is one of the current competitors with the most desert races behind his name. Two good results can push him to the top of the standings, but he will have to pass Lodewyk Jansen van Vuuren (KTM Centurion Liqui Moly Racing) who is on the same points and the leader, Wynand Kleynhans (Yamaha) who has a breathing space of eight points. Fitness will play a major role in this class for riders older than 36 years. Bruce Viljoen (Doorzone Bikers Warehouse Husqvarna) and Chris Opperman (KTM) are also in the top five and consistent results can see them causing an upset in the current standings while Bruce May (AgriSales Peak Yamaha Racing) and Kobus Jonck (KTM) are also possible podium finishers. Local Botswana rider, Lepsy Mosope (Kawasaki) knows the desert and can produce a good result in front of his home crowd.
The Master Class championship leader, Wayne Farmer (Doorzone Bikers Warehouse Husqvarna) has competed in more than a decade’s desert races and will be looking forward to the TDR 1000. The three-day race will take its toll on these 46 plus’s and completing each day will be their main aim. Fourth-placed Pieter Holl (Bert Smith All Stars Racing KTM) can pass Martin Poole (Yamaha) on the standings as Poole has entered in the Silver Class Challenge. A tough battle can be expected between Farmer; second -placed Justin Broughton (Sherco Racing SA) and Holl while Johan Gray (KTM), who finished on the podium at Vryburg, but did not finish the Battlefields Race, would like to race among the front runners again. There is, however, place for outsiders to upset the applecart with good results.
The TDR 1000 will be a serious challenge for the young High School Class riders who face their first experience of this tough event and predicting a result in this class is quite risky. Adriano Catalano (D&H Engineering Works Yamaha) currently leads after two victories followed by André Basson (Yamaha) and Stefan van Deventer (Alfie Cox Junior Racing KTM).
The Class D 125cc leader, Izak Mans (Droomers Yamaha) is an experienced desert fox and if he can keep it together for three days, he could stay in the lead. The scholars Michael Glöckle (D&H Engineering Works Yamaha) and the Battlefields Race winner, Ryan Pelser (KTM), will be competing in this event for the very first time.
Izak’s wife, Riki Mans (Droomers Yamaha) leads the Ladies Class from Karen Jansen van Vuren (KTM), but perseverance will play an important role in the results. They will not have to worry about Taye Perry (KTM) as she has entered in OR1.
In the quad category all eyes will be on the Dakar Rally heroes, Brian Baragwanath (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha), a multiple winner and Hannes Saaijman (Yamaha) as well as George Twigge (Yamaha) who leads the Master Class. Good results will push Baragwanath, who missed the previous event as he competed in the Donaldson Cross Country Car Championship and Saaijman higher up the Open Quad standings where Dewald Theron (Yamaha) is currently leading. André Park and John Aylward, both on Yamaha’s, have some desert racing experience, but newcomers can spring a few surprises in this class.
With many new names in the Master Class Championship, Twigge cannot underestimate his opposition. Petrus van Heerden (Honda) and Stef Bester (VANS Racing Division Yamaha) have equal points behind him while LJ Erasmus (Yamaha) is three points behind them. Tony dos Santos (Yamaha) has tackled the Botswana desert many times before and can better his fifth place with good results while local hero, Motsumi Lekone (Yamaha) can teach the visitors a thing or two about desert racing.
It will be a first experience for Morné Jansen van Vuren (Yamaha) and Megan Stander (Suzuki) who will tackle the race in the High School Class.
This year the Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race takes place from the Jwaneng Sports Complex where the two-and four-wheelers will share the event with the Donaldson Cross Country Motor Racing Championship for vehicles. Spectators and racing enthusiasts can expect a jam packed race weekend.
The action starts with a 50 kilometre time-trial on Friday (26 June) to determine the starting order for Saturday when riders will have to complete the 196km loop twice. On Sunday, competitors will again start according to the previous day’s results and a total of 472 kilometres awaits them.