The East Cape Off-Road racing club held their penultimate round of the 2024 season in ideal weather conditions on Saturday. The event that was based at Johnny’s Pit-Stop on the outskirts of Despatch saw a wide variety of off-road vehicles and motorcycles competing on a 37 kilometre course comprising of fast flat sections mixed with some technical rocky sections with the cars having to complete four loops and the motorcycles three.
Picture credit: Brendan Kelly
Quentin Lessing and navigator Handre van Schalkwyk had enjoyed a near faultless day in their Lexus V8 powered Century Racing CRT opening up a healthy lead, but unfortunately a broken front lower control arm scuppered their chances with just fifteen kilometres of the race remaining while Derek Wilmot and Chester Wilmot in their Beetle and the Jimco of Lionel Acton retired with gearbox failures.
Grant and Gregory Watkins in their immaculate Zarco enjoyed a consistent day and were the overall winners crossing the line almost twelve minutes ahead of solo driver Mark Reid in a Gecko single seater with third place going the way of Noel Acton and Paul Mare in their Orca followed by Henry van Rooyen in his GMP built single-seater.
On two wheels Allan Mills on his 250cc Gasgas was the overall winner crossing the line twelve minutes ahead of the KTM350 of Anthoney Tuck.
With just one round of the 2024 season remaining the overall drivers’ championship standings are as follows – 1st Mark Reid, 2nd Grant Watkins, 3rd Noel Acton, 4th Henry van Rooyen, 5th Lionel Acton, 6th Quentin Lessing, 7th Louie de Lange, 8th Gerhard van de Linde, 9th Derek Wilmot.
