ROVER Motorcycle Club on Victora Drive, Schoenmakerskop, will host the South African Motocross Championship Rounds 6 and 7 on Saturday and Sunday, July 15 and 16.
It promises to be an action-packed two-day SA National Motocross event for the whole family.
Tickets for spectators can be purchased on Quicket www.quicket.co.za/events/220767-msa-motocross-nationals-round-6-7/ or at the gate on the day.
Food and refreshments will be on sale, with a beer yard. For the children there will be a kiddies’ play area with a jumping castle.
Some of the top local Gqeberha riders who will be racing in the SA Motocross National event are:
- is an all-round sportsman and it didn’t take long for motocross to become his all-time favourite sport. Venter started motocross in September 2021 as a hobby, and started competing nationally in 2021. He races in the 125cc, 250cc and 450cc classes riding a KTM. Bike #222
- )started motocross in September 2020, and soon after that decided that this was the sport for him. He started competing nationally in 2021. He races on a KTM, in 85cc class. Bike #907.
- is in Grade 5 at Clarendon Park Primary School in Gqeberha. He started riding his Yamaha Peewee 50cc at the age of 5 and showed great interest in Motocross. He then moved onto a KTM 50SX in 2018 at 6.
As a Rover Motocross Club member, Retief started competing in the 50cc Pro Class in 2019 and won the local Rover MX Club Championship for 50cc Pro class in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with first place in all heats over the three years, except for one heat in 2019.
Retief also competed in the SA Motocross National Championship in 50cc Pro Class in the same years, with overall national final placings of 15th in 2019, seventh in this second year 2020, finishing third overall nationally in his final 50cc year, 2021.
In that year Retief was selected to represent South Africa in the 50cc Class in the FIM Motocross of African Nations (MXOAN) in Uganda, but due to COVID-19 restrictions that event was cancelled.
In 2022 he was again selected to represent South Africa at the FIM Motocross of African Nations Championship in Uganda, this time in the 65cc class. With first place in two heats and a second place in the final heat, Retief won overall, and with that the title of 2022 65cc African Nations Motocross Champion.
Having competed internationally and won the MXOAN in Uganda, he was awarded his Junior Protea Colours for Motocross at the Motorsport South Africa Award Ceremony in February 2023.
He is currently competing in the Rover MX Club and Regional Eastern Cape/Border Motocross Championships in 65cc Pro class and leading both. Nationally, Retief is competing in the SA Motocross Nationals in the 65cc class, where he is currently in fourth position on the championship points table.
He has also been selected to compete for South Africa in the FIM 2023 Junior World Motocross Championship in Romania, as well as the FIM 2023 MXOAN in Cape Town in August.
- received his first motocross bike in 2019 when he was 4 years old.
He raced in his first club event at the Border Motocross Club in April 2019 (the youngest rider in the 50cc Novice class), and in that year also raced in the North vs South Challenge in Bloemfontein and raced at the Rover Motorcycle Club.
In 2020 he placed first overall at the Border Motocross Club and second Overall at the Rover Motorcycle Club. He has also received the Most Improved Junior trophy.
In 2021 his dad moved him up to the 50cc Pro Class and he started competing on the national circuit, club events and regionals.
He was placed 35th this year in the MSA Nationals, ninth at the Rover Motorcycle Club and eighth at the Border Motocross Club. He received the most improved Junior Trophy for the second year.
In 2022, still being the youngest rider in his class, Geldenhuys pushed really hard and, at the Welkom National, he finally got his first national podium position, being placed third for the day. For the year he was placed ninth in the MSA National Circuit, second at the Border Motocross in East London and Rover Motorcycle Club in Gqeberha and first in the Wethered East London Motocross Series.
In 2023 he is currently leading the 50cc MSA Nationals, Border Motocross, Rover Motorcycle Club and the Wethered Series.
