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CLOSE VICTORY FOR BIRCH AT TOUGH LIQUORLAND MONTAGU ENDURO

The Kiwi, Chris Birch (Comsol Alfie Cox Racing KTM) claimed his second victory in the Liquorland National Enduro Championship this weekend at Montagu when the beat the defending title holder, Jade Gutzeit (Proudly Bidvest Yamaha) by a mere two points (seconds) after an especially rocky route in the Keisie Valley in the Western Cape.

It was Birch's first visit to this area and the rocky route was not kind to a niggling wrist injury. They had to complete four timed racing sections and both riders won two of these special stages each even though they got stuck behind riders on the route.

Gutzeit's team-mate, Louwrens Mahoney, rounded off the overall and Class E1 (Open) podium after losing time while fixing the brakes after the third Special Stage. Brian Capper (Full Throttle Racing Red Bull KTM) finished only 32 points behind Mahoney after a clean run and was followed by the Brother Broadlink KTM team-mates, Darryl Curtis (he struggled with handling problems after the moose in the front wheel of his KTM collapsed) with Riaan van Niekerk a mere four points behind him. Local Montagu rider, Altus de Wet (below), was seventh and won the E2 (200cc) Class after losing time during a timed racing section when he took a tumble down a slope.

Five Brother Broadlink KTM riders finished in the top ten - Lionel Seydoux was ninth and Scott Scheepers, who claimed second place in the E2 Class, finished tenth with only 11 points separating him from the Swiss enduro rider. The privateer racer, Mark Fox (WildCoast KTM Umso Construction Ribco KTM) was eighth.

Scott Bouverie (Mr Price Yamaha) was just outside the top ten in 11th place (third in the E2 Class) while his team-mate and the defending E2 champion, Marc Torlage, had to settle for 29th place overall (ninth in the E2 Class) after a long day in the saddle. His chain guide broke off early in the race and the chain came off twice in the timed sections. The damage caused an oil leak and he was forced to carry oil to top it up during the race.

Gray Dick (Brother Broadlink KTM) was 12th with Bradley van Aswegen (Kargo Racing Yamaha), who also lost time while recovering after a crash, 13th; Rory Gower (Rockgarden Gas Gas Designer Gold) was 14th and Mark Garland (Kargo Racing Husaberg) finished his first national enduro of the season in 15th.

Also in the top 20 was Dominic Mantle (Comsol Alfie Cox KTM Racing) who finished 16th after he struggled with wire in his rear wheel; James Hodson (Team Liquorland Alfie Cox Racing) who was 17th; local Cape rider, Brett Lewis (Rockgarden Gas Gas) who finished 18th; Wynand Badenhorst (Leo Internet Yamaha) in 19th place and Stefan Oosthuizen (Nomadik Tents Husaberg) who rounded off the top 20.

The battle lines have been drawn in the Senior Class where defending champion, William Gillitt (Comsol Alfie Cox Racing KTM) took revenge on Lesotho winner, Mike Morris (cc Gallery KTM) who picked up penalty points in the first regularity section. Like Morris, Stephan Landman (Team Liquorland Gas Gas) is also a newcomer to the class and he rounded off the podium, 29 points behind Morris. Bruce Gargam (FeverX Criterion Yamaha) was fourth and Peter Jung (WildCoast KTM Umso Construction Ribco) finished fifth.

In the Master Class, defending champ, Denzil Torlage (Mr Price Yamaha) followed his victory in Lesotho earlier this season up when he won the class for the second consecutive year. He beat two local Cape riders - Mark du Plessis (Habitat KTM Cape Town) was a mere 35 points behind in second place while Gary Sox Smith (Comsol Alfie Cox Racing KTM), who won the Senior Class at this event last year, had to settle for third place after wire in his KTM's wheels also bogged him down. Barries Barnard (Honda) and Graydon Ilderton (Nomadik Tents KTM) rounded off the top five.

The Silver Challenge Class was also closely contested where Reghardt Kruger (ML Tech Racing Gas Gas) took his first victory of the season. He was followed by Cape rider, Pieter van der Merwe (KTM) and Riaan van der Walt (KTM).

Two rounds of the 2011 National Enduro Championship are now something of the past and competitors can prepare themselves for four more rounds to earn valuable points. The third round of the season, the Liquorland Rover Enduro, will take place on 14 May in the Humansdorp area in the Eastern Cape.