Donna Collins
Grit is going to fly as the third round of the National Dirt Oval Track championships gets underway this Saturday afternoon, June 24, which is being held at the first class Desert Raceway facility in Walvis Bay.
Organisers are expecting an entry list of around 35 vehicles taking part, which after this past championship race held at the Otjiwarongo dirt track in March, and the front runners pegged on the scoreboard are amped to keep the momentum.
Competitors from Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Otjiwarongo and Tsumeb, will be chasing champion points, whilst the three participating dirt oval track clubs taking part on Saturday are the Desert Raceway, Walvis Bay Motor Club and Otjiwarongo Motor Club.
Spectators can expect a lot of rival competition in the various classes, in particular the hotly contested V8 Category which will see 12 ‘monster machines’ battle it out with some thunderous dicing.
Swakopmund ‘hot shot’ Gino Meyer is leading the pack, but Robbie Schneider and Gert Breedt will be giving him a run for his money. All eyes will be on Johan Roodts co-founder of the Desert Raceway, who after a lengthy break has dusted off his old faithful Chevy V8 for a good dice.
The Hot Rod 16 Valve category is also a crowd favourite, and there will be the best of the best in the thick of it. Undoubtedly these colourful modified muscle machines are thrilling to watch in action. Leading championship point standing to date is Walvis Bay’s Allan Martin who is known for his fierce driving skills, and competitive drive. His close rivals at this stage are Jan Everson and another comeback kid Freddie Stander, who after a break of over two years is looking to make a noise.
The 4-Cylinder 8V category has pulled the most entries, with some fresh blood leading the pack, in particular 18-year-old Walvis Bay racing talent Zachary Martin. He is competing against another fresh face Micheal Behnke and Otjiwarongo lad Johan Botes, whilst Frank Borrusso and Dyllan Roodt will be hot on their tail.
The Quad bikes are down to just six entries, which for the coastal towns teeming with quad bikes, is a poor show. But none the less this category is dominated by an Otjiwarongo father and son duo, Raymond and Rowan Du Plessis.
In addition to the racing, some side entertainment will be provided by top Swakopmund and Walvis Bay spinners, which should see the first BMW spinning on the pad at around 14h00. As usual organisation at the track will tops, with marshals on full alert once the flag dropped, and racing will fuel the action hungry spectators. Food stalls and all the first class facilities will provide an enjoyable day for the whole family. Gates open at 12h00, with spinning and practice leading up the first race, which starts at 17h00. Prize giving will be held in the clubhouse at the track with live music by local band ‘Half Jack’.