WINDHOEK – The not-so-friendly Otjihase racetrack will host this weekend’s much-anticipated Otjihase 2 Race, round number 6 of Namibian Enduro Series.
Located just east of Windhoek, pee-wees will be the order of the day as riders are to negotiate their way through tough obstacles following changes to the venue and route while ensuring a finish as Did Not Finish (DNF) will be no good for the championship that remains tight going into the 2nd final race of the season. The event is scheduled for Saturday.
Henner Rusch has an unassailable lead in the open class with Gunther Gladis currently in 2nd but the former cannot relax as he need to ensure a finish to keep the current position. Third place will still change so the last step is available for the pair of Kai Hennes or Nickle Visser.
The Master Bikes class has this season seen a change in fortune with Werner Wiese and Martin Kruger battling for the top step. The dark horse in the form of Jorn Greiter, the 2017 champion, will also keep them honest with all three riders having nine points difference in total.
The 2017 Support Bikes champion Jurgen Gladis is currently trailing Oliver Rohrmuller by 20 points, which would be hard to close unless there is a DNF which every rider fears. With around 20 riders in the class, there will still be some great battles with the third place in the series not secured.
In Class 10 or beginners class the quad rider moving to two wheels JL Opperman has been showing the rest of the field a clean pair of heals winning all four races in the series so far. He, however, had a DNF in the last race with no points which has made the gap for second place Rhys Gragg a bit easier and will surely be pushing hard to secure another full tally at this event.
The development class where smaller bikes and younger riders can start out in the sport this season has seen seven riders progressing through the sport.
The rules are such that a senior rider or parent can ride with the youngsters and the shorter route helps the fuel reach on the smaller bikes. This however does not impact on the enthusiasm of the little ones nor the skills some are displaying at such a young age.