2018-02-21Staff Report 2 " Staff Reporter Otjihase-Anticipating a large field of close to 100 entries, organizers of the first ever Namibian Funduro Race were overwhelmed by the support of both riders and spectators. The gathering drew close 120 participants with racing getting underway just after 10h00 on Saturday morning, February 17. The bikes represented ranged from tiny 50cc Yamahas, through a whole host of MX and Enduro machines all the way up to the mighty BMW 1200cc HP2 Adventure Bike. The race format was a relay with teams drawn at random during the riders’ briefing. Riders were started two at a time with 30-second dust gaps between the starters. After the first lap the riders had to hand over their timing transponder bracelets to their teammates. The pits were a hive of activity as the first 37 teams came in from a very fast lap one. Setting a blistering pace in lap one, Marcel Henle gave his team the lead. But this race was about consistency. On lap 2 Karl Heinz Erni managed to set the fastest lap bringing his team back into contention for the win. On lap 3 it was Mark Roesner who was fastest. The final results for race one were as follows: 1. Heiko Stranghoehner, Ronnie Adams, Derrick Clark 2. Teddy Kausch, Karl Heinz Erni, Andre Steinfurth 3.Marcel Henle, Axel Foerster, Mark Roesner Race two got underway just after 13h30. This time the starting order was reversed with the slower riders getting their teams underway and the faster riders having to ride the last lap. Again it was the winners of the first race that set a very fast lap 1 and managed to hold their advantage all the way to the chequered flag. Unfortunately the second-placed team from the morning’s race was unable to finish the race due to a crash by Karl Heinz Erni. However, he received immediate medical attention by the wide-awake onsite medics from EMTSS. The full results for race three were as follows: 1.Heiko Stranghoehner, Ronnie Adams, Kai Hennes (replacing Derrick Clark) 2.Marcel Henle, Axel Foerster, Mark Roesner 3.Olaf Pack, Johan Meyer, Francois Steyn Overall, the day was hailed as a success. The large numbers of entries and spectators were a welcome sight and fun was had by all involved. The next race will be on March 17 on farm Omakawara in the Witvlei area. This race is dubbed ‘The Valley of a 1000 Turns’ due to the twisty nature of the racing course. Omakwara is one of the most popular races on the calendar and the organizers regularly see well over 90 entries on the day. The track is also not very technical so it will be good fun for riders that enjoyed the Funduro and would like to get more involved in the sport. For more info please visit www.namibianenduro.com or visit the Namibian Enduro Facebook page. " 2018-02-21Staff Report 2
