Staff Reporter
Windhoek-The final stage of the Bank Windhoek Namibian Enduro Championship will take place this weekend, with the fifth of the seventh round slated for Farm Ababis near the town of Karibib on Saturday.
The 2017 Enduro Championship has so far produced some thrilling action. In the Open Motorbikes Class, Marcel Henle (KTM) and Henner Rusch (KTM) have two victories and 74 championship points each after four rounds, and this Saturday’s fifth round in Ababis will see one of them taking the lead.
Equally tight, Kai Hennes (KTM) and Corner Visser (Sherco) are tied on 39 Points for third place.
Joern Greiter’s (KTM) winning streak was interrupted in the Senior Motorbike Riders Class at the last event in Uis, where he finished fourth after winning all races of the season before.
David Brown (KTM) and Werner Wiese (KTM) closed the gap in the championship and are back in contention for the top spot.
In the Clubmans Motorbike Class, championship leader Jurgen Gladis (KTM) is on home turf and thus favourite to extend his lead over second placed youngster Liam Gilchrust (Husqvarna). However, Duard Wiese (KTM) has been in strong form recently, scoring a victory in Otjihase and finishing second in Uis.
Teddy Kausch (KTM) and young talent Keanu Weber-Trianus (KTM) are developing an interesting competition for the lead in the Off-road Bikes Class. Weber-Trianus finished on top of the podium at Uis, and will seek to repeat this at Ababis.
In the Development Class for youngsters, Dylan Hilfiker (KTM) has a comfortable championship lead. Levin Quinger (KTM) is expected to provide him with a challenge for first place at Ababis.
In the Open Quads Class, J L Oppermann (Honda) has accumulated a comfortable gap to the second and third placed riders, while 2016 champion Shannon Rowland (Honda) will seek to remain in the lead of the Ladies Quad Class.
The event in Ababis, co-sponsored by Monster Energy, comprises of a mix of technical and fast riding, with sections passing through river beds and rocky climbs. Spectators will have a lot of action and viewing pleasure at the pit area, located close to a river bed and a scenic canyon. Kai Hennes climbs a steep section of the Abbabis track during the last competition.