South African Rally Raid attracts riders from far and wide
Namaqua African Rally is set to draw crowds.
WITH so many Durban motorcycle competitors regularly taking part in the annual Dakar Rally, it is high time for off-road motorcycle and quad riders to get a chance to compete in their own ‘Dakar’ in South Africa. The Namaqua African Rally will take place from 25 April to 3 May 2014 in the Western Cape and will not only bring ‘rally raid’ to the South African racing fraternity, but also to the ‘Rally Raid’ enthusiasts as well as to riders of adventure motorcycles.
This event will start and finish at the Victory & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town while the bulk of the racing will take place in the Vredendal area on the Cape West Coast.
The Namaqua African Rally is a multi-stage road book rally and will cater for a variety of motorcycle riders who can enter in three different categories. Motorcycle and quad competitors can race in the competition category in various classes while riders who do not want to race, can either enter in the ‘Rally Raid’ category or the Adventure Tour section. ‘Rally Raid’ riders will cover 350 or more kilometres a day and will even ride on some of the same sections as the competitors who will be ahead while those in the Adventure Tour will follow the race according to reference points supplied to them each night at the Riders Briefing. All riders will stay at the overnight bivouac.
Accommodation in the bivouac as well as meals during the race (Sunday to Thursday evening) are only some of the costs that are being covered by the entry fee of R13 850 for racing competitors (R9 850 for Rally Raid and Adventure Tour entrants). Entrants can however make use of a 10 discount if they enter before 17 January 2014. Entries can be done on www.racecontrol.co.za
The organisers have already been contacted by riders from as far as Namibia and Europe and hope to have a few well-known international riders competing. The Namaqua African Rally falls under the auspices of Motorsport SA (MSA).
More information about the Namaqua African Rally can be found on www.namaquaafricanrally.com or on the Facebook page Namaqua African Rally. Follow on Twitter @NamaquaAfrRally
