Super moto-X year for Naude
His goal for 2015 is to win the MSA MX1 championship and compete in as many MX2 regionals as possible in Gauteng.
A 25-year-old moto-cross rider from Bredell had an exceptional year on the track in 2014.
Sacha Naude secured the MSA and Womza MX1 Championships, as well as the Womza MX2 Championship and came second in the MSA MX2 Championship.
Over and above these achievements on local soil, Sacha also won the AMU (All AfricanMoto-X) and came second twice in the Junior Moto-X World Championship in Las Vegas while he raced overseas prior to 2014.
Naude, who professionally coach young moto-cross riders, was introduced to moto-cross at the young age of four on a PW50. He quickly took to the two-wheeled sport and by age five, had already clinched his first South African national and regional championships.
Through the years there was always a shortage of competition in his age group, so he found himself moving through the classes prematurely. However, he still achieved multiple South African championships in the 50cc, 65cc and 85cc championships respectively.
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In 2006, Naude moved to Europe with Van Beers Yamaha. Being with a Dutch based team, he competed in the Dutch Nationals where he clinched a 16th overall place and came 6th overall in the Junior European Championship.
In 2007 he raced for a German team before moving to LS Honda the following year. His results were improving in the tougher European and Belgium championships. The Belgium Championship is considered one of the most difficult domestic championships.
With various podium positions overseas and after a knee operation, Naude returned to South Africa at the end of 2009.
In 2010 he competed as a privateer and started racing late in the season, finishing fourth in the South African MX2 (250cc) championship. He improved on this position the next year by coming second in the national championship, after being unbeaten on regional level.
In 2012, riding team CIT Honda, he secured a third place in the national series and won every single regional, bar one. In 2013 he was second in the MSA 450 Championship and second in the Womza Championship. He also won the MSA 250 Championship.
“The secret to my success last year is straight forward and self explanatory, as I shared a very similar experience to Valentino Rossi, and that was the privilege of being given the opportunity to race Yamaha’s new generation of motorcycles. Once our team manager, Adrian Bac, had connected the race support from head office and combined numerous value adding sponsors to my deal, my racing was simplified and I had been given all the necessary tools to produce the results.
“I was somewhat concerned at the beginning of the year that my speed would be compromised due to the fact that the 2014 models had arrived so late in South Africa and we had very little time for testing. Furthermore, Matthew Malan was offered a ride abroad and I was requested to fill his spot on very short notice and took delivery of my 2014 YZ 250 F on the Tuesday before the first national in Port Elizabeth,” Naude said.
The senior riders who chose to compete in both the MX1 and MX2 Classes of the Womza and MSA national series last year, raced 54 national heats. This is a massive ask for any athlete or moto-cross rider.
“I am almost certain that this is a record number of national heats completed in one calendar year of South African moto-cross,” he said.
For Naude, 2014 was most certainly a year to remember from the initial signing with Yamaha’s head office, TRP’s Thor Equipment, Rental Bars, FMF Pipes and the unconditional support from GAME Services.
His goal for 2015 is to win the MSA MX1 championship and compete in as many MX2 regionals as possible in Gauteng.
