Around the corner, through the dust and dirt, comes a two- wheeled machine at an enormous speed. Its driver passes another one with ease.

His head is covered by a helmet, his eyes with a pair of cool reflective goggles, and his hands are encased in protective gloves.

“Guess how old that rider is?” said Eddie Wantenaar, owner of Dirt Bronco. “You won’t believe it, but he’s 67 – the oldest racing rider in motocross in South Africa.”

The biker stops, removes his helmet and for the first time, it becomes clear that he’s much older than any of the other riders.

He introduces himself as Johnny Nell, a man who has been riding dirt bikes for more than 40 years.

He has never broken a bone because he has never been reckless enough to do so. And his passion was started purely by chance.

“I used to ride off-road machines on a farm in 1977. We used to fool around a little with them when we were bored and I grew fond of off-roading. I saw people doing motocross and thought about joining. Then, I fell in love,” Nell explained.

He bought his first bike soon after; a Kawasaki 125cc with an air-cooled system. He later bought a 250cc cross bike and started travelling around the country with it.

“We’d drive down to Cape Town, taking the longest possible route so it wouldn’t end because we enjoyed it too much. I’ve met so many people, heard so many stories and till today I still feel that motocross has truly fulfilled my life.”

Nell said he had to mention that the sport and the machines have changed significantly over the years.

“Two-stroke engines were the trend back in those days. They were affordable and they lasted a lifetime. You’d sell the bike before it broke down beyond repair. Nowadays, four-stroke engines are more prominent, but they are very expensive and they don’t last as long. ”

He also said he had realised sponsorship in the sport has declined to the extent that only a handful of riders are able to survive on motocross alone.

“In the 80s and 90s, sponsorships were huge in South Africa. Riders could easily keep their bikes in a running condition, travel and live comfortably, solely on sponsorships.”

Even though all these changes have influenced the sport somewhat negatively, he said there is still a future for the sport.

Nell will ride until he absolutely has to stop and to him motocross will continue to have an impact on the country long after he’s stopped. “It’s a dangerous sport, but we cannot stop living our passions just because of fear. Why create an accident in your head if it hasn’t happened yet?”

Considering there were some of the youngest riders ever on the track, Nell was not far from the truth.
Motocross fanatic, Aiden Nofal, is a four-year-old who could not wait to get his motorbike and race against the older kids on Dirt Bronco’s kiddies track.

“He tried it out a couple of months ago at the Dirt Bronco mini rider school and it looks like it’s going to stick,” said Greg, his dad.

He has an electrically powered bike and his tiny body and huge helmet made him the cutest driver heading towards the track.

He cuts corners and jumps off ramps. His fearless driving matches that of eight-year-old rider, Nikita Smith, who is also on the track.

“She’s not scared,” said her father Brad, while watching his little girl race. “She’s fearless, flexible and supple, which makes her a great rider.”

Brad said it is scarier for him to watch than for her to ride. “It’s nerve-wracking. She rides with the boys and will have a strong racing career because of it. She chose this, so I need to be okay with it.”

Motocross continues to grow in South Africa, and so does Dirt Bronco.

Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at krugersdorpnews@caxton.co.za or phone us on 011 955 1130.I 

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