Walton bros DJ rally kings
Event commemorates annual motorcycle road race between Durban and Joburg.
THE CHAMPION. Gavin Walton and his trusty AJS on his way to winning the 2018 DJ Rally. Pictures: Stuart Grant
The Walton brothers, Gavin and Kevin, from the East Rand, proved the dominant force in last weekend’s 2018 DJ regularity rally for classic motorcycles.
VETERAN. At 82, Neville Smith was the oldest finisher on his 1936 350cc Ariel Red Hunter.
They took the first two places out of an original entry of 103 motorcycles in this annual event which takes competitors on a twoday route from Durban to Johannesburg.
This historic event commemorates the annual motorcycle road race between Durban and Johannesburg, which took place from 1913 to 1936 and has been staged as a regularity trial since 1971, with qualifying motorcycles being those made before 1937.
This was the third time that Gavin Walton has won the prestigious DJ, with previous wins having come in 2009 and 2017.
Gavin’s total error at the various timed checkpoints on the 673km route totalled 256 points, made up of the lowest scores on each day – 142 on the first day and 114 on the second.
He once again rode his reliable 1936 500cc AJS. Kevin Walton had a total penalty of 460 points riding his 1931, 500cc BSA, which has now completed 36 DJ Runs, 14 ridden by Kevin.
Third place was filled by threetime DJ winner Martin Davis, riding a 1930 500cc Sunbeam, while Allan Cunninghame took fourth position riding a 1936 Velocette, ahead of 26-year-old Marti Kaiser (1935 500cc Sunbeam), who was the youngest finisher.
There were 72 finishers this year, with 11 non-finishers and 18 non-starters due to personal or mechanical reasons.
The oldest finisher was 82-yearold Neville Smith (1936 350cc Ariel Red Hunter), who placed 18th, while the highest placed woman was Dorian Radue, a regular competitor from Australia, who took 12th place on a 1935 250cc Rudge.
Deon Malherbe (1934 500cc Sunbeam) was the highest placed first-time entrant in the 2018 DJ, filling 25th position. Tony Lyons-Lewis (1928 500cc Norton) received the award for the most DJ Runs completed, with the 2018 even being his 36th finish.
The weather played along this year, with the competitors only having to deal with slight drizzle on the first day. The DJ commemorative rally follows the general route of the original road races, which is now the “old” road between Durban and Johannesburg.
Overall Results
1. Gavin Walton (1936 500cc AJS), 256 penalty points;
2. Kevin Walton (1931 500cc BSA), 460;
3. Martin Davis (1930 500cc Sunbeam), 481;
4. Allan Cunninghame (1936 500cc Velocette), 546;
5. Martin Kaiser (1935 500cc Sunbeam), 844;
6. Kevin Robertson (1936 500cc Velocette), 941;
7. Ralph Pitchford (1933 500cc BSA), 987;
8. Roland Nancekievel (1935 500cc Velocette), 991;
9. Adrian and Gerald Hollis (1935 600cc Sunbeam with sidecar), 1 010;
10. Niel Stander (1933 500cc BSA), 1 022.
