Selcourt motorcyclist rides into history with seventh DJ Rally victory
The rally started in Pietermaritzburg on March 14 and ended at Benoni Northerns Sports Club on March 15.
A local motorcyclist from Selcourt won the Durban-Johannesburg (DJ) Rally for the seventh time.
Sixty-year-old Gavin Walton needs no introduction as he is widely known in Springs as the vintage motorcycle rally champion.
Gavin tied the record of seven victories in the event set by the late Kevin Robertson.
The DJ Rally is a two-day event which took competitors from the Hillcrest Shopping Centre, outside Durban, to the Benoni Northerns Sports Club on March 14 and 15.
The rally is exclusively for classic motorcycles made prior to 1937 and this year there were 53 finishers from an original entry of 76 riders.
Gavin once again rode his trustworthy 1936 model 500 cc AJS. He blazed through the course with a score of 289, establishing a commanding 39-point lead over his nearest rival.
The score is made up of the seconds early or late at the various control points on the route, of which there were 38 on each of the two days.
“This year there was a lot of good competition and both mornings we had rain and mist but fortunately it cleared up making conditions a lot more pleasant,” Gavin said.
This motorcycle event pays homage to the historic annual road race between Durban and Johannesburg, a fixture from 1913 to 1936 until governmental restrictions halted public road racing.
In 1970, the rally was revived as an irregularity trial, focusing more on precision than speed. Walton’s journey with the DJ Rally began in 2005 when a family friend, Hugh Hollard, graciously withdrew from the race and entrusted his bike to him.
“I did not know this sport, but with each race, I saw improvement. During the race concentration is very important because if you miss a clue or speed change then you could end up in the bush and there is no time for sightseeing,” he said
He won the rally in 2009, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2024 and 2025.
“Every year I just go out to do my best, but it is an honour to match the previous record of seven wins,” he concluded.
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