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'dream beyond the impossible'
| Local Mr Price National Supermoto Heroes Are Triumphant on KZN Soil The valley of a thousand hills was echoing with excitement at the weekend when the competitors of the Mr Price National Supermoto Championship took centre stage for the ultimate two-wheeled showdown at the Idube Kart Circuit in Pietermaritzburg, KZN. Despite a solid pole position, reigning Title holder Full Throttle Red Bull KTM's Brian Capper (North Riding, Gauteng) was taken to task by local hero and up-and-comer First Freight Perry Yamaha Monster Motors' Jason Munroe (New Germany, KZN). Munroe won two from three heats in the upset of the season and took home gold and glory on race day.
Capper kicked the day off with his usual dominance, out-qualifying the competition by a full second. He kept the pace steady into heat one, taking the lead in the first corner and leaving the field behind. A lapse in concentration in the dirt section pulled the rug out from under his feet, and a small tumble slotted him back into sixth position. Jason Munroe capitalized on the drama, and took the lead with the Team Red Yamaha Criterion freight train of Brett Bircher (Hillcrest, KZN) and Kyle Smythe (Durban, KZN) hot on his heels. Fuelled by the support of the capacity home crowd, Munroe crossed the finish line to taste his first ever premier class race victory. Smythe slid off into the tire-wall a few laps from the end, easing the pressure off second place man Bircher, who was followed home by Wethered Perfecto Carriers Suzuki's Grant Frerichs, and the catch-up king, Capper, in fourth. A starting grid shuffle in Heat two saw Munroe in pole position, and a fired-up Capper directly behind him with his eyes on the prize. Munroe lead Capper as the face-off began, holding him off until the end, with the seasoned Champ unable to find a way around. Munroe signed off on his second victory for the day and consistent local favourite Bircher rounded off the top three. The air was thick with tension as South Africa’s best lined up for the third and final heat of the day. Capper and Munroe were side-by-side, two friends turned foe for fifteen minutes of furious racing action. And they did not disappoint. The greatest tussle of the season ensued, with Munroe seizing an early lead and Capper applying full pressure into every turn. Current points leader Capper made numerous attempts to pass his challenger, but Munroe put his expert track knowledge to good use, not making one mistake. With just a few laps remaining, Capper took advantage of a wide corner on the tar, relegating Munroe to second. Capper continued to charge relentlessly to the finish, opening up a gap and cementing his points lead in the championship with a second place overall. Team Red Yamaha's '07 National Champion Bircher pulled in a smooth third overall for the day. Munroe celebrated the victory of a lifetime, clinching the overall win for the first time in his riding career, and lifting the trophy in front of an ecstatic home crowd: "I am so stoked, what a perfect day. I was hoping for three heat wins, but I didn't want to throw away the overall win, so I took it easy at the end. I feel awesome, I couldn't ask for a better day."
Capper, although disappointed to lose out on maximum points, was both happy for Munroe and content with the championship standings. "I couldn't catch Jason all day, he really rode well, but in the last heat I made a decision, I just had to get past him. There’s a saying in motorsport that you're only as good as your last race, so there was no option but to win" he laughs. "It feels good going into the next round with a heat win, and I love the East London track. I have a good lead in the points, but after today I'm more motivated than ever." The S3 "lites" class was a divided affair, with Smythe and Frerichs each securing a heat win. It was Team Red Yamaha's newest addition Smythe who took the overall top honours for winning the last heat, while Monster Motors' Michael Morgan (Durban, KZN) rounded off the top three. The Masters class was dominated by one man – home town hero Team Red Yamaha's Gary Galway (Hillcrest, KZN). The '07 champ is once again charging for the title, but despite picture-perfect qualifying sessions from the start of the season, race wins have narrowly eluded him. This round seemed to be the turn-around point for Galway, with two first place finishes over rival UTC Kawasaki's Carl van Niekerk (Benoni, Gauteng) in second, and Accessories Unlimited Andre Kriel (Pietermaritzburg, KZN) in third. "I really needed the double win today; it has put me back into contention. I watched Capper crash in his first heat, and decided to run a breath slower so I didn't fling it in the dirt, and it paid off. All I need now is two more wins in the following round and I'll be leading the championship" said a focussed Galway.
The S2 Open class was dictated by motocross champ UTC Kawasaki's Lloyd Verkuil (Pietermaritzburg, KZN) who won two from two in his very first attempt at Supermoto. The new kid on the block took his contenders by surprise and injected some fresh racing action into the mix. The S4 junior's class was another two-way skirmish and a Team UTC Kawasaki affair, which turned out in favour of Marco Ras, now the clear championship leader, with Jesse Wright in second, and Liquor City's Erhardt Beukes in third. The ladies class was a showcase of feminine prowess, which was controlled by Privateer Brittany Cuthbert, who turned the tables on the championship chase with a clear points lead. Hurricane Supermoto heads to East London for the next round, and this action-packed day will mark the midway point of the Mr Price National Supermoto season. This year there are more top class riders and more possible winners than ever before. The stakes are high, and the young guns are gearing for battle against the proven champions. Who will emerge victorious? All will be revealed as the sleepy city of East London gets a wakeup call on July tenth. Article by CaptureNation  The 2009 Mr Price National Supermoto Calendar:
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