Viva la dirt – just two weeks to go and our racing heroes are weighing in.
With just two weeks to go before the start of South Africa’s biggest Dirt Bike Festival(DBF), taking place at Legends Adventure Farm between the 1 – 3 September 2023, excitement is mounting and all arrangements are right on track.
Supported by Motorsport South Africa and FIM, this is one of the most exciting events on the racing calendar, spanning three days and featuring a multitude of racing categories including motocross, free style, enduro and cross-country events.
DBF organiser, Guy Henley of Out of Africa Group, says he is very happy with the response to this year’s event and is looking forward to some great racing across the various disciplines as well as a much bigger spectator crowd this year. “This is the ideal opportunity for families who are involved in the sport or who simply have a passion and interest in the sport to really experience the thrills and spills of dirt bike racing.
The event is attracting some of the sports best riders who are also brand ambassadors for the event. “Big names like Jesse Wright, and Cameron Durow for MX and Lourens Mahoney, Kerim Fitzgerald and Charan Moore for Cross Country to name just a few. These dirt bike heroes will be participating on the day and available for autographs from the fans,” says Henley.
Commenting on his love for the sport, Kerim says for him motocross has been very family orientated even though it’s an individual sport. “It has taken my family, friends, teams and support to help me accomplish what I have. I know it’s not the case for everyone but for me it’s been where my family and friends have been able to get together since I can remember.” His best advice for anyone wanting to get on in the sport is really just to ‘believe in yourself’ and says the upcoming DBF is a wonderful way to experience many of the facets in the motorsport industry in one weekend. “Guy and his team have put together an event that brings everyone in the off road motorcycle sector together where we as riders get to enjoy doing what we love and spectators get a first class seat to entertainment for the whole family. “
His sentiments are shared by another great, Jesse Wright, who says he loves the Xfactor. “It’s not like anything else – you get a different type of thrill from it. It brings out a completely different side of me and it helps me escape the everyday life and stresses,” says Jesse. Success of course does not come easily and he says for those that love the sport it takes a lot of hard work, patience and consistency to get good and the MX game is very hard. “You need to always stay consistent.”
He too encourages anyone who is keen to pop over to Legends. “The racing will be great, from the kids to the seniors. I think the main attraction for me would be seeing the exciting racing. It’s been really good this year in all the classes,” he enthuses.
So for those that haven’t booked their tickets yet, do you need any more encouragement than that? Apart from the racing there will be a number of brand partners and vendors involved in the sport who will be showcasing their wares as well as some of the newest and most exciting racing merchandise on view.
Spectator tickets are available and can be purchased through Ticketpro. “We’ve kept the entry fees affordable for spectators at just R85 for a day pass and R140 for a weekend pass (Friday – Sunday). Children under 10 can enter free of charge.” And for families that really want to make a whole weekend of racing there is an upmarket glamping option which can be booked through Galagos – contact details on the DBF website. You can experience the action virtually 600 metres from the track!!
And the last word is from Adrian Scholtz, Chief Executive Officer of MSA who says, “Racing dirt bikes is one of the most challenging, exhilarating and rewarding things you can do on two wheels, but it is easy to get overwhelmed on where to get started. To an untrained eye, dirt bikes all look the same but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If you already have a specific type of dirt bike, that might determine which type of racing you want to try. If you haven’t bought one yet, then the Dirt Bike Festival could be the ideal place to make that choice,” he says.