Teen makes history in off-road motorcycle racing
Estiaan Steenkamp is gearing up for the Vryburg Stella 400, the fourth round of the National Off-road Championship.
MTUBATUBA teenager, Estiaan Steenkamp, has made history for the second time in a year after winning the Phirimane 200 off-road motorcycle race in the Free State.
This, his first overall victory in the PS Portable Shade GOC off-road series, also marked a maiden series victory for Husqvarna.
From his home in Mtubatuba, the 18-year-old helicopter pilot travels to every GOC event, most of which are held in Gauteng and the Mpumalanga and North West provinces.
Racing under the FAST Powersport banner, Steenkamp took an early lead in the 180km race, the third round of this off-road series, and, without putting a wheel wrong, crossed the finish line four minutes and 43 seconds ahead of second place winner, Bernard McGee.
With this win, Steenkamp also claimed first place in the OR2 class in the PRO category of the race.
A podium finish at the previous GOC event and this recent victory rounded off a series of well-deserved good results for Steenkamp which include a top ten finish at the BELL 400 National Off-road Championship in Vryheid last month.
The popular PS Portable Shade GOC series attracts many of South Africa’s top off-road motorcycle competitors, including Ruan Roberts who finished second overall in the 2013 National Off-road Championship and won the GOC series last year, finishing third at the Phirimane 200.
Steenkamp is currently lying just outside the overall top10 in the National Off-road Championship and fourth in the extremely competitive OR2 / 250cc Class Championship.
He is currently preparing for the Vryburg Stella 400, the fourth round of the National Off-road Championship, taking place this weekend at Stella in the North West Province.
While Steenkamp aims for a top ten finish, the competition will be tough, consisting of various highly experienced factory riders.
Unflustered, Steenkamp will tackle the race with his usual ‘safety first’ approach as racing conditions are usually dry and dusty, vastly reducing visibility.
‘I’m looking forward to taking the Husqvarna to the race in the Kalahari, as the faster events suit my riding style,’ said Steenkamp about this weekend’s event.
‘This race is the last of the longer 360km events on the calendar before the two GOC sprint events that will round off the season and I hope to bring home some good points,’ concluded Steenkamp.
