Wheeler wins Petrotech rally tourney
By Sports Reporter
MILES Wheeler at the weekend scooped the Petrotech Siavonga 400 Off-Road championship relegating pre-event favourites Dale Holliday into second place and defending champion, David Reeves, who retired on day one with a mechanical problem.
Riding a Honda CRF 250, Mazabuka-based Wheeler timed 6:16:45 leaving Holliday in a trail of dust and seven minutes behind in an event that attracted 63 riders as Brian Cocker took third place on a KTM 526, a further seven minutes adrift of the runner-up in the senior class.
“I would like to thank the sponsors for making this event a success and hope they will be there for us even next year,” Wheeler said during the prize presentation ceremony at Dorvic farm in Mazabuka.
Nick Heygate powered his Yamaha YZ450F to victory in the novice bike class ahead of Gavin Heale who emerged second while Norman Shiel was third in the category.
The senior quads saw Lance Higgins win ahead of Carsten Kruger and Rusty Shiel while Adam Bousfield, Michelle Kruger and Theresa Evans shared the top three slots in the novice quads.
The Clubman class produced some redemption in the Reeves family as David’s father, Thomas made up for his son’s shortcomings by winning the category with almost an hour separating him and runner-up Paul Cumming.
The gap between Cumming and his closest pursuer was the nearest in the competition with barely three minutes separating him from Wade Seymore.
The riders endured the 380-kilometre terrain going through Lusitu Bridge which was one of the refuelling points and also attracted the biggest crowd of the two-day event comprising youths who were marvelled by noisy bikes.
At the same bridge, Barry Gough needed medical attention after he sustained an injury above his right eye after falling badly on one of the numerous curves that saw some riders plunging into muddy areas.
