Alfie Cox, racing for the Natrofreight Nashua KTM Team takes on the rest of South Africa’s Off Road motorcyclists in the first race of the 2002 National Championship in the Tarka 400 this weekend (22 and 23 February).
After his second place in the 2002 Arras-Madrid-Dakar race, the world’s most grueling cross-country rally, Cox took a short break with his family before getting back into his training program. Last weekend he won the Kwa-Zulu Natal Harescramble, proving that he is fit and ready for the season ahead.
“I am very excited about the season, because my main archrival, Clayton Enslin now races the identical machine to mine. He is now a member of the KTM SA Racing Team, but we will definitely have a massive tussle all year. With Clayton moving up from the 250cc class, we decided to go back to two-stroke machines and will ride identical 380cc KTM’s.
This will help me tremendously, keeping me on the edge with speed, reflexes and training for the comprehensive international season ahead. Clayton is quick and is a young lion testing the limits of the old boy. I like the challenge and know that we will both benefit from this, and in the process lift the very high standard of South African Off-Road biking even further.
The rest of the KTM riders are also strong. Competition from the other manufacturers will also be a factor to keep in mind. South African Off-Road is at an all-time high and growing, I consider it important to plough back as much as I can to ensure the growth of the sport,” commented the very professional Cox.
With no cars involved in the Tarka 400 race, there will be very little dust for the front-runners, making the race safer for both bikes and quad competitors, but the Karoo has never been easy on man or machine and has often taken a massive toll.
This will be a tough terrain to start the first event of the season, sorting the boys and the men in the very rocky hills around Tarkastad.
A 50km time-trial will be completed on Friday, and the front-runners will start on their actual time on Saturday when they have to complete a 200km loop twice. The start finish and Designated Service Point are all at the Tarkastad Showground where Race-Headquarters will be situated.