Known internationally for his exceptional finishing record and the ability to improvise when experiencing problems during a race, Alfie Cox of the Natro Freight Nashua KTM Team had to call it a day before the halfway mark of the 2002 Swazi 500 Off Road race, which took place over the weekend (Friday 22 and Saturday 23 March 2002).
Competitors had to complete two identical loops of about 180km each.
“The previous national event I did not finish was the 2000 Desert Race when I broke my collarbone. I have never seen this happen before, a broken seal caused the engine to suck out the gearbox oil and bikes don’t run well without gearboxes,” said Cox whilst trying to hide his absolute disappointment.
Elmer Symons of the Miller Moore KTM Team took the win ahead of KTM SA’s Clayton Enslin second, Gray Dick third, and Enslin’s teammate Riaan van Niekerk fourth.
“I am now faced with a wide-open points situation for the season. The young guns are knocking on the door and Clayton now boasts two second-places and he is very strong on the new KTM’s. The next race is Mafikeng where I will be back on ‘old faithful’, my 380cc machine and will have to eat into the points in every event,” remarked Cox.
The Quad competitors were not happy at the finish of this race known for its extreme riding conditions; they complained that the route was an enduro and not suited for quad racing.