South African motocross fans have been waiting in anticipation for the second round of the national series, which will be hosted by Cape Town’s renowned Zone 7 on Saturday.

On what is one of the country’s most highly rated tracks, a wide variety of skills will be tested with big jumps, sand, ruts and hard pack in store. After an extremely sandy first round in Port Elizabeth, the change in terrain is sure to shake up the current championship standings.

Looking to defend his podium territory in the prestigious MX1 Class is Tristan Purdon.

The rider secured a third place overall after his debut race for Red Bull KTM last month. As he looks to affirm his newly found spot on the team, he commented, “I was still battling with a wrist injury at the last round, which is feeling a lot better now than it did then. I also have more races under the belt, so it should be a good weekend!”

Purdon has spent the past few weeks in America racing and training. While he was there, he snatched victory in the College Boy Class at the RCSX Championship in Daytona. He also managed to qualify for the Loretta Lynn regional event that will take place in June. This comes as a major breakthrough for Purdon who is now one step closer to qualifying for the biggest amateur motocross event in the USA.

Red Bull KTM teammate Kerim Fitz-Gerald will once again attempt to race both the MX1 and MX2 Class. With longer laps and shorter rest between heats, competing in more than one class is more demanding than ever in 2019.

The rider found the sandy Port Elizabeth track particularly testing last month and is far more excited for what Zone 7 has in store.

“The sections of the track with ruts and hard pack definitely excite me and suit my style of racing, so I’m looking forward to getting back to that,” said Fitz-Gerald.

Not only will he be looking to put some points on the MX1 board, but maximise the podium spot he currently holds in MX2.

A mere five points behind him in MX2 is Joshua Mlimi, who is determined to shake off his rookie status and take his place among the country’s elite in this sport. Mlimi’s dream of stepping onto the podium looks as promising as ever after his performance at the first round, and fans will certainly be hopeful for what Zone 7 has in store.

"I really enjoy Zone 7, it’s technical and doesn't make racing easy for anyone. A podium is well in reach at this round - I feel like the time has come now to be at the top with the boys and challenge for the championship," said Mlimi.

His younger brother Jonathan Mlimi is ready to move past his shaky start to the 2019 season. His debut performance in the High School Class was nowhere near his own high standard, but the confidence of his recent national title the rider will surely find his feet at the second round.

"Training has been going really good since the first national - I've been putting a lot of time into it. I really like hard and rough tracks, so I'm looking forward to Zone 7. I plan to get better starts and be up front from the beginning of the race so that I don’t have to work my way up from the back," said the younger Mlimi.

Creating more anticipation in the orange camp is young gun Nate Mc Lellan, who came painfully close to victory in Port Elizabeth. With just a hair’s breadth separating him from the top step of the Pro Mini podium, Mc Lellan is set to enter Zone 7 will all guns blazing.

Published by: KTM Media

Picture Caption: Red Bull KTM's newest recruit Tristan Purdon.

Photography by: www.zcmc.co.za