It was a proud moment for Red Bull KTM as rising talents Jonathan Mlimi and Nate Mc Lellan pulled into the pits after an exciting penultimate round of the National Motocross Championship on Saturday.

The Welkom event proved to be a memorable one for the Pro Mini teammates with yet another victory from Mlimi and third spot overall from Mc Lellan.

Both riders made their debut to the prestigious class at the start of the 2018 season, and had tongues wagging on Saturday as they pulled away from competitors to set the pace up front.

"So happy to finish the day like this with my teammate Nate! We had a good battle out there and pushed each other until the end. I extended my points lead today, and that’s a massive relief before the final!” enthused Mlimi.

With only one race left on the calendar, the rider is painfully close to wrapping up the Pro Mini Championship. After extending his already impressive 32 point lead, it looks to be an exciting Dirt Bronco season finale for the orange team.

Adding the celebrations on Saturday was a third overall in MX1 from star rider Kerim Fitz-Gerald.

The nine-time national champion gave fans a glimpse of his renowned racing talent when he pushed the pace up front to finish second in the first moto of MX1. Despite a sixth place moto two, Fitz-Gerald earned enough points to secure the second step on the podium.

“I would have liked to have pulled off the result in MX2 as well, but it was nice to lead some laps and get out front. There’s nothing quite like that feeling! I rode the new 2019 KTM 450 SX-F today – I’ve only ridden it twice and the bike was really good. It was a good change for me!” said Fitz-Gerald.

Rounding out the Red Bull KTM team was Joshua Mlimi.

While the MX2 rider didn't achieve the results he had hoped for in Welkom, the event was a memorable experience for other reasons:

"The last time I raced here was in 2007, when I was still in the 65cc Class. It's amazing to look back and see how far I've come, and it makes me excited for what's ahead! What a privilege to live out my dream of racing against the best in this field,'" he said.

The nail-biting season will come to an end in Gauteng next month with what is set to be an exciting finale at Dirt Bronco on 20 October.

Published by: KTM Media

Picture Caption: The elated Pro Mini teammates of Nate Mc Lellan and Jonathan Mlimi.

Photogaphy by: www.zcmc.co.za