Farland extends off-road lead

 

September 19, 2008

Zululand OBSERVER

	Farland extends off-road lead Jason Farland pushes his YFZ450 Powered by Ride High Yamaha quad to the limit in the fifth round of the Regional Off-road Championship in Vryheid Farland The fifth round of the Regional Off-road Championship took place in Vryheid and with only one race to go in November, the atmosphere was tense as riders fought for every point. The course was dusty and in places visibility was down to about four metres which meant, travelling at speeds exceeding 100km/h, reaction times had to be fast. Marked by tight sections that weaved through rocks and boulders, with straights up to three kilometres long where riders could really get on the gas and stretch their bikes' legs (at times touching the 180km/h mark) this was a course that truly tested the grit of competitors. Jason Farland, on his YFZ450 quad powered by Ride High Yamaha, had everything to race for in defence of his championship title. Needing a second place finish to retain his championship lead, Farland was in third behind Carl Wigman when the second-placed rider's Can-AM 450 broke down. This gave Farland the finish he required with an important 22 points in the bag. He now has only to finish in the top eight in the last round in Wartberg to take his second championship win. Riding high Norman Rautenbach had a good ride on his YFZ470 in the regional class. Only having ridden his new quad twice before the race, Rautenbach finished fourth. He has only to complete the next race to take second position in the Open Championship class. Candice Farland, racing on her Raptor 700, powered by Ride High Yamaha, showed the boys how to do it, finishing an impressive 15th out of 28 riders in a competitive class. Don't let her blonde hair fool you - this rider has a true heart for racing, so don't be surprised when she passes you. It was good to see Ian Loretz returning after four races. He had a good ride on his YZ450F, prepared by Ride High Yamaha. Huffing and puffing after the race and proclaiming to be 'too old for this', Loretz seemed unaware he had just finished third in the Veterans' class.