By Nangamso Mabindla
08 April 2004

JUST a few weeks after the prestigious 2nd South African Games held in Buffalo City, the Eastern Cape is gearing up for the limelight again when racers for the National Enduro Championships converge on the Empekweni Sun in Port Alfred this weekend.

Organised by the East London Motorcycle and Car Club, the gruelling 61-kilometre off-road event is not for the faint-hearted, said club chairman Marcel van der Poll, urging parents to bring their families along for what promises to be an action-packed event.

"Off-road bikes are exciting and the prospect of having over 80 national riders gracing our racing track should be motivation enough for locals to support the even," Van der Poll said, adding that the presence of ex-champion Russell Campbell was a rare highlight.

Competitors riding the off-road mean machines will be separated into three different classes; club, regional and national. Club riders will do two laps of the track, regionals three and the more experienced national riders will do four laps of the circular course.

By using local marshals to supervise crowd control and overall smooth running of the event, employment opportunies will also be created, said Van der Poll.

"The event starts at 8am on Saturday; we're looking forward to seeing a packed Mpekweni cheering their favourites to glory," he said.