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‘MASHESHA’ SHINES IN SA CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPS

16/09/2019 08:36:00 Ashmond Nzima

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MBABANE – Talk about defying all odds.

Special Vehicle pair comprising Eswatini’s own John ‘Mashesha’ Thomson from Mormond and his South African partner Maurice Zermatten still had verve to shine in the Lichtenburg 400 after a setback on day one. This was during the fifth and penultimate round of the 2019 South African National Cross Country Series (SACCS) that took place between Friday and Saturday in the North-West Province of South Africa.

The 55km qualifying race on Friday, which determined the starting order for the race, proved to be a nightmare for ‘Mashesha’ and Zermatten, who were racing in Class A in a Mormond Zarco Challenger. They broke a rear sideshaft which prevented them from completing the qualifier and starting the race from the back of the field. “It did not hold them back and determination and perseverance resulted in them walking away with their first overall victory in the Special Vehicle category as well as in Class A despite a puncture in the first loop and fuel starvation during the second loop,” read a correspondence copied to this publication.

Before the stop in South Africa, Class A leaders were Lance Trethewey/Adriaan Roets (LT Earthmovers BAT Venom). They were second on the day, but the performance was still enough to secure them the Special Vehicle and Class A championships for 2019.

Misfire

“They initially experienced misfire issues on Friday and then battled with power steering problems in the main race, but valuable points and more silverware was welcomed by the team from KwaZulu-Natal,” further read the correspondence. The sixth and final round of the season will be taking place at Parys on the border of Gauteng on the first two days of November.
Meanwhile, the festivities in North-West were headlined by the presence of Formula One World champion Fernando Alonso (38). The Spaniard was at the Lichtenburg 400 as part of his intensive training programme with the aim to participate in the Dakar Rally. His preparations with Toyota Gazoo Racing included training in the desert in Namibia as well as in Poland with more training to follow during the next few months.