Theron brothers crowned Vasbyt champs
The 2016 edition of the Weskus 4x4 Vasbyt produced thrilling results at the coast, with the Theron brothers dominating the event.
OTIS FINCK
Brothers Nico (26) and Herman Theron (30) scored 490 points from a possible 600 and won the 2016 edition of the annual Weskus 4x4 Vasbyt.
It was the first time that the driver and co-driver team, who have been partnering since 2011, won the competition. They also clinched the C Class with their Land Rover ‘Poetsie’ equipped with a 3.9 V8 Rover engine. They scored full points (60) in seven of the ten demanding stages.
South Africans Izak and Annelie Maritz, who had won the event four times in a row, returned after a four-year absence with their crowd favourite ‘Goofy’, a 2.0-litre Cilica pipe car.
They competed against another South African duo, Corries Hudson and Robbie Schafner, in the Super D class. The Maritz couple emerged as winners with 530 points but because it was a Namibian championship they were not in contention for the overall standings.
Floris Smit Jnr (17) was the youngest of the 36 entrants with 19 vehicles at this year’s event, once again hosted on the outskirts of Walvis Bay behind Dune 7.
The wind stayed away and the weather played along at the event, which was well attended by thousands of visitors, who cheered on the drivers and their vehicles.
Sponsor representatives Anzelle Strauss (WesBank) and and Mic van Zyl (Ironman) promised that their companies would continue to support the competition.
Eight teams competed in the A class for short-wheel-base vehicles, four teams in the B class for long-wheel-base vehicles and five teams in the C class for modified vehicles.
It was no easy task for the drivers who had to work their way across ten very difficult obstacles while keeping their vehicles upright and within the boundaries of the tracks to build up points. The sand pit stages saw three teams taking a tumble with their vehicles.
Some of the stages were very demanding and resulted in numerous breakdowns. No contestants were injured but none of the contestants managed to finish the mud pit this year.
The mud run, which is a fun event contested by spectators at the end of the stages, was won by Andrew van der Linde
Namib Desert 4x4 Club chairman Theuns van Zyl thanked motorsport fans for attending the event.
He also commended the marshals, the drivers for providing much fun to the spectators and members of the club for their hard work to make the day successful.
The winners were as follows (class, position, team details and points):
A Class: 1st Floris Steenkamp & Hele Steenkamp 450, 2nd Dirk Bosman & Dries Oberholser 310, and 3rd Ben Lange & Francois Lotter 300.
B Class: 1st Chris Bruyns & Frank Scholtz 420, 2nd Morne Oosthuisen & Niels Gartener 410, and 3rd Theuns van Zyl & Deon Louw 350.
C Class: 1st Nico Theron (Jnr) & Herman Theron (Jnr) 490, 2nd Hanjo Horn & Kirstie Horn 440, and 3rd Johan La Cock & Renier La Cock 380.
Overall: 1st Nico Theron (Jnr) & Herman Theron (Jnr) 490, 2nd Floris Steenkamp & Hele Steenkamp 450, and 3rd Hanjo Horn & Kirstie Horn 440.
Brothers Nico (26) and Herman Theron (30) scored 490 points from a possible 600 and won the 2016 edition of the annual Weskus 4x4 Vasbyt.
It was the first time that the driver and co-driver team, who have been partnering since 2011, won the competition. They also clinched the C Class with their Land Rover ‘Poetsie’ equipped with a 3.9 V8 Rover engine. They scored full points (60) in seven of the ten demanding stages.
South Africans Izak and Annelie Maritz, who had won the event four times in a row, returned after a four-year absence with their crowd favourite ‘Goofy’, a 2.0-litre Cilica pipe car.
They competed against another South African duo, Corries Hudson and Robbie Schafner, in the Super D class. The Maritz couple emerged as winners with 530 points but because it was a Namibian championship they were not in contention for the overall standings.
Floris Smit Jnr (17) was the youngest of the 36 entrants with 19 vehicles at this year’s event, once again hosted on the outskirts of Walvis Bay behind Dune 7.
The wind stayed away and the weather played along at the event, which was well attended by thousands of visitors, who cheered on the drivers and their vehicles.
Sponsor representatives Anzelle Strauss (WesBank) and and Mic van Zyl (Ironman) promised that their companies would continue to support the competition.
Eight teams competed in the A class for short-wheel-base vehicles, four teams in the B class for long-wheel-base vehicles and five teams in the C class for modified vehicles.
It was no easy task for the drivers who had to work their way across ten very difficult obstacles while keeping their vehicles upright and within the boundaries of the tracks to build up points. The sand pit stages saw three teams taking a tumble with their vehicles.
Some of the stages were very demanding and resulted in numerous breakdowns. No contestants were injured but none of the contestants managed to finish the mud pit this year.
The mud run, which is a fun event contested by spectators at the end of the stages, was won by Andrew van der Linde
Namib Desert 4x4 Club chairman Theuns van Zyl thanked motorsport fans for attending the event.
He also commended the marshals, the drivers for providing much fun to the spectators and members of the club for their hard work to make the day successful.
The winners were as follows (class, position, team details and points):
A Class: 1st Floris Steenkamp & Hele Steenkamp 450, 2nd Dirk Bosman & Dries Oberholser 310, and 3rd Ben Lange & Francois Lotter 300.
B Class: 1st Chris Bruyns & Frank Scholtz 420, 2nd Morne Oosthuisen & Niels Gartener 410, and 3rd Theuns van Zyl & Deon Louw 350.
C Class: 1st Nico Theron (Jnr) & Herman Theron (Jnr) 490, 2nd Hanjo Horn & Kirstie Horn 440, and 3rd Johan La Cock & Renier La Cock 380.
Overall: 1st Nico Theron (Jnr) & Herman Theron (Jnr) 490, 2nd Floris Steenkamp & Hele Steenkamp 450, and 3rd Hanjo Horn & Kirstie Horn 440.
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