Motorsport puts firm foot forward
Kabelo Boranabi | Friday January 18, 2019 11:30
Motorsport, particularly the 1000km Toyota Desert Race, attracts many spectators and the performance of Vincent Crosbie and recently, Ross Branch at the world’s toughest race, the Dakar Rally, will surely push motorsport’s popularity, several notches up.
Botswana Motor Sport (BMS) is on its fifth year of existence, but the success of the sport can be traced way back. It all started when the majority of the riders started competing in the South African championships.
The locals gave their South African counterparts a run for their money in six rounds series as they mostly dominated the third and fourth round, which are held during the 1000km Toyota Desert Race or Mantshwabisi as the locals call it.
Ross Branch and Dartagnan Lobjoit made history in 2016 when they won the South African National Cross Country Championship for Motorcycle and Quad held in Westonaria, Gauteng.
The duo broke the long time dominance, as they became the first local riders to win the neighbouring country’s championships despite having many riders taking part over the years. Branch won the OR1 category while Lobjoit won the OR3 class.
The victories seemed to have inspired a then 26-year-old, Crosbie to take a big leap to the Dakar Rally. He became the first Motswana to compete and finish the iconic event in 2017.
Despite having to deal with financial challenges, the Serowe-born rider finished sixth in the rookie category and 36th overall.
This year, the country’s most decorated rider, Branch, after stage nine, was on course to better Crosbie’s record at the Dakar Rally. He finished an impressive 13th while he led the rookies’ category. At the event that is ‘hard on the body and bike’, Branch has shown both the physical and mental strength to compete against the world’s best. With a round left, Branch was on course to break inside the top 10.
Following the two riders’ success, motorsport is on the rise in the country.
The two riders did not wait for financial assistance from the Botswana National Sports Commission, as it is usually the norm. They dug deep in to their pockets and convinced the private sector to support them.
Branch and Crosbie’s success could inspire more riders to compete at the prestigious event hence making the new hub for upcoming riders, as it has been the case in sporting codes such as athletics.