Theron brothers win Vasbyt in style
The 31st edition of the Weskus 4x4 Vasbyt saw a record 26 entries, including five South African teams, with the Theron brothers dominating the event at the coast once again.
Brothers Nico and Herman Theron managed to complete all the stages successfully. They scored a maximum 600 points from the ten demanding stages which included six sand pits, two dune climbing, a tyre pit and mud pit stages and won the 2017 edition of the annually contested motorsport event hosted by Namib Desert 4x4 Vasbyt Club.
It was the second time that the driver and co-driver team, who have been partnering since 2011, won the overall competition and also clinched the C Class.
Floris Steenkamp Senior and his daughter, Hele, finished second overall on 570 points and also won the A Class. Hanjo and Christy Horn shared the overall third position as well as the second position in the C Class with Martin and Jana Theron after both teams finished with 560 points.
Nicholas Harris and Izak Maritz emerged as winners of the Extreme class which accommodated the South African contenders.
They collected 570 points from the ten obstacles and were not in contention for the overall standings due to it being a Namibian championship.
Izak and his wife Annelie had previously won the event four times in a row with their crowd favourite 'Goofy', a 2.0-litre Cilica pipe car.
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.
Six teams competed in the A class for short-wheel-base vehicles, seven teams in the B class for long-wheel-base vehicles and eight teams in the C class for modified vehicles.
Five South African teams were in action in the Extreme Class. It was no easy task for the drivers who had to work their way across ten very difficult and demanding obstacles while keeping their vehicles upright and within the boundaries of the tracks to build up points. The sand pit stages saw one team taking a tumble with their vehicle.
The event concluded with the mud run, which is a fun event contested by spectators at the end of the stages.
Namib Desert 4x4 Club chairman Theuns van Zyl commended the South African competitors for driving all the way to Namibia to participate.
He also thanked motorsport fans for attending the event and the marshals as well as the participating drivers for providing much fun to the spectators.
The winners:
A Class: 1st Floris Steenkamp and Hele Steenkamp (570).
Second: Jaco Louw and Matt Paulsen (420).
Third: Nico Oberholzer (Jnr) and Nico Oberholzer (Snr) (380).
B Class: 1st Morne Oosthuysen and Niels Hartner (540).
Second: Theuns van Zyl and Deon Louw (530).
Third: Chris Bruyns and Frank Scholtz (440).
C Class: 1st Nico Theron (Jnr) and Herman Theron (Jnr) (600).
Second: Hanjo Horn and Kirstie Horn (560). As well as Martin Theron and Jan Theron (560).
Third: Dolf Bothma and Rico Bothma (520).
Overall: 1st Nico Theron Junior and Herman Theron Junior (600).
Second: Floris Steenkamp and Hele Steenkamp (570).
Third: Hanjo Horn and Kirstie Horn (560) as well as Martin Thereon and Jana Theron (560).
Extreme Class: 1st Nicholas Harris and Izak Maritz (570).
Second: Izak Maritz and Annelie Martiz (480).
Third: Ludwig Schaffner and Nicolaas Marris (470).
OTIS FINCK
It was the second time that the driver and co-driver team, who have been partnering since 2011, won the overall competition and also clinched the C Class.
Floris Steenkamp Senior and his daughter, Hele, finished second overall on 570 points and also won the A Class. Hanjo and Christy Horn shared the overall third position as well as the second position in the C Class with Martin and Jana Theron after both teams finished with 560 points.
Nicholas Harris and Izak Maritz emerged as winners of the Extreme class which accommodated the South African contenders.
They collected 570 points from the ten obstacles and were not in contention for the overall standings due to it being a Namibian championship.
Izak and his wife Annelie had previously won the event four times in a row with their crowd favourite 'Goofy', a 2.0-litre Cilica pipe car.
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.
Six teams competed in the A class for short-wheel-base vehicles, seven teams in the B class for long-wheel-base vehicles and eight teams in the C class for modified vehicles.
Five South African teams were in action in the Extreme Class. It was no easy task for the drivers who had to work their way across ten very difficult and demanding obstacles while keeping their vehicles upright and within the boundaries of the tracks to build up points. The sand pit stages saw one team taking a tumble with their vehicle.
The event concluded with the mud run, which is a fun event contested by spectators at the end of the stages.
Namib Desert 4x4 Club chairman Theuns van Zyl commended the South African competitors for driving all the way to Namibia to participate.
He also thanked motorsport fans for attending the event and the marshals as well as the participating drivers for providing much fun to the spectators.
The winners:
A Class: 1st Floris Steenkamp and Hele Steenkamp (570).
Second: Jaco Louw and Matt Paulsen (420).
Third: Nico Oberholzer (Jnr) and Nico Oberholzer (Snr) (380).
B Class: 1st Morne Oosthuysen and Niels Hartner (540).
Second: Theuns van Zyl and Deon Louw (530).
Third: Chris Bruyns and Frank Scholtz (440).
C Class: 1st Nico Theron (Jnr) and Herman Theron (Jnr) (600).
Second: Hanjo Horn and Kirstie Horn (560). As well as Martin Theron and Jan Theron (560).
Third: Dolf Bothma and Rico Bothma (520).
Overall: 1st Nico Theron Junior and Herman Theron Junior (600).
Second: Floris Steenkamp and Hele Steenkamp (570).
Third: Hanjo Horn and Kirstie Horn (560) as well as Martin Thereon and Jana Theron (560).
Extreme Class: 1st Nicholas Harris and Izak Maritz (570).
Second: Izak Maritz and Annelie Martiz (480).
Third: Ludwig Schaffner and Nicolaas Marris (470).
OTIS FINCK
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