Out of the mouth from one the competitors: Vincent Loubser

Vincent will once again be competing for team Yamaha in this year’s Ermelo Toyota 400 in the category Pro 450.

How long have you been racing? This will be my 6th year of racing Nationals. I never did any racing before that.

Vincent, are you excited or nervous about the upcoming race?  A little bit of both. It is nice to have a clean start with no non-finishes or bad results. I can just go out and do my best.

Do you think the fact that the route has been changed will play a big role in the race this year?  Not too much. I think that the race will run smoother because both laps will now be the same length so bikes and quads won't catch each other.

Because this is the first race of the year do you think it is going to be the make or break for a lot of competitors?
No. It is actually the opposite. Riders know that they still have 6 other races to catch up again if something goes wrong.

What do you expect the weather to be like this year? Hopefully it will rain a lot the week up to the race and then not rain at all on race day.

What are you riding this year? Yamaha YFZ450R.

What is your aim for the year? To finish top 3 in the Championship and to get at least 1 win. I have had a few second and third places but never had a race win in a National.

Will Glen be taking part this year and will you miss competing against him in upcoming races? No, he will not be competing this year. Racing like we do takes up all your personnel time and you never have the time to relax or enjoy weekends and so on and I think he just needs a break. Maybe he will reconsider next year.

Who do you think is your main competition this year? Brian Baragwanath,Dirkie Baard and his brother Fhillipi, Brendon Badenhorst and Boesman. Sarel van der Merwe will also return to racing this year and he is a fast rider.

Will you only be competing in the National Off Road Championship this year? No. I will also compete in the Natal Regional Championship where I finished second last year and also in the AMU Championship where I won the Championship last year.

What do you think about the fact that other countries like Namibia and Botswana will also be competing?
I think it is good for the sport and it is good exposure. I competed against them last year and they are not slow at all.

Do you personally think the route is going to be more challenging than ever?
I think the route has just the right percentage of rough terrain and fast terrain as I understand from the farmers so I think it will test your endurance but will also be very enjoyable.