Hot Neo Paints Team Namibia for Inter-Series

“FEW sports push their athletes to the limits like Moto Cross racing does, one of the most demanding, gruelling extreme sports in the world. Moto Cross riders must be in peak physical condition and able to train and maintain their conditioning throughout a hectic and long season.” That’s how MX guru Bernd Dietrich describes the MX-sport.

The highlight of such a long season happens annually in Namibia, when the Inter-Series gets staged which draws top-riders from Europe and the whole of southern Africa. This year Team Namibia gets sponsored by Neo Paints, a true Namibian company with a long established relationship towards Moto-X. Let’s introduce the riders representing the Neo Paints Namibia Team. It should however be stated, that this team is not a national team but the best riders chosen in every category.

Let’s start with the Kindergarten-Class, the 50cc Class. Michael Barlow is leading the points-ranking at the moment but had to acknowledge some serious threats to his reputation towards the end of the 2007 season. Michael was born on 14 January 2000. Michael started MX racing in 2005 and within two years he developed into a major force. In 2005 he was 2nd overall, the year after he repeated that feat.

In 2007 he started with a bang and won all his heats until mid-season when he got some stiff competition from William Smith. But Michael is a fighter and should be able to become the 2007Namibian champion. Michael was chosen to represent Namibia at the AMU in Kenya in August 2007. He finished 6th overall. Eric Garbers represents the 65cc Class. He started racing in 2002. In 2004 he won his first championship in the 50cc Class.

The year after Eric finished 2nd overall in the 65cc National Class and finished 3rd at the AMU Southern Challenge. In 2006 Eric came 3rd in the 65cc Class. The 2007 season is Eric’s best season so far: he’s currently first in the 65cc Class and he represented Namibia in the AMU Championships in Kenya finishing 5th overall. Mark Sternagel, 85cc Class. Mark is 12 years old and started racing in 1999.

Mark can already look back at a most successful MX career. Mark came second in 2003 in the 50cc Class and again 2nd in 2004. 2005 was a highlight in his career when he finished as runner-up in the 65cc AMU Southern African Challenge Championship. That same year he became 65cc Namibian Champion and did it again in 2006. In 2007 he moved up to the 85cc Class and from the start he put his stamp onto this category.

Because of his undisputed talent, his father let him ride the King of the Dirt, the Top-10. But that is not all, in 2007 Mark also raced the AMU Championships in Kenya where he finished 3rd overall. Frank Klosta, 125cc Class. Frank started racing in 2002. What began with enthusiasm ended later in hospital, booked off for 5 months with a leg injury. In 2003 Frank finished the 85cc Class in 4th overall. Because of age he was relegated to the 125cc Class the year after and finished 4th . In 2005 his breakthrough came, Frank became 125cc Namibian champion, a feat he repeated in 2006 and in 2007 as well. Franky also participated successfully in AMU events in Namibia and in Zambia. Ronnie Adams, Open Class.

Ronnie started racing in 1980. Since this time he was chasing Namibian championship titles. He was very successful, won many runner-up titles before he won his first 80cc championship in 1986. It took him another 9 years before he could win the 125cc Class title in 1995. He repeated that feat two years later in 1997. In 2005 he became the AMU Southern African Challenge Champion, the highlight of his career. Because of this performance, Adams was chosen to represent Namibia at the 2006 Grand Prix of South Africa, where he added to his learning curve.

This year he is leading the Namibian Championship Open Class which will be decided at the Red Bull MX Classic on November 3rd and one week later at the Camel MX Dash for Cash on November 10th.