“It’s going to be a totally different track by the end of the day,” Quentin Lessing observed as a lowering sky fulfilled its promise and rain came bucketing down at the pits behind Summer Pine Ranch in Bathurst last Saturday. This was the much anticipated Best Drive Pineapple 200, sponsored by Lessing’s Best Drive Port Alfred. It was the sixth and final round in the East Cape Offroad Racing Club series that has taken drivers, co-drivers, machines and mechanics across the province from George to Nanaga and beyond. By all accounts the track, set out by offroad designer Mervin Woods, on Viv Dell’s farm was the toughest.
“This route is lekker tight: it will be fun and we’re going to have a good day out there,” said Paul Mare from George, after the qualifying lap, as he sorted out ‘trouble’ with his VW Sandmaster. The only solo competitor (it’s a single-seater), he uses the “doubles” for visual references along the route. Mare went on to win the five laps of 25km each in just over two hours and 11 minutes.
Of the eight who started, Mare was one of only two finishers: Grant Watkins with his son Greg as co-driver came in second in their Zarco.
Chester Wilmot, from Bushmans River Mouth, raced for the first time in 38 years. His bright green Volkswagen Beetle with a two-litre Golf engine, was affectionately dubbed “the tennis ball”, or “the green gogga” by fellow competitors.
“My car’s number is B77 because it’s the seventh offroad car I have built and I was 77 when I built it last year,” he said.
The organising club started in Gqeberha just over a year ago.
“My son Derek asked me to drive with him – he was a little boy when I last raced. Of course I jumped at it like a shot.”
Chester has been co-driver for Derek up to now and this this Saturday was the first time they’d swapped roles.
“It seems like age doesn’t count too much: I don’t think I did too badly considering I haven’t raced for close on 40 years,” he said.
The car fared less well though.
“My car was still on its wheels, but the front steering rod broke off and we went careering down a hill into the valley: we had to be pulled out backwards,” Chester said. “We fixed that and started racing again but once again the steering rod broke – in a different place this time – and we ended up in a clump of trees.
“But at the end of the day, we were able to drive home and we had an incredible day.”
Participants had been warned that it would be a very tough race, so they’d been expecting the worst.
“The Bathurst course is very fast over very rough terrain.”
That caught out Lessing and co-driver Brendan Smith who hit an obstacle at speed on a corner that threw them into a roll. They were okay, but their race was over.
“Bathurst was a super venue for spectators,” Chester said. “You could see the cars going off, you’d see them crossing the pits again a few minutes later, and you’d see them again on their return trip.
There were nine entries – one car broke before the start of the race.
“But if everyone had finished the race, you’d have seen eight cars twice on each of the six laps. So a lot of activity and cars coming in with all sorts of ailments.”
Chester said. “But at the end of the day, competitors were saying it may have been one of the best races on the calendar. In fact we hope the Bathurst leg will become the premier race.”
As sponsor, Lessing was also positive about the inaugural Bathurst event for the East Cape Offroad Racing Club.
“The competitors were very happy to be in new terrain in a new area and they said it was a great way to end off the year.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of the farmer whose land we raced on, and Mervin [Woods] and Chester [Wilmot] who set out the track.”
’There were a lot of new friends made in Bathurst last weekend,” Lessing said. “It was a really good weekend and next year we’ll make it even bigger and better.”
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This article was first published in Talk of the Town, November 6, 2025. The newspaper serving the communities of Ndlambe and the Sunshine Coast, with a weekly wrap of Makhanda news, is available at stores from early on Thursdays
