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Wade Young wins SA enduro title after terrifying knife attack in the transki
Wade Young. (Dirt Racing)
By Quintin van Jaarsveld
Wade Young on Saturday cemented his place at the summit of South African enduro just 24 hours after nearly losing his life.
The Paddock prodigy and his friend and fellow rider Kyle Flanagan were en route to Port Elizabeth for the final round of the National Enduro Motorcycle Championship on Friday when they were attacked by a group of men armed with knives and pangas in Umtata.
Recounting the incident, Young told eHowzit in an exclusive interview: “We were in the middle of Umtata in very slow traffic when we heard some banging on the back of the car.
“It was pretty persistent and I made the mistake of getting out of the car to investigate when I saw a number of guys, around three of four, were around the vehicle.
“As one was distracting me, the others were at Kyle’s door trying to get it open. One of the guys pulled out a bush knife and tried to have a go at me but missed.
“In the meantime, Kyle jumped out as he heard me shouting. The others managed to get into the car and steal Kyle’s phone and wallet. I realised we had to get back into the car for our own safety and we drove off.”
The 19-year-old said it was a terrifying ordeal and that he’s thankful they were able to escape unscathed.
“It was pretty scary. All that went through my mind is to just get out of there, it’s not worth my life.
“It happened so quickly, but the shock came later. It was race weekend and there were other things to focus on. It could’ve been worse…I’m just glad that we’re both okay.”
Young warned the public to be vigilant when travelling through the Transkei and to stay in their vehicles at all times.
“They [attackers] get the drivers to get out of the vehicle by hitting on the back of it and unfortunately we fell victim to it. It’s unbelievable how many people this has happened to.”
Brothers in arms … Kyle Flanagan and Wade Young.
Despite the attack, Young dominated Saturday’s Winterberg Enduro, winning each of the special stages and completing a clean sweep of six successive victories in the E2 Class to solidify his standing as South Africa’s best enduro rider.
The Brother Leader Tread KTM superstar, who won the E1 title in 2013 and 2014, said it was “easy” to block out the previous day’s attack once it came down to racing.
“It wasn’t hard to concentrate on the race. I had a job to do and I was fully focussed.” The two-time and youngest ever Roof of Africa winner said securing his maiden national E2 title meant a lot to him.
“I’m very happy – having the support and sponsors behind me makes it so much easier. I’ve been competing in the National Championship since I was eight and I love it.
“The competition in South Africa has really picked up significantly, so it’s always a good challenge and the support in SA is great.”
Flanagan also managed to focus on the task at hand, the KTM rider finishing fourth in the E1 Class.
Wade Young. (Dirt Racing)
By Quintin van Jaarsveld
Wade Young on Saturday cemented his place at the summit of South African enduro just 24 hours after nearly losing his life.
The Paddock prodigy and his friend and fellow rider Kyle Flanagan were en route to Port Elizabeth for the final round of the National Enduro Motorcycle Championship on Friday when they were attacked by a group of men armed with knives and pangas in Umtata.
Recounting the incident, Young told eHowzit in an exclusive interview: “We were in the middle of Umtata in very slow traffic when we heard some banging on the back of the car.
“It was pretty persistent and I made the mistake of getting out of the car to investigate when I saw a number of guys, around three of four, were around the vehicle.
“As one was distracting me, the others were at Kyle’s door trying to get it open. One of the guys pulled out a bush knife and tried to have a go at me but missed.
“In the meantime, Kyle jumped out as he heard me shouting. The others managed to get into the car and steal Kyle’s phone and wallet. I realised we had to get back into the car for our own safety and we drove off.”
The 19-year-old said it was a terrifying ordeal and that he’s thankful they were able to escape unscathed.
“It was pretty scary. All that went through my mind is to just get out of there, it’s not worth my life.
“It happened so quickly, but the shock came later. It was race weekend and there were other things to focus on. It could’ve been worse…I’m just glad that we’re both okay.”
Young warned the public to be vigilant when travelling through the Transkei and to stay in their vehicles at all times.
“They [attackers] get the drivers to get out of the vehicle by hitting on the back of it and unfortunately we fell victim to it. It’s unbelievable how many people this has happened to.”
Brothers in arms … Kyle Flanagan and Wade Young.
Despite the attack, Young dominated Saturday’s Winterberg Enduro, winning each of the special stages and completing a clean sweep of six successive victories in the E2 Class to solidify his standing as South Africa’s best enduro rider.
The Brother Leader Tread KTM superstar, who won the E1 title in 2013 and 2014, said it was “easy” to block out the previous day’s attack once it came down to racing.
“It wasn’t hard to concentrate on the race. I had a job to do and I was fully focussed.” The two-time and youngest ever Roof of Africa winner said securing his maiden national E2 title meant a lot to him.
“I’m very happy – having the support and sponsors behind me makes it so much easier. I’ve been competing in the National Championship since I was eight and I love it.
“The competition in South Africa has really picked up significantly, so it’s always a good challenge and the support in SA is great.”
Flanagan also managed to focus on the task at hand, the KTM rider finishing fourth in the E1 Class.
