The 2026 East Cape Offroad Club season roared into life under near-perfect weather conditions at the JP Spares & Lubricants Louvain 200, hosted at the scenic Louvain Guest Farm along the N9 Langkloof Road, approximately 50km from George.
While the skies were kind, the terrain was anything but, serving up a demanding and punishing test that quickly separated the frontrunners from the rest of the field.
Rising to the challenge in emphatic fashion were Gqeberha father-and-son pairing Grant and Gregory Watkins, who delivered a commanding performance to claim overall victory.
Behind the wheel of their Lexus-powered Zarco, the duo not only mastered the rough and rocky route but also stamped their authority on the opening round, taking the win by a convincing 06:15.0 minutes.
The Watkins pairing looked comfortable from early on, maintaining a strong pace while avoiding the mechanical gremlins that plagued many competitors. Grant Watkins reflected on the demanding nature of the event afterwards, admitting that while the conditions were tough, the preparation paid off.
“It was a hard event,” said Grant. “The terrain is very rough and rocky, with lots of ruts and loose stones in places. It really keeps you busy in the car. But we had a lot of fun out there and the wind helped a bit with the dust. We’ve done a lot of work on the car leading up to this race and it really ran perfectly. Everything went according to plan with no issues at all, which makes a big difference in a race like this.”
Behind the winners, the Louvain 200 proved to be a true race of attrition, with the unforgiving route taking its toll on both man and machine. Local George competitor Paul Mare’s challenge came to an abrupt halt when his gear lever snapped, while Lionel and Joshua Acton were sidelined with gearbox failure. Further heartbreak followed for Quentin Lessing and Brendan Smith after an engine failure, and for Noel and Annemarie Acton, whose race ended with a broken driveshaft.
Despite the high casualty rate, several crews showed impressive resilience to make it through to the finish. Derek and Chester Wilmot produced a strong drive in their Viper Spaceframe to secure second overall, while Wika and Ludwig Jordaan rounded out the podium in third with their Sandmaster. Paul van Jaarsveld and Adrian Linderman completed the top four in their Orco after a solid and consistent run.
Overall Results
1 Grant & Greg Watkins – Zarco; 2 Derek & Chester Wilmot – Viper Spaceframe; 3 Wika Jordaan & Ludwig Jordaan – Sandmaster; 4 Paul van Jaarsveld & Adrian Linderman – Orco
With the opening round now in the books, attention turns to the next chapter of the championship.
Round two of the East Cape Offroad Club Championship is scheduled for 21 March in the Despatch area and will be run in conjunction with the opening round of the Algoa Rally Club Championship—an event that promises even more excitement as competitors look to build momentum early in the season.
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