Written By Gerhard Nel & Stuart Barnard
On the 5th and 6th May, the annual High Rising XDH event was held at the Houwteq Science Complex, Houw Hoek. The course is one of the shortest on the South African racing circuit, but what it lacks in distance it more than makes up for in technical difficulty and notoriety.
First impression immediately after the initial push-off with a sharp right-hand 90 degree corner. This is followed by a steep drop in elevation around a long left turn leading into a haybale chicane. Hereafter riders are met with the pinnacle of the hill; the incredibly steep drop in elevation down to the second and final left hand corner; affectionately dubbed Carnage Corner. This corner is a 90 degree plus left hander, which is banked on the inside line, creating a “dipper”, but severely off-camber on the outside of the corner. Riders need to negotiate this bend by losing speed (which could be in the excess of 90kp/h) by carving, footbraking or pre-drifting and then attempting to take the correct line. It’s not unknown for some riders to do everything and anything in their power to slow down and survive the drop. If the corner is entered too fast or too wide a line is taken, carnage will ensue. It did.
Read the full article on the SAGRA website. http://www.sagra.co.za/v2/?p=580
