All set for Summer Series

opening leg of the 2011 Summer Series.
The Summer Series is the country’s premier motorcycling event and will this year be held over four days from today to Sunday.
The event will comprise two Supercross (night racing) meetings today and on Friday night at Donnybrook, and two motocross races at Windrush Farm on Saturday in Marondera, some 68km outside Harare, and at Donnybrook the following day.

Action on Saturday and Sunday starts at 9am.
Gary Grainger, the chairman of the 2011 Summer Series organising committee, said this year’s event has attracted more than 15 foreign riders who will be led by one of Britain’s top motocross riders Sam Simmons.

Simmons arrived in Harare on Monday from Zambia where he had been preparing for this year’s Summer Series for the past two weeks.
He was accompanied by a number of Zambia’s top riders who were led by Dima Firks and Dale Holliday.

Grainger said apart from Simmons and the Zambian riders, they’ve also received entries from two other countries – South Africa and Botswana.
“Some of the South African riders, who include Wyatt Avis and Cameron Peterson, have already arrived in the country and we are expecting about three more riders from Botswana for this year’s Summer Series.
“So, everything points out to a very exciting Summer Series this year as all the top Zimbabwean motocross riders will also be available for this event,” Grainger said.

In fact, the 2011 Summer Series will be characterised by the “Battle of the Best” when the country’s finest motocross riders take on the visiting international competitors, led by Briton Simmons, in the next four days.

Looking at some of the names on the entry list, it will be dangerous to predict a winner, but a guess that it will probably be the toughest, bravest and fittest, might be spot on.
The name that caused the biggest stir this year, was the entry of UK rider Simmons, who will be making his fifth appearance in the local motocross scene.

Simmons will be “mounting’ his Motoward Yamaha YZ450 during this year’s Summer Series.
All eyes will also be on top local rider Ashley Thixton.

The young Peterhouse school pupil has been a dominant force in the local motocross scene for the past couple of years and it will be interesting to see how he will handle the pressure when taking on the likes of Simmons and the Zambian duo of Holliday and Firks who are likely to have his work cut out for him.

Thixton’s cousin Kurt Greatorex and the former’s young brother Cameron will also be in action at this year’s Summer Series which is expected to attract hundreds of local motorsport enthusiasts during the four days of action at Donnybrook and Marondera.

This year’s Summer Series has received some good support from a number of local companies who include Fuchs Silkolene, Ram Petroleum, Jim Perry Transport and Natural Stone Export Company.