adminEllina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
VETERAN rider Phil “Archie” Archenoul has done it again this year as he was crowned the 2015 National Superbikes Championships winner over the weekend in Bulawayo with one more race to go before the end of the season. The championship consists of seven rounds with four of them being held in Harare and three in Bulawayo.
Each round has two races where the competitors score points according to their finishing position and the points will be totalled at the end of the season to determine the winner.
Just like last year when he won the championships with one more race to go, Archenoul has amassed enough points to clinch the title with one more race to go and at the age of 59, he becomes the oldest superbike champion in Zimbabwe.
Archenoul has 231 points followed by Dave Mouat on 187 points at this stage.
“The championship is made up of seven rounds, four in Harare and three in Bulawayo. Each race meeting is made up of two events, you score points in each race. So they will be 14 races over the year because each meeting has two races.
“So now I have scored enough points to win the national championships. This is my second in a row winning the national superbikes championship. We got one more race coming in November in Harare, even if I don’t race I will still have won the national championships,” said Archenoul.
The 59-year-old attributed his success to hard work and commitment that has seen him competing in all the races as well as his sponsors Snap-On Tools, Castrol, Power Pipes, Samsung, BGI Agencies and Generator Services for their support.
“Fitness and perseverance has played a major part in being able to keep at the top of the log. Hard-working, attending every meeting and having good sponsors helping me. These guys deserve a special mention as without them I wouldn’t be racing, and without the likes of Toyota Zimbabwe, motorsport would not be at the current top level that it is currently experiencing.
“With the massively popular DragPro drag racing race series, and international standard motocross, Zimbabwe has attracted top level competitors from all over Africa, and what is so good now is to see the large number of indigenous people competing and supporting the sport.
“ Even at my age, I have a huge fan following and I cannot thank them enough, especially at the drags! At the end of the day, spectators and fans are the perspective customers of all our sponsors, and it is up to us competitors to put on a good show to make the wheel turn,” said Archenoul.
Archenoul said it’s been a competitive season with the likes of Mouat racing with his Kawasaki 600cc, Les Carlsson on the Suzuki 1000cc, Bruce Elliot with his Suzuki 1000cc as well as female rider Tiffany Fisher (Honda 600cc) and Bulawayo rider Ian Gutherless (Kawasaki 100cc) being the top contenders for the title.
“It’s been very tough because we had good opposition from Harare and Bulawayo but I have managed to win nine of the 12 races so far. So that gives me the points to be on top of Bulawayo and Harare races. It’s fantastic to win the champion,” said Archenoul.
Archenoul, who helped Jamie Whyte to win0 back-to-back African motor rally titles in 2009 and 2010 as his co-driver, has also won drag racing’s 750cc class title for 2015 on his Snap-On Kawasaki.
Although mulling retirement next year, Archenoul is not quite sure what the future holds at this point in time.
Online Reporter