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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
AFTER some exciting week of highly entertaining Supercross and motocross action, the 2023 Zimbabwe Summer Series came to a conclusion before a jam packed Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare on Sunday with Zimbabwe’s former champion rider Jayden Ashwell earning a deserved overall third place finish in the main MX1 Class.
The event once again combined Supercross and motocross and turned out to be the biggest Zimbabwe Summer Series in its history as over 3 000 fans made their way to the iconic motorsport venue in Zimbabwe to watch the opening two Supercross (night racing) events on Wednesday and Friday night.
And then there was a record breaking motorsport crowd of more than 5 000 fans who thronged Donnybrook on Sunday to watch the third and final day of the 2023 Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series.
That was massive!
Sunday’s motocross race meeting was just captivating and it left the bumper crowd yearning for more. Those in attendance will be the first to admit that this was the most entertaining day as the curtain came down on this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series.
For the first time in its history, the series attracted more than 20 of the world’s top international Supercross and motocross riders from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Austria and South Africa.
With US$40 000 at stake for the overall winners of the different classes, there was no place for the faint-hearted.
And France’s Desprey Maxime put his stamp on the series by taking a thoroughly impressive overall victory in the main MX1 Class during the final round of this international event, at the always amazing Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare.
Maxime, on a Yamaha, had the biggest shout of the day as he amassed 152 points to walk away with the first prize of US$5 000 which was on the table for the overall winner of each class.
His fellow Frenchman Anthony Bourdon, who was mounting a Kawasaki, came second with 132 points but it was our own former champion rider Jayden Ashwell who finished the series with a great third place in the main MX1 Class.
There he was at Donnybrook on his favourite KTM bike ready to step on the feet of some of the world’s top international Supercross and motocross riders.
And Ashwell did it emphatically by fighting all the way to a third place finish much to the de-light of the local fans who backed him from the opening two Supercross races on Wednesday and Friday; and then on the final day.
From the word go on Wednesday night, Ashwell, the 2017 Africa Motocross Champion, was always in the mix with some of the best riders in the world and he swept some of them out of the way for a well deserved overall third place finish which saw him picking up US$2 500 for his effort.
There were 12 foreign and local bikers in the main MX1 Class.
Ashwell was one of two Zimbabwean riders who earned a place on the podium in a class which featured the visiting foreign riders in the seniors section. The other one is Jordan van Wyk who won the 125cc Class in which he forced Frenchman Clement Nicolas to settle for third place.
In the MX2 Class, Germany’s Brian Hsu emerged as the top dog with 140 points with the next two places going to France’s Pierre Goupillon (130 points) and brilliant South African rider Jonathan Mlimi (107 points).
Zimbabwe’s Daiyaan Manuel could only settle for an overall sixth-place finish with 87 points in the MX2 Class.
There was also no joy for another top Zimbabwean rider Emile Croisette who came fourth over-all in the 125cc Class after amassing 108 points.
In fact, Croisette spent Sunday in a clinic after a huge crash whilst he was leading in race 3. His father and manager, Joe Croisette, yesterday told Zimpapers Sports that his son suffered no serious injuries. “Emile spent the night at the clinic after a huge crash whilst he was leading in the third race
“Nothing was broken . . . Some soft tissues have been smashed and he needs some time to fully recover,” Joe Croisette said. Local rider van Wyk came out as the overall winner of the 125cc Class with 135 points ahead of his compatriot Emmanuel Bako (110 points) and France’s Nicolas (109 points).
There was a good field of 13 riders in the 125cc Class. Another local rider Cameron Mellor could not hide his excitement after coming out tops in the MX3 Class with 144 points.
Two other locals, Jordan Dewdney (128 points) and Dylan Zanin (120 points) came second and third in this class.
Ricardo Bauer (153 points), South Africa’s Kabelo Ledwaba (124 points) and Ferez Kenzo (122 points) took the first three places in the 85cc Class and also got their share of the US$40 000.
Young Kudzwai Chitsurura (134 points) did extremely well to finish third overall in the juniors 65cc Class behind Belgium’s Mohring Timeo (171 points) and France’s Cez TimoteA (142 points).
Nine-year-old Victor Nyamupfukudza, who was nursing a hand injury, soldiered on to finish sixth overall with 88 points in the 65cc Class.
Another youngster Chris Mufanechiya also made his presence felt in the 65cc Class where he amassed a total of 119 points for a credible fourth-place finish.
Meanwhile, the US$40 000 prize pool was shared out over the classes with US$5 000 going to the overall winner of each class with the second, third, fourth and fifth- placed riders getting US$3 500, US$2 500, US$1 750 and US$1 000 respectively.
In fact, riders in the 125cc, 85cc, 65cc, 50cc classes and ladies section all got some money. The money was poured in by Better Brands Petroleum who were the main title sponsors of this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series.
The company is owned by prominent Harare businessman and politician Scott Sakupwanya whose two sons, Judah and Mudiwa, are also into motocross.
Online Reporter