Bako continues fine run in SA

Collin Matiza

Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S junior motocross champion rider, Emmanuel Bako, returned to the winners’ podium for the third consecutive week on Saturday afternoon.

He powered himself to victory, in the 85cc ProMini Class, during the second round of the 2021 Free State Regional Championship at Harrismith, South Africa.

After finishing third in the opening round at Terra Topia, on February 20, and claiming the first step on the podium in Round Two of Mayfair Gearbox Inland Championship series, on February 27, Bako chalked-up his second victory in a row.

The 14-year-old talented Zimbabwean dirt bike rider continued where he left off at Terra Topia, with another win at Harrismith on Saturday, where he won the ProMini Class ahead of two South African riders Jordan Van Wyl and Wian du Plooy.

The line-up for Saturday’s race meeting was impressive as the ProMini Class had a good field of 13 riders.

Heat One saw Bako coming home in second place behind Van Wyl but he upped his game in Heat Two in which he took a sensational holeshot and never looked back, as he tackled the tough course at Harrismith on his KTM Gas, to emerge as the top dog in the ProMini Class with 47 points.

According to reports from Harrismith, Bako was full of confidence and had an amazing race, especially in Heat Two, in which he had his bike running sweetly and had no trouble taking the overall, much to the delight of his father and manager, Brighton.

“The venue at Harrismith is a sand track and hard to ride but Emmanuel managed it very well and we thank God that he is doing very well in South Africa, representing Zimbabwe, as he was the only Zimbabwean rider there.

“And, we would like to thank our main sponsors Better Brands Jewellery and Fuchs Silkolene Zimbabwe, for their continued support of Emmanuel, who is now a household name on the South African motocross circuit.

“He was just too hot to handle on Saturday,” said Brighton, who was speaking from Harrismith, after Saturday’s second round of the 2021 Free State Regional Championship series.

Everything seems to be working well for Emmanuel as he has now won three races in South Africa this year.

He opened his campaign this season with a fine win in the opening round of the 2021 Mayfair Gearbox Inland Championship series at Dirt Bronco in Krugersdorp on January 30.

He was then forced to settle for third place in Round One of this year’s South African Nationals at Terra Topia on February 20.

Then, he returned to his winning ways in the second round of the Mayfair Gearbox Inland Championship series at the same venue on February 27, before continuing with his winning run in another regional event at Harrismith on Saturday.

Emmanuel’s next race will be at Port Elizabeth, this coming Saturday, as he prepares to take part in the second round of the 2021 South African National Championship series, at Rover, in the same coastal city on April 3.

Emmanuel and another young Zimbabwean rider, Riley Rocher, are expected to take part in the second round of the South African Nationals in Port Elizabeth on April 3, followed by Welkom on May 22, and back to Gauteng for the July 3 round at the brand new Legends motocross track.

Then it’s down to Zone 7 in Cape Town on September 18, Bloemfontein on October 23, and the November 20 finale in Pietermaritzburg.