adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
YOUNG Zimbabwean motocross rider Emmanuel Bako has all but sealed the 50cc Pro title in the 2015 Monster Energy South African National Championship after he swept to victory in round five of the seven-round series at Dirt Bronco’s Raceway in Johannesburg on Saturday. Bako (8), a very talented Grade Three pupil at Heritage Primary School in Harare, is just simply running away with the 50cc Pro title and he seems to be out of sight for his nearest rivals from South Africa, Wian du Plooy and James Thompson, after he claimed the first step on the podium on Saturday.
With only two rounds to go in this year’s South African National Championship series, Bako is now 16 points ahead of du Plooy and 22 ahead of Thompson and another podium finish in one of the last two rounds will see him walking away with this year’s 50cc Pro title, bringing the same crown back home to Zimbabwe after it was won by his fellow countryboy Daiyaan Manuel last year.
The last two rounds of the 2015 Monster Energy South African National Championship series are scheduled for October 10 and 31.
On Saturday, Bako had the fastest lap time and in heat one, he took a whole shot all the way and crashed but he quickly recovered to finish in third place behind Thompson and du Plooy who took the first two places.
In the second heat, Bako was just all pumped up and he came out with all his guns blazing as he showed his South African opponents how it is done on the track, lapping other riders at least four times to come home first and emerged as the overall winner of the 50cc Pro Class ahead of du Plooy, who came second, and third-placed Thompson.
Bako, who is among six young Zimbabwean riders who have been invited for a two-week training camp by one of Germany’s top motocross clubs RMC Reutlingen next month, amassed a total of 45 points, one ahead of Du Plooy while Thompson came third with 43 points.
There was a strong field of 18 riders in the 50cc Pro Class on Saturday and Bako’s father and manager, Brighton, was naturally elated by his son’s brilliant performance in this section in which he was the only rider from Zimbabwe.
“This was one of Emmanuel’s best performances in the South African National Championship series this year and he was just a joy to watch on Saturday. In fact, at the weekend, we had to put a brand new clutch on his bike and all was well on his bike before he started racing, thanks to his trainer Stanley Mugiyo, who makes sure his bike is in perfect condition all the time.
“I would also like to thank Prolific Boreholes, who are Emmanuel’s main sponsors, and ZNK Drilling of South Africa who also back him when he rides in that country’s National Championship series,” Brighton Bako said after Saturday’s race meeting in Johannesburg.
Emmanuel Bako was not only the Zimbabwean rider who took part in Saturday’s fifth round of the 2015 Monster Energy South African National Championship series at Dirt Bronco’s Raceway in Johannesburg as he was joined there by the country’s champion rider Jayden Ashwell and Ashley Thixton who competed in the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively.
In fact, the heavy rains that pounded Johannesburg on Friday made the track at Dirt Bronco’s Raceway tougher to ride on the following day but our Zimbabwean boys performed well with Ashwell finishing fourth overall in the main MX1 Class after taking a credible third place finish in heat two.
Ashwell had earlier came fifth in heat one of the MX1 Class which had 18 riders
Thixton, who was riding in South Africa for the first time this year, came eighth overall out of 17 riders in the MX2 Class.
Two other Zimbabwean riders, Regan Wasmuth (125cc High School Class) and Tristan Grainger (85cc Class) also took part in Saturday’s race meeting at Dirt Bronco’s Raceway in Johannesburg but their overall results were not immediately available on Saturday.
Online Reporter