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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
BRAGGING rights will be up for grabs when the country’s top junior and senior motocross riders congregate at Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare today for a Supercross race meeting.
Today will see Donnybrook vibrating to some high octane Supercross action which the local motocross riders are going to use as a dress rehearsal for next month’s Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series.
This year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series has been slated for December 6, 8 and 10 and it will open with two Supercross (night racing) events during the first two days and will close with a full day of some motocross action on the final day.
And most local motocross riders will be at Donnybrook today for the Supercross event which they will use as part of their preparations for this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series.
All the top local junior and senior motocross riders will be in action today and one observer said although the event is more of a practice event for the Zimbabwe Summer Series, there will be some serious competition among the competitors who always thrive to outwit each other in every race meeting at Donnybrook.
“There are no such things as a “friendly match” in motocross . . . there’s always some fierce competition among the riders in each class, be it in a social event or national competition.
“They always try to outwit each other to grab the bragging rights . . . Noone wants to be beaten or enjoy being beaten in any motocross event.
“Just look at the rivalry between Emmanuel Bako and Daiyaan Manuel . . . it has been there since they were both riders under the age of 10.
“They are now both over 15 years of age but the rivalry between the two riders is still there.
“They might be friends off the track but there’s no love lost between the two when they face each other on the track.
“Daiyaan has always had an edge over Emmanuel and I know that Emmanuel doesn’t like it a bit.
“So, we should expect some fireworks when Emmanuel Bako and Daiyaan Manuel get on the track at Donnybrook on Saturday night (tonight) for some fiery contest in the Supercross event,” said the same observer who asked not to be named for some professional reasons.
Bako and Manuel are likely to clash in the MX2 Class today. The former also races in the 125cc Class.
Apart from Bako and Manuel, all the senior riders will be in action at Donnybrook tonight and they include the likes of seasoned campaigners Trevor Thixton and his son Ashley, Dougie Mellor, Lofty Versfeld, Warren Thorne, Regan Wasmuth, Mark Zeimann, Scott Fraser, Roy Ormerod and Cameron Mellor.
They will all be jostling for the top place on the podium in the Veterans, Masters, MX1 and MX2 classes.
The juniors section is also oversubscribed and the young riders will be led by Vic-tor Nyamupfukudza in the 50cc Class and Kudzwai Chitsurura in the 65cc Class.
They will be joined on the track tonight by other junior riders who include Cameron Fraser, Michael Krause, Judah Sakupwanya, Ezra Ekron, Elroy Shamu, Mudiwa Sakupwanya, Cameron Morgan, Jaxen Bird, Keegan Ormerod, Tyler West, O’Neil Shamu, Seb Wright, Jayden Kerwin, George Zeimann, Chris Mufanechiya and Junior Bako.
Practice today starts at 2pm with racing getting underway at 4pm. Entry fee for spectators has been pegged at US$5 per person while children under 14 years will get in for free.
Online Reporter