Double header at Donnybrook

Donnybrook today to watch the first main circuit racing event of the year and they are expected to return to the same venue tomorrow for the opening national motocross meet of the 2012 season.
Spills and thrills will be the order of the day at Donnybrook today when some of the country’s top motor racing drivers meet for the main circuit racing, which will be spiced-up by a demonstration of motor rally cars in the afternoon.
In fact, the main circuit racing will burst into the local 2012 motorsport season today with an all new and extremely innovative motor racing event to be staged entirely within the Donnybrook motor racing circuit just adjacent to Harare’s eastern high-density suburb of Mabvuku.
The crowd pleasing main circuit racing will see about 16 cars, including six Toyota MR2s, which were recently brought in from England, competing against each other as part of the overall plan by the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation to broaden and strengthen the sport of motor racing in this country.
In addition to this, 16 motorcycles are also set to take part in today’s event and they are expected to thrill the crowds with their tail out style and the air of nostalgia.
Gary Kirk, one of the organisers of the event, yesterday said that all the country’s top motor racing drivers such as Ian and Alistair Howden, Rowan Whyte and his father Jamie, Cole Bond and John Cameron are expected to take part in the main circuit racing.
The main circuit racing will be staged in conjunction with a demonstration by some of the motor rallying cars that are expected to take part in this year’s Toyota Zimbabwe Challenge Rally from March 16 to 18 in Harare.
This will provide another great             element to the proceedings today alongside a superbike demons                     tration.
Mike Exton, a member of the main circuit racing organising committee, said today’s event forms the cornerstone for the future of motor racing in Zimbabwe and will be a showcase for the sport.
“This is a club meeting for main circuit racing and it should be quite exciting as this event is designed to bring motor racing to the people and usher in the most successful period of the sport in this country.
“There will be six Toyota MR2s and there should be a couple of new Super 7 sports cars in action.
“To top it all, we’ve our demonstration by the motor rally cars at 2pm,” Exton said.
Main circuit racing will start at 11am and entry fee for today’s event has been pegged at US$5 per car.
Meanwhile, tomorrow will see all the country’s top motocross riders coming together at Donnybrook for the first national championship event of the year.
The event will be hosted by the Bogwheelers Club, who run the motorcycling sport of motocross in this country.
And according to the club’s chairman, Gary Grainger, about 100 riders from Zimbabwe and Botswana are expected to be in action tomorrow.
“This is the first of six national championship events that will be staged this year and all our top motocross riders should be there.
“They’ve just competed in two club events to get themselves ready for this event.
“In fact, this is the first national event of the season and the guys will be hungry to compete,” Grainger            said.
In tomorrow’s event, riders will compete in all the classes which are PeeWees, 50-65B, 50A, 65A, 85cc, MXI, MXII, Veterans, Novices and Masters.
Action will start at 9am and admission fee will be US$10 per car while members of the Bogwheelers Club will pay US$5.