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FLAT track racing will this weekend return to Donnybrook after three years in the wilderness after the Bogwheelers Club of Harare recently decided to adopt and revive this exciting version of motorsport.
The event, which is held on an oval flat track, was off the local motorsport radar for the past three years but has been included in the Zimbabwe motor racing calendar for this year with the first competition set for this Saturday afternoon at Donnybrook.
This Saturday’s flat track event will be hosted by the Bogwheelers Club who also run the motorcycling sport of motocross in Zimbabwe.
And Gary Grainger, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club, said yesterday that they decided to take over the running of flat track racing in this country as part of their efforts to involve more motor racing drivers who are not comfortable with jumps.
“We will have the first flat track racing this Saturday at Donnybrook and we look forward to a good turnout. The event is returning to the local motorsport calendar for the first time after it was scratched sometime back but we saw it vital to bring it back. We are very happy that we have managed to put everything in place for the event to be on the local motorsport calendar. We are going to see it grow and we will start with these local races so that we can see the response from the racers.
“The aim is to improve competition as well as lure some more members to the sport. Some people are not comfortable with jumps so we saw it suitable to offer variety and I believe this will bring on board new members who are comfortable with flat tracks,” said Grainger.
Grainger also said that the local motorsport season has begun on a high note and the spectator turnouts at Donnybrook are improving with each passing race meeting.
“We had two races so far and the turnout was encouraging we look forward to continue improving. The introduction of the flat track racing can also come as a factor to lure large numbers to the race track. We are going to have another race on May 22,” Grainger said.
And Temba Mazvimbakupa of the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation added: “The takeover of oval track racing by the Bogwheelers Club is a major development for motorsport in Zimbabwe. All facets (genres) of the sport are now fully operational.
“Oval track racing is (held) on dirt so it’s a shorter and spectator friendly version of (motor) rallying involving cars and bikes. Gary Grainger and his team at the Bogwheelers Club must be commended for opening up motorsport to Zimbabweans.”
Online Reporter