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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
RESPECTED South African motocross trainer and agent Grant Foley has described this year’s Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series as the best he has ever witnessed in his career.
This year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series was held over three days on December 6, 8 and 10 at the iconic Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare.
The event once again combined Supercross and motocross and it actually turned out to be the biggest Zimbabwe Summer Series in its history as over 3 000 fans made their way to the iconic motorsport venue in Zimbabwe to watch the opening two Supercross (night racing) events on December 6 an 8.
And then there was a record breaking motorsport crowd of more than 5 000 fans who thronged Donnybrook on Sunday, December 10, to watch the third and final day of the 2023 Zimbabwe Summer Series.
And for the first time in its history, the series attracted more than 20 international Supercross and motocross riders from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Australia, Germany and South Africa.
This made it the biggest international sporting event to be hosted in this country this year.
The event was hosted by the Bogwheelers Club of Harare who run motocross in this country on behalf of Motorsport Zimbabwe.
And Foley, who brought in more than 14 riders from South Africa for this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series, had his feet swept away by the level of competition at this big international event.
Writing recently on his Facebook wall, the much-travelled Foley said this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series was “definitely a world class show”.
He said: “As the sun sets over the Donnybrook track I make my way back to South Africa and arrive the following day at sunset.
“Had the most amazing time in Zimbabwe and the international motocross and Supercross races were the best I’ve ever seen. Definitely a world class show.
THANK YOU ZIMBABWE.”
In fact, Foley was one of two renowned international motocross agents who were this year tasked by the Bogwheelers Club to bring in some top foreign Supercross and motocross riders for the 2023 Zimbabwe Summer Series.
The other international agent who had the same task was France-based Joe Tavares who responded by bringing in more than 20 professional riders from overseas.
This came after the Bogwheelers Club had secured ponsorship from Better Brands Petroleum who were the main title sponsors of this year’s event.
The company is owned by prominent Harare businessman and politician Scott Sakupwanya whose two children Judah and Mudiwa are also into motocross riding.
The professional foreign riders for this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series were brought in from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, whose bikers dominated the senior classes, Italy, Austria, Australia, Germany and Belgium.
Meanwhile, the Bogwheelers Club have saluted some of the local riders who excelled during this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series and have called them “heroes”.
Former Zimbabwe champion rider Jayden Ashwell, Cameron Mellor, Emmanuel Bako, Cameron Fraser and Kudzwai Chitsurura were the riders who raised the Zimbabwean flag high during the three days of action at Donnybrook. Ashwell, who is now based in South Africa, was the most outstanding Zimbabwean rider as he made himself and the country proud with a 3rd overall finish in the seniors main MX1 class against some of the world’s best riders!
The Bogwheelers Club described Ashwell as a worldclass rider and a “local hero”.
From the word go during the opening Supercross meet, Ashwell, the 2017 Africa Motocross Champion, was always in the mix with some of the best riders in the world and he swept some of them out of the way for a well deserved overall 3rd place finish which saw him picking up US$2 500 for his effort.
There were 12 foreign and local bikers in the main MX1 Class which was dominated by French riders Desprey Maxime and Anthony Bourdon who claimed the first two steps on the podium at the business end of the 2023 Zimbabwe Summer Series on December 10.
Also raising the Zimbabwean flag high was 17-year-old Emmanuel Bako who finished 2nd overall in the 125cc Class.
He would have been 1st, but missed the first two races due to an injury. However, he came back fighting with four wins and one 2nd place finish which earned him 2nd overall by a single point over France’s Nicolas Clément “making Zimbabwe proud”, said the Bogwheelers Club, in congratulating the young rider for his gallant effort.
They also gave Cameron Mellor a big pat on the back for coming 1st overall in the MX3 Class ahead of fellow Zimbabwean dirt bike riders Jordan Dewdney and Dylan Zanin.
Two promising junior riders Cameron Fraser and Kudzwai Chitsurura also made their presence felt during the Zimbabwe Summer Series where the former came 2nd overall in the 50cc Class while the latter was placed 3rd overall in the 65cc Class.
Online Reporter