adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
ONE of South Africa’s top motocross riders Michael Kok has arrived in the country for the Zimbabwe Summer Series which gets underway next Wednesday at Donnybrook Raceway in Harare.
The Zimbabwe Summer Series is the country’s premier motorcycling event which is held annually during the second week of December and this year’s competition will be staged over three days on December 10, 12 and 14.
The 2014 Zimbabwe Summer Series will consist of two Supercross (night racing) meetings on December 10 and 12, and it will close with a motocross event on December 14, all at the same venue at Donnybrook.
Shaun Whyte, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club, who runs the motorcycling sport of motocross in Zimbabwe, said this year’s Summer Series will attract a host of top riders from neighbouring countries South Africa, Botswana and Zambia.
And Kok was the first foreign rider to arrive in Harare yesterday to prepare for next week’s three-day Zimbabwe Summer Series.
Whyte said yesterday that Kok is among “about 25 foreign riders” that they are expected to compete in this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series “which promises to be bigger and better”.
“We are hoping to get about 25 foreign riders from South Africa, Botswana and Zambia; and there’s also another German rider who is also keen to come down and take part in this event.
“He is currently trying to get a licence that will enable him to compete in this three-day event,” Whyte said.
But the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club said he was not quite sure on how many riders will come from the other invited countries – South Africa, Botswana and Zambia – as most of them are expected to confirm their participation by early next week.
“We are definitely going to get some top riders from South Africa, Botswana and Zambia but the exact figures will be known on Monday or Tuesday next week. At the moment we are busy preparing to stage this event which we hope will be another huge success because of the large number of foreign riders whom we are expecting to come down here for this international competition.
“We are having a test Supercross meet tonight (last night) before we get down to some serious business for three days on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday next week,” Whyte said.
However, it is the early arrival of one of South Africa’s top motocross riders Kok that has already given the 2014 Zimbabwe Summer Series an international flavour and an indication that this year’s event will be another exciting one.
Kok was born in Polokwane on September 17, 1985. He started motocross at only 11 years of age and proved to be an extremely talented rider, winning his first regional championship in his debut season.
With his huge talent and extremely humble personality, Kok has attracted many sponsors over the years and has raced for the KTM factory team sponsored by KTM, Red Bull and Motorex Oils and the Roost KTM team sponsored by the likes of KTM, Fox, Monster Energy and Motorex Oils.
When Supermoto racing was introduced to South Africa, Kok took a keen interest in the sport and participated in his first International race at the Carousel Casino in 2006, winning the event on a loaned motorcycle.
Kok is a professional motocross and Supermoto rider and therefore has a very strict training regime, consisting of 1-2 hours of gym in the morning followed by 4-5 hours of track practice and one hour of gym in the evening.
Online Reporter