adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
DONNYBROOK Raceway is the place to be in Harare tomorrow when the home of motorsport in Zimbabwe hosts the fourth round of the 2013 NetOne National Motocross Championship series.Tomorrow’s exciting big event is once again set to bring together all the country’s top motocross riders who will be fighting to get to the top of the standings of the different classes they will be competing in, in what promises to be a fun-filled day.
Most of the riders will arrive at Donnybrook tomorrow, oozing with confidence after having competed successfully at the 2013 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations at Muldersdrift just outside Johannesburg, South Africa, three weeks ago.
In fact, at Muldersdrift, Zimbabwe were represented by a strong team of 19 riders who did themselves and the nation proud by coming second overall behind the hosts South Africa.
Jayden Ashwell, Ashley Thixton, Tafadzwa Mawarire, Josh Thomas, Aiden van Breda, Kuda Mhene (Jnr), Ryan Masimo, Daiyaan Manuel, Big “BJ” Chitima (Jnr), Mudiwa Chigumba, Tyler Mawarire, Davin Cocker, Wade Ashwell, Mike Mawarire, Barry Frederiksen, Shane Thomas, Blaize Thomas, Trevor Thixton and exciting young female rider Tanya Muzinda were all part of Team Zimbabwe that walked away with the silver medal at the 2013 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations in South Africa, three weeks ago.
And all these fine riders are expected to be at Donnybrook tomorrow for the fourth round of the NetOne National Championship series in which they will be involved in some high octane of motocross racing.
Gary Grainger, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club who run motocross in this country, said yesterday that spills and thrills will be the order of the day at Donnybrook tomorrow as some of the country’s top riders will be involved in some “no-holds-barred” contests in their classes.
“All the country’s top riders will be there with the exception of Tristan Grainger and Cameron Thixton who are still nursing some injuries. Tristan is still recuperating from a leg injury while Cameron is also out with a shoulder injury which he sustained after he had a big crash two months ago.
“But their absence is unlikely to weaken Sunday’s field as we are expecting all the other top riders to be there, fighting for the top honours in their different classes,” Gary Grainger said.
Currently, young Big “BJ” Chitima is leading in the 50cc Class standings and he is once again expected to be pushed all the way by his rivals and fellow promising young riders Masimo, Mhene (Jnr) and Manuel.
Young Davin Cocker, who sprained his ankle during the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations at Muldersdrift, is expected to have fully recovered in time to compete in the 65cc Class where he will be taking on the likes of Mudiwa Chigumba and Tyler Mawarire.
Nine-year-old Tanya Muzinda, one of the few female motocross riders in Zimbabwe, will also be competing in the 65cc Class with boys and it will be interesting to see how she will fare after having gained the much-needed international exposure at the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations in South Africa.
Tanya Muzinda is now a Grade Four pupil at Eaglesvale in Harare. Another exciting young rider Wade Ashwell is leading in the 85cc Class and will be out to extend his lead in this section while another “Battle Royale” is expected in the MX1 Class in which two of the country’s top male riders Jayden Ashwell and Ashley Thixton will be coming up against each other.
In fact, Jayden Ashwell outshone Ashley Thixton during this year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations in South Africa three weeks ago where he claimed two podium places in the three heats that he took part in the MX1 Class and he helped Team Zimbabwe to an overall second-place finish there.
And motocross fans should brace themselves for some exciting duels between these two riders as Ashley Thixton will be out to “gain some measure of revenge” over his arch-rival Jayden Ashwell in the MX1 Class tomorrow.
Racing at Donnybrook tomorrow starts at around 9:30am. There will be a full bar and catering, and entry fee for the spectators has been pegged at US$5 per car.
Donnybrook is adjacent to Harare’s eastern suburb of Mabvuku and is accessible through Mutare Road or Arcturus Road near Chikurubi Maximum Prison.
Meanwhile, top American female motocross trainer/instructor Stefy Bau is still interested in coming down to Zimbabwe in December to work with young Tanya Muzinda before and during the 2013 Zimbabwe Summer Series that will be staged at Donnybrook on December 7, 11, 13 and 15.
The Zimbabwe Summer Series is the country’s premier motocross competition and it attracts top international riders from the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Botswana.
And Bau recently indicated that she would like to be part of this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series in which she would like to give some professional advice to young Tanya Muzinda during the four-day event.
“I have been in Europe for a month to teach motocross and I am now back in the US. I am very happy to hear that our project (Tanya Muzinda) is progressing. I am also very happy to hear about the success of Tanya in South Africa (during the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations).
“That is an outstanding news! I can’t wait to meet her (in Zimbabwe during the Summer Series in December),” Italy-born Bau wrote from her base in Tallahassee, Florida, United States, at the beginning of this week.
Bau, born February 17, 1977 in Milan, Italy, is a former motocross and Supercross professional racer. After a career-ending injury in 2005, Bau became the general manager of the newly-established FIM Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Women’s World Motocross Championship by Youthstream.
Her national number used to be number 211. 211 was the first number that AMA assigned her when she turned professional in the USA amongst the men in January 2000.
Today 211 is synonymous of 211 MX School, 211 media, 211 Outreach and 211 Engaging, Bau’s companies in the motorcycle industry. 211 LLC office consults for companies and athletes that aim to make a mark in the Powersports industry.
Bau is also a member of the CFM, Women Commission inside the FIM,the world’s motorcyling sports motherbody.
Online Reporter