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Ellina Mhlanga Sports Reporter
IT will be a hive of activity at Donnybrook Raceway in Harare when more than 30 drivers and motorcycle riders meet in the first round of the 2014 National Motor Racing Championships during the Selbas Race Day tomorrow.Tomorrow’s event at the home of motorsport in Zimbabwe will see drivers and riders from Harare and Bulawayo competing in motorcycles and sports cars, divided into races for each category.
One of the organisers, Phil Archenoul, who will also be racing in both classes of motorcycle, said they are looking forward to competitive races and are expecting some of Harare and Bulawayo’s top drivers and riders to grace the event.
“The racing will be divided into motorcycle and motor vehicles. We have two races for what they call superbikes and two races for Megelli 250cc motorcycles. The car races also have two each, we have a race for the 1600 sports cars and then the Open class which is for the Toyota Driver of the Year.
“In cars, I would estimate about 24 drivers and in motorcycles about the same number but split between the two classes. I am doing both classes of motorcycle and from Harare in the sports car we have Eric Heard in a Lotus Super Seven, Ian Howden in a Toyota and Rowan Whyte in a Subaru. These are the top guys in the car races. In motorcycles we have Ian Gutherless from Bulawayo. He is a top Bulawayo rider and Graham Hill from Harare.
“For women we have a ‘brand new lady’ Christy Laing, in a Toyota, and she hasn’t raced, it’s her first meeting. In motorcycle we have Tiffy Fisher, she is a good competitor.”
Archenoul said this is the first of a seven-event series to run throughout the year in Harare and Bulawayo.
“It’s the first event of a seven-event series of which four will be in Harare and three in Bulawayo. It will be all during this year, these all come towards the Zimbabwe Championships for each class. The next one will be in a month’s time with the same format in Bulawayo. All drivers will score points in each of those races.
“It’s really good because we have Toyota as a sponsor, really it’s becoming a challenge between Mashonaland and Matabeleland because everyone is trying to come up for the first event to score points. We have six motorcycles and four cars from Bulawayo,” said Archenoul.
Shaun Whyte, who will be competing in the Bokomo/Weetbix Megelli Championships, said they are expecting a tough competition from riders such as defending champion, Archenoul, Gavin Randall and those from Bulawayo.
“We are partaking in the Bokomo/Weetbix National Championships, the Megelli. We got some top riders from Bulawayo. It’s good to see them joining in the series, two of them will be using 250cc bikes and one Bulawayo rider will be using my super bike.
“We are going to try and do our best against Phil Archenoul who is the defending champion. We also have Gavin Randall and there is Graham Hill, we will all be contenders,” said Whyte.
Whyte, however, said his main aim is not chasing the championships but competing to revive the sport and try to get it to grow.
The Megelli Championships have been just a club event and this is the first year it will be a national championship.
This year will, in fact, see an even tighter battle for the prestigious Bokomo/Weetbix title to be decided over seven events, split between Mashonaland and Matabeleland.
Practice tomorrow starts at 10am and racing at 12noon and will include a full programme of car and bike racing including National and handicap races.
Entrance to the event is US$5 per car and there will be full bar and catering facilities as well as a guarded car park at the recently refurbished venue.
Online Reporter