daniel chigunwe
Collin Matiza
Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S motocross champion rider Ashley Thixton believes the availability of some top-notch international riders from overseas at this year’s Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series will help to uplift the standards of the sport in this country.
The organisers of this year’s Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series motocross event have indicated that they have so far managed to sign up to 25 international riders from all over the world for this three-day event.
The Zimbabwe Summer Series is an annual event which marks the end of the motocross season in this country.
It is usually held during the second week of December at Donnybrook Park in Harare and this year’s event has been slated for December 6, 8 and 10.
The first two days will see riders fighting it out in Supercross (night racing) on December 6 and 8 followed by a full day of some motocross racing on the final day of the series on December 10 at Donnybrook.
The event usually attracts top international motocross riders from the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa. But this year’s three-day motorcycling jamboree promises to be bigger and better with the news that it has attracted more than 20 professional riders from around the globe.
According to Joe Tavares, who is part of this year’s Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series, Zimbabwe is set to become part of the International Supercross and motocross calendar with a huge signing of many of the top International stars coming in December during a very busy racing schedule.
Tavares of EMX Academy France and EHR Racing France has been mandated on behalf of Betterbrands Petroleum, the main title sponsors of this year’s Zimbabwe Summer, to use his International contacts to pull in some of the top current international riders to come down here for this big international motocross event. He arrived in Harare on Sunday to help in the preparations of the Zimbabwe Summer Series and yesterday he supervised the newly laid down track at Donnybrook accompanied by Brighton “Bucks” Bako whose 17-year-old son Emmanuel is already one of the top motocross riders in the Southern African region.
Tavares revealed that they have signed up over 25 International riders from afar as Australia, China, Taiwan, UK, Belgium, USA, Italy and with the bulk of the riders coming from France for this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series.
And our local champion rider Thixton yesterday welcomed the coming in of these top international dirt bike riders from overseas for this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series, saying it will raise the profile of the sport in this country.
Speaking to Zimpapers Sports, Thixton, who has just been crowned the 2023 MX1 Class National Champion in Zimbabwe, said: “I will need to find out more on the riders coming over as I have also heard there will be (these top international) riders coming over for the Zimbabwe Summer Series but I am not sure who these riders are or how many are coming as yet.
“I think it will most certainly boost the level of motocross in Zimbabwe for both the sport and the Zimbabwean motocross athletes. “I do feel that Zimbabwean motocross does not get enough credit for how high the level of racing is in our country. Not many Zimbabwean sports can continuously finish in the top 3 every year on an African stage with very little support and no credit from the local Sports Commission.
“But I do think the Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series is going to be the best yet,” said Thixton, who unfortunately is going to miss next month’s event which is too close to his participation in the 2024 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia.
The 2024 Dakar Rally will be held from January 5 to 19 and Thixton will be Zimbabwe’s sole representative in the motorbike section at the biggest motor rally in the world. “I will be sitting out the Zimbabwe Summer is as it is too close to my Dakar Rally campaign and risk of injury is high so it was decided that I will be on the microphone as a commentator for this event this year.
This is the first I have sat out for over 15 years,” Thixton said.
At next year’s Dakar Rally, Thixton will be aiming to become the second Zimbabwean motorbike rider to finish The Dakar Rally after Graeme Sharp who managed to last the full distance in 2020.
Meanwhile, a local motocross official Joe Croisette has said the idea of bringing in top international riders from overseas for this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series is a brilliant initiative that will immensely benefit our local racers.
Croisette’s son, Emile, is one of the country’s top motocross riders and is set to have his riding skills tested by these foreign bikers during next month’s Zimbabwe Summer Series at Donnybrook Park.
“I think it is a brillant initiative from Better Brands Petroleum to bring in those professional riders from around the world.
“I think this will help raise the standards of motocross in Zimbabwe and for our local riders to realize the work they need to produce to be a professional rider
“This will also help to introduce all Zimbabweans to a world class motorsport event.
“Sport is the best ambassador to promote Zimbabwe and place it on the big world map!
“I think we’ll realize the positive impact of that event in the next few years, seeing lots of new riders and families joining motocross and bringing the necessary new blood in the system we need,” Joe Croisette said.
Online Reporter