admin
Sports Reporter
THE home of local motorsport, Donnybrook Raceway, will once again come alive this Sunday with the return of main circuit motor racing’s Toyota Zimbabwe Raceday.
The day will feature the very best drivers and motorcycle riders, battling for top honours at the showcase meeting of the 2015 season which is expected to attract thousands of local motorsport enthusiasts.
Motorsport in Zimbabwe has been going from strength-to- strength over the past few years, and the spectator interest and turnout at events such as drag racing, motocross, karting, flat track and indeed the main circuit, has increased substantially.
Spectators are treated to some spectacular racing by home grown Zimbabwean racers, who are now showing their mettle and leading the way on the international arena.
This Sunday’s race meeting will certainly be a great opportunity to see some of our future stars in action as well as once again watching the old timers mixing it up with the up and coming youngsters.
The day will commence with the ever popular Megelli motorcycle scratch race. This is certainly one for the women to watch with the current championship leader being Tiffany Fisher, who is proving that motorcycle racing is not just for the boys.
She will once again be up against some tough opposition in the form of Phil Archenoul and Shaun Whyte along with the Bulawayo trio of Dave Mouat, Ian Gutherless and the young Matthew Schultz. A host of up and coming riders will be snapping at their heels in their pursuit of glory on the track.
The Sports Car classes will once again provide many thrills and spills for the spectators, with the Class A battle resuming between Barney Rogers in his screaming Mazda Rotary powered Super 7 and a pack of very quick rivals such as Fanie van der Linde in a similar car, along with Eric Heard and Gavin Randall in Yamaha powered Super 7’s.
The sound and speed of these Class A cars is something to behold and will certainly keep the crowd on their feet lap after lap.
In Class B, the championship leader, Gary Bluett in the Toyota powered Shield Super 7, will have his hands full in keeping the chasing pack at bay. Gary Kirk has returned from his holiday refreshed and ready to take the challenge to Bluett along with the father and son pair of John and Brett Cameron; and Sean Kirwin. Newcomer Des Morris will make his debut in the ex-Ryan Kirk Super 7.
In the Superbike races, there will certainly be a battle of the generations when 59-year-old current national Superbike champion, Phil Archenoul on the Snap-on Kawasaki ZX6R, will be doing battle with 15-year-old South African sensation Cameron Aitken on the Monroe Honda CBR600.
This should prove to be a thrilling encounter, with age and experience trying to overcome youth and enthusiasm.
It will definitely not be a two-horse race with the likes of the Bulawayo pair of Dave Mouat (Kawasaki ZX6R), Ian Gutherless (Kawasaki ZX10) and the two very fast women in the race, Tiffany Fisher (Honda CBR600) and Bianca Schultz (Yamaha 600), also from Bulawayo, all able to challenge for a podium place.
All eyes will be on the Saloon car National scratch races with some of the best racing seen in Zimbabwe for many years. In the Unlimited Class, 2014 champion Rowan Whyte, in the Jialing Subaru STi, will have his hands full keeping the chasing pack at bay.
The thundering Skyline GTR of Darryl Archibald and the screaming Guard Alert Lancer rotary of Barney Rogers will be joined by Kevin Allmark in the Ford Escort Turbo and the return to the track of the incredibly quick Shield Toyota Corolla Turbo in the hands of Richard Robinson.
The top five will be swapping places for the lead on every lap which will leave the crowd begging for more of this close racing. So far this season, it has been too close to call and any one of these cars can take the chequered flag.
Online Reporter