WATCH: Motorsport icons, John Love and Peter Parnell to be celebrated

ORGANISERS and sponsors of this weekend’s event at the Bulawayo Motorsport Park are looking forward to a great day of motoring.

The event will be celebrating two racing icons who need no introduction in Zimbabwe motorsport; the legendary John Love and Peter Parnell.

Graham Mellors, a spokesperson for the organisers of the event, said they were excited to be hosting the event which is among the most important on the calendar as they honour two great ambassadors of the sport Love and Parnell.

He said the day will be fun filled with two categories on offer for participants.

There will be a go kart segment early in the day and conventional racing cars where up to 25 participants are expected from all over the country.

“This is one of our biggest races. We will combine the John Love and the Peter Parnell races. We should have held the first of two’s memorial races in April but due to some circumstances beyond us we could not.

“We are glad our sponsors Fuchs will sponsor the event and another in October and of course the grand one, the Three Hour Endurance Race on December 2,” said Mellors.

Mellors said they are excited about that some young drivers will be in action with Michael Mukori (15), the youngest.

He started racing in 2020 with a go kart.

“My first official track race was in 2020 in karting. My role model in the motor sport world is Lewis Hamilton. I am 15 years of age. I race a Toyota Starlet,” said the teenager on the Bulawayo Motoring Club Facebook page.

He also announced that he would take part in the year’s biggest and final event of the season the Three Hour Endurance Race which has international flavour.

Another young driver who is ensuring that the sport is investing in the future is Justin Goode of Harare who will racing in a Toyota Yaris stock 1300cc.

His role model is dad Ian Goode and Michael Schumacher. Justin started racing two years ago when he was 17.

“I hope to race in the Three Hour Endurance Race,” said Justin.

Catherine Zevgolis who is 17 years old will be racing for the first time in Bulawayo having debuted in a Harare event in July.

Her father Mano a legend in the sport talk her how to drive when she was 11.

Mellors said young race drivers have motor racing licences to compete on the circuit and are not allowed elsewhere where only those issued by Government work.

“At the moment I am happy to be taking part in motor racing and hope to grow within the sport,” said Catherine who is eager to take part in her first Endurance Race.

She races with a 1600cc Honda CRX.

For the seventh year running Fuchs, a leading lubricants and motor accessories company in Zimbabwe are sponsoring the event for the seventh time. They have sponsored most of the year’s activity and will be the headline backers of the Three-Hour Endurance on December 2.

“We are the sponsors of the upcoming race meet this weekend, the John Love Memorial, this is our seventh year. It is one of the significant ones on the calendar with John Love having such a presence in Zimbabwe and Bulawayo. There’s nothing much more to be said about John Love other than that he is a historic racing driver.

“This weekend is the sixth round of the national championships, we will be racing for the Zimbabwe Car Championships in the different classes. We have competitors coming down from Harare some of them as young as 15 years old so we will have a big field.

“Obviously, the locals here in Bulawayo, myself included, will be racing this weekend as well in our respective classes. I think we have two national races throughout the day. There will be a go-karting demonstration, climaxing in the main event, the John Love Memorial Trophy,” said Calvin Rademeyer the Fuchs regional manager who will also be competing on the day.

Motorsport is popular in Bulawayo and some events have attracted crowds of over 5 000. It has proven to be a good family event bringing people of different ethnic backgrounds together.

Saturday promises to be a thrills galore day as braai smoke is expected to engulf the circuit with attendees welcome to bring their own cooler boxes.