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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
TOP junior and senior Zimbabwean motocross riders will move a gear up in their preparations for the 2015 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships when they take part in the Bogwheelers Club’s national championship race meeting at Donnybrook Raceway in Harare tomorrow.
The 2015 FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships have been slated for August 29 at Donnybrook and this annual motorcycling event brings together top junior and senior riders from seven African countries — Angola, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
This year’s event was initially supposed to be hosted by Botswana but they decided not to stage it and handed the baton over to Zimbabwe who gratefully accepted it and will host this exciting competition at the home of local motorsport — Donnybrook — on August 29.
And most of Zimbabwe’s top junior and senior riders are expected to converge on Donnybrook tomorrow to take part in the national championship race meeting which will be the last local event they will compete in before they represent the country at this year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships at the same venue at the end of August.
A number of the country’s top junior and senior riders such as Jayden Ashwell, Regan Wasmuth, Kuda Mhene (Jnr) and Emmanuel Bako last weekend competed in the third round of the 2015 Monster Energy South African National Championship at Rover in Port Elizabeth where they made their presence felt in the different classes in which they competed in.
Leading the Zimbabweans assault on the tough beach sand track at Rover was eight-year-old Bako who swept the board in the 50cc Class where he convincingly won all his two heats to emerge as the top dog in this section which featured 12 riders.
Zimbabwe’s champion rider Ashwell competed in the main MX1 Class and finished fifth overall while 14-year-old Wasmuth took the same position in the 125cc High School Class.
Ten-year-old Mhene (Jnr) also did well in the 65cc Class where he was placed sixth overall.
After competing in round three of the South African National Championship last weekend, Bako, Ashwell, Wasmuth and Mhene (Jnr) are now all expected to shift their attention to tomorrow’s Bogwheelers Club’s national event at Donnybrrok where they will be joined by other top local junior and senior riders in this one-day event.
Top Zimbabwean female motocross rider Tanya Muzinda is also expected to compete in tomorrow’s race meeting after she missed last Saturday’s third round of the South African National Championship series in Port Elizabeth “due to circumstances beyond her control”.
Muzinda (10) was scheduled to be part of Team Zimbabwe in Port Elizabeth but she failed to raise enough funds needed for this journey to the Eastern Cape despite having received some support from a number of individuals who included Dr Andrew Matibiri of tobacco company TIMB and David Yosa of FINMARK Industries who mobilised some funds for her.
But Muzinda, who is still hoping to travel to South Africa for the next round of the WOMZA SUNOCO Super Series, will be back on the track tomorrow competing with boys in the 65cc A Class in which she will be taking on the likes of Big “BJ” Chitima (Jnr), Mhene (Jnr) and fellow exciting young rider Daiyaan Manuel.
Some exciting duels are also expected in the main MX1 Class if professional rider Sean Mitchell pitches up and faces the likes of Ashwell and the ever improving Cameron Thixton.
Wasmuth should have it all his own way in the 125cc Class while Davin Cocker and Tristan Grainger will be locking horns in the 85cc Class.
Racing tomorrow starts at 10am and entry fee for the spectators has been pegged at US$5 per person while children undwer the age of 12 will get in for free. There will be full bar and catering as well as entertainment for kids.
Donnybrook Raceway is accessible through Arcturus Road or Mutare Road and is adjacent to Harare’s eastern high-density suburb of Mabvuku.
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