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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE’S motocross champion rider Jayden Ashwell will lead a four-member team of Zimbabwean riders at this weekend’s first round of the 2014 South African National Championship at Terra Topia in Johannesburg. Ashwell, who rides in the main MX1 Class, will be joined at Terra Topia by three talented young Zimbabwean riders Tristain Grainger, Daiyaan Manuel and Davin Cocker, and they are all expected to leave for Johannesburg today.
The first round of the 2014 South African National Motocross Championship will be held on Saturday and Shaun Whyte, the newly-elected chairman of the Bogwheelers Club who run the motorcycling sport of motocross in Zimbabwe, said yesterday that they were expecting all these four riders to give a good account of themselves during this one-day event in Johannesburg.
“Jayden Ashwell, Tristain Grainger, Daiyaan Manuel and Davin Cocker will be going down to South Africa to represent Zimbabwe in the opening round of the 2014 South African National Motocross Championship which attracts most of that country’s top riders.
“And, as usual, competition will be tough during this event but we expect all our lads to do well in the different classes that they will be competing in because they’ve taken part in a number of South African events before and they know what to expect there.
“The only disadvantage we’ve got is that the South Africans ran a restricted event at Terra Topia this last weekend as part of their preparations for this coming weekend’s event and all their riders had a good feel of the track that they will be racing on during this competition.
“It really going to prove a disadvantage to all our riders but we are hoping to get a few good results from them,” Whyte said.
On Saturday at Terra Topia, Ashwell will be mounting his KTM bike in the main MX1 Class while Grainger and Cocker are expected to carry the country’s in the 65cc A Open Class.
Another talented young Zimbabwean rider, eight-year-old Manuel has been entered to race in the 50cc A Class in which he is also expected to give his opponents from South Africa a good run for their money.
Whyte said he was “not quite sure” whether another gifted young Zimbabwean rider Kuda Mhene (Junior) will be taking part in this weekend’s event at Terra Topia but the other promising local biker Ryan Masimo will not be competing in this competition.
Ryan Masimo’s father, Innocent, said yesterday that his son will not be travelling to Johannesburg for the opening round of the 2014 South African National Motocross Championship because of school commitments.
“As you know, our schools have just opened for the first term and Ryan will not be going to South Africa this weekend because of this. The other thing is that competing in these events (in South Africa) needs a lot of planning and there’s a lot of money involved inorder for the kid to get there, and we are, unfortunately, not in that position at the moment,” Innocent Masimo said. One of Zimbabwe’s top female motocross riders, nine-year-old Tanya Muzinda will also miss out this weekend’s event in Johannesburg “due to other commitments”.
In fact, Muzinda’s father and manager, Tawanda “Polycup” Muzinda, said yesterday that they were still in the process of working out a budget for her daughter’s domestic and international commitments for this year hence their decision not to compete in this coming weekend’s event in South Africa.
“I think this weekend’s event has come in too early for us but we are looking at competing in a number of (Womza) regional events in South Africa, starting in March and it is our intention to leave a mark there,” Tawanda Muzinda said.
Tanya Muzinda has since graduated to compete in the 65cc A Class this year after having dominated the scene in the 65cc B Class last season.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club, Whyte, said they will hold their 2013 prize-giving function at Sables Motorsport Club in Harare tomorrow night.
“This is a function where we will be rewarding all the riders who did well in the different classes during the 2013 season in which we were sponsored, for the first time, by (mobile network company) NetOne.
“In fact, we will be rewarding all those riders who came out tops in their classes during our club events for last year and they are all expected to attend this Friday evening’s function except for the guys who will be travelling to Johannesburg for the opening round of South African National Championship,” Whyte said.
Online Reporter