Zim to stage Africa Motocross Champs

the FIM Africa Motocross Championships in Harare next month.
The 2011 edition of FIM Motocross Championships will be held at the home of motorsport in Zimbabwe – Donnybrook – on August 28. The event is expected to bring together a host of top motocross riders from more than six African countries, which include Mozambique, Namibia, Kenya, Southern Africa regional powerhouse South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and the hosts Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe last hosted such a big international motocross event in the late 1990s but local riders have, in the past few years, been competing regularly in the FIM Africa Championships where they have been flying the country’s flag high. This year’s FIM Africa Championships will be hosted by the Bogwheelers Club of Harare who run the sport of motocross in Zimbabwe.
According to one of the event’s organisers, Gary Grainger, they are expecting more than 50 international riders to descend on Donnybrook on August 28 for this major continental motocross competition.

Grainger said the riders will compete in seven categories – 50cc Class, 65cc Class, 125cc Class, Pro-mini Class, MXI and MXII.
There will also be a different section for female riders.
“The general requirement for this big continental championship is that countries are invited to enter three riders per class and they will be scoring points for their respective countries. Individuals are also allowed to enter, wearing white bibs as long as they have FIM Africa licences and representing themselves if they so wish,” Grainger said.

He said Zimbabwe will be entering a “complete team”, which will be led by one of the country’s top motocross riders Ashley Thixton, as well as white bib competitors.
The other top Zimbabwean motocross riders who have been picked to represent the country in this year’s FIM Africa Championships include young Tristan Grainger, Reagan Bond, Cameron Thixton, Tyler and

Tafadzwa Mawarire, Corie Versveld and David Evans.
Regan Wasmuth, James Dean Harrison, Aiden van Breda, Adrian Bill, Damain White, Willy Swan, Brad Perry, Francois Swan, Damian de Sousa, Ricky Jardin, Cole Bond, Ryan Hutchings, Kurt Greatorex, Hamish

Perry, Hannes Swan, Tyron Carr, Adrian Oliver, Sean Mitchell and Broc Thomas are also part of the Zimbabwe team.
Female riders Chanlle Greatorex, Victoria van Breda and Toni Hawgood were also picked for the Zimbabwe team.

Zimbabwe competed in last year’s edition of the FIM Africa Motocross Championships in South Africa and came second overall behind the host nation. Zambia were placed third overall.
Zimbabwe also managed to send a team for the 2009 championships in Namibia and they came third overall.

Grainger said they were now hoping the team will put up a much more polished show and come out tops when they compete in their own backyard in this year’s competition, come August 28 at Donnybrook.
“This year’s FIM Africa Motocross Championships will be carried out as follows: Friday August 26 is reserved for documentation, registration and scrutineering for the riders.
“Saturday August 27 is reserved for free full practise sessions for all classes and then Sunday August 28 will see the staging of the main event at Donnybrook, starting at around 9am, where the winner takes all.

Donnybrook has been totally re-built, featuring a brand new and exciting track, all for this big international event,” Grainger said.
Jim Perry, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club who are hosting this event, chipped in: “We’ve built a new track with spectacular 100-foot jumps and the public or spectators can also get into the middle of the track to get full view of the riders in action.”

Perry also said that all African countries who have embraced motocross as a sport are invited.
“In fact, North African countries such as Egypt and Morocco are all invited and we hope they will all get down here for this big annual continental event,” Perry said.
There will be full bar and catering at this event which has the backing of a number of local sponsors.

The FIM Africa Motocross Championships used to be held every two years but the competition’s organisers have now changed it to a yearly event.