adminCollin Matiza Sports Editor
THE curtain will finally come down on the 2013 Zimbabwe Summer Series tomorrow with everything still to fight for in this exciting motorcycling event at Donnybrook in Harare.This year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series consists of two motocross events and as many Supercross races and it opened with the first two motocross and Supercross competitions last Saturday and on Wednesday night where some tight and exciting duels were witnessed in almost all the classes, especially in the main MX1 Class.
The third round of this series – a Supercross meet – was scheduled for last night at Donnybrook before the four-day competition draws to an end tomorrow with an all-day motocross event in which the eventual winners of each class will be determined.
This year’s Summer Series attracted more than 50 top motocross riders from South Africa, Uganda, Botswana, Zambia and the hosts Zimbabwe.
They are competing in nine classes – 125cc, 50cc, 65cc A, 65ccB, MX1, MX2, PeeWee and a combined Veterans, Masters and Senior B class.
And there was no rider who seemed to be running away with the title in any of these classes as they entered into last night’s penultimate round of the series at Donnybrook.
Gary Grainger, the chairman of the Bogwheelers Club who organise and run the Zimbabwe Summer Series, admitted yesterday that this was one of the tightest competitions ever seen in the history of this annual competition.
“It’s a very mixed bag at the moment because noone is dominating in any of the classes, especially in the main MX1 class. It’s very tight and open, and noone seem to be running away with the title in any of these classes. We are likely to get a clear indication on who will win what during tonight’s (last night’s) Supercross meet before Sunday’s final motocross event,” Grainger said.
Big “Bigs” Chitima (Snr), a member of the Bogwheelers Club, added: “The majority of the riders have got a position to defend or a position to try and take away now that we are passing the halfway mark into the series. The race is getting tight and cautious for some while it gets pretty obvious for others with respect to projected standings.”
True, this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series has seen some closely fought battles especially in the MX1 Class where our own “track devil” Jayden Ashwell is being given torrid time by a host of top South African riders who include Ross Branch, Michael Kok, Wyatt Avis, United States-based Michael Docherty and Kerim Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald emerged as the top dog after the opening round of the series last Saturday but met with mixed fortunes during Wednesday night’s Supercross action where he recorded two second place finishes in Heat Two and Three.
Branch won Heat One ahead of fellow South Africans Kok and Avis while Zimbabwe’s Ashwell had a DNF (did not finish) after pulling out of the opening race after only two laps.
Docherty, who has been riding in the United States for a number of years, took the first podium place in Heat Two after out riding Fitzgerald and Kok who came second and third respectively after six exciting laps which saw Branch and Ashwell coming fifth and sixth.
But Ashwell had the crowd on its feet in the third and final heat in which he outshone Fitzgerald (second) and Kok (third) to have some bragging rights at the close of business on Wednesday night.
All these riders were set to resume their rivalry during last night’s Supercross meet at Donnybrook before they lock horns again in tomorrow’s motocross event at the same event.
The 125cc title is also still up for grabs and it can be won by either Zimbabwe’s Ashley Thixton or one of the two, talented South African riders Bradley Cox and Joshua Mlimi.
On Wednesday night, Cox was in dominant form as he won Heat One and Two before settling for third place in Heat Three while Thixton took two second place finishes in the first two heats but failed to last the distance in the last.
Mlimi came third twice and second once on Wednesday night but he still poses a big threat going into tomorrow’s final race of the series at Donnybrook.
Young Kuda Mhene (Jnr) was untouchable on Wednesday night, winning all the three heats in the 65cc B Class. The country’s promising female rider Tanya Muzinda (9) also did extremely well in this class on the same night as she took third place twice in Heat Two and Three.
Tomorrow, Mhene (Jnr) and Muzinda will be joined in the battle for the top honours in the 65cc B Class by Nico Dobropoulos, Nyasha and Majaji Musariri, Nate McLellan and Ricky Whyte.
Racing starts at 8:30am tomorrow until about 3:30pm before a prize-giving ceremony at Sables Sports Club in Harare later on in the evening.
Online Reporter