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NUMERO UNO . . . Young Zimbabwean motocross rider Emmanuel Bako proudly displays the position he took during Sunday’s WOMZA Sunoco Super Series as he arrives at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday before flying back home to Harare

Collin Matiza Sports Editor
THERE was no stopping young Zimbabwean motocross sensation Emmanuel Bako at the WOMZA Sunoco Super Series at Terratopia in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday where he swept the board in the 50cc Pro Class in round two of this tough motorcycling event.

The eight-year-old Heritage Primary School’s Grade Three pupil, who is also making waves in the same class in this year’s Monster Energy South African National Championship series, was just on fire as he once again blew the opposition away in Sunday’s round two of the Womza Sunoco Super Series with some superb handling of his machine.

Bako was just unstoppable as he won all his three heats convincingly to take the first step on the podium at the end of business at this one-day event which also attracted all the top junior and senior motocross riders from across South Africa.

He amassed the maximum 75 points to emerge as the overall winner of the day in the 50cc Pro Class ahead of South Africans Wian du Plooy (66 points) and Lucca Myhardt (60 points)

In the opening heat on Sunday, Bako was the first off the starting grid and took control of the race to beat du Plooy and Mynhardt into second and third place.

The script did not change in heat two and three as Bako outpaced both du Plooy and Mynhardt to take first place.

Just like in the opening heat, du Plooy came second and Mynhardt settled for third place in heat two and three.

Sunday’s outstanding performance by Bako saw him redeeming himself after he came third overall in the opening round of this year’s Womza Sunoco Super Series in Bloemfontein at the beginning of last month. Just to add a measure of excitement in Bloemfontein, the Zimbabwe sensation Bako spiced things up as he recorded the fastest lap times in two of the three heats.

After competing in Bloemfontein, Bako then moved to Port Elizabeth to compete in the third round of the 2015 Monster Energy South African National Championship series on June 6. The 50cc class has produced different winners at every round this year and on June 6, Zimbabwe’s Bako won both heats and proved he will be a big factor for the remainder of the season. Du Plooy finished second overall ahead of podium newcomer Luke Grundy.

Championship favourites, James Thompson and Barend DuToit, could only manage a fourth and a fifth.

And on Sunday, Bako carried his good form into the second round of the WOMZA Sunoco Super Series, winning all the three heats to put himself in good stead of being crowned the overall champion at the end of the four-round competition this year. Zimbabwe’s champion rider Jade Ashwell also took part in Sunday’s round two of the WOMZA Sunoco Super Series in Johannesburg where he first finished fourth in the eight-man race in heat one of the main MX1 Class before he failed to last the distance in heat two.

Heat one of the MX1 Class was won Sacha Naude of South Africa while his fellow countrymen David Goosen and Bradley Fenton settled for second and third place.

Naude, Goosen and Fenton also took the first three places in heat two in which Ashwell had a big crash and did not finish the race. And this saw Ashwell finishing eighth overall with 39 points despite winning the third and final heat of the day while the first three places went to Naude (97 points), Goosen (90 points) and Fenton (78 points).