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ONE of Africa’s biggest motorcycling event, the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships, heads to Donnybrook Park in Harare from August 30 to September 1.

Having hosted the event twice in 2011 and 2015; and the home of the African continent’s favourite year-end motocross event, The Zimbabwe Summer Series, Donnybrook will host more than 200 top junior and senior riders from seven countries at this competition . Donnybrook Park and their team behind this year’s event are fired up to get Africa’s best riders back to the Harare-based track, for another epic edition of this incredible competition, at what could clearly be the unofficial home of MXoAN.

Track preparation has been ongoing for the last four months and Rick Goby of Zimbabwe Motocross said that they have gone all out to create an excellent dirt track that even the World’s best would love to battle on. “Our team has been working under a lot of pressure, understandably, but despite our little challenges here in Zimbabwe, we are not slowing down though, in order to provide a facility that will make the FIM Africa proud of our efforts,” said Goby who assured that all the FIM requirements in lieu of Environmental and the Ride Clean campaign are being adhered to as much as possible. Speaking of world class riders, the seven nations competing this year, all have just that, some of the best riders in the world, and  the fight for the all-important African Nations title is poised on the edge of a berm, about to blow out and provide the fans watching, some of the best motocross action you can find anywhere in the world currently.

South Africa must come into this event as odds on favourites, having won the title the most of all, with only Kenya and Uganda being the only other teams to have taken the title, since 2009.  However, with massive improvements in the sport throughout the continent, Zimbabwe and Botswana will also stand a very good chance for the top spot.

Particularly Zimbabwe, as the host nation, is coming in full force to attack the rest on their home soil. Then again Uganda, Zambia, Kenya and the smallest team Morocco will be up for the action expected and will certainly push hard for possible class wins, if they are unable to beat the bigger teams for the Nations Title at the end of the three-day event. With the majority of the respective national championships being put on hold in order to give the top riders a chance to compete in this prestigious race meeting, the riders will all be on top of their game in order to get those valuable points towards the outcome.

Many of the riders have been to Zimbabwe before, so they will be looking to give their all and then be there to help the rookies from each of their teams and pass on the necessary advantages they might need to get them up to speed and be at the front from the first session.

Teamwork is crucial at this event and as seen at the bigger FIM Motocross of Nations, even the weakest rider in your team can actually turn out to be the one that provides the team with that vital aspect which can ultimately mean glory. The teams start arriving in Harare from August 29 and setting themselves up for the weekend at one of Africa’s most hospitable cities and with efforts put in to ensure all amenities are catered for, they will be made to feel at home so that they can concentrate on the job at hand, or should we say on the right hand . . . wide open! — FIM Africa.com