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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
ALL is looking good for Zimbabwe’s junior motocross sensation Emmanuel Bako who continued with his fine form in the South African circuit this year by scoring a double during round three of the 2018 Northern Regions Championship series at Terra Topia just outside Johannesburg where he won the 65cc and 85cc classes on Saturday.

Coming up against some of South Africa’s top junior motocross riders at this one-day regional championship race meeting, Bako (12) once again wagged his tail vigourously as he swept the board in both the 65cc and 85cc classes to emerge as the best rider of the day.

Like in round one and two of the Northern Regions Championship (NRMX) series, which were held on February 3 at Sand Trax in Sasolburg and on March 17 at Dirt Bronco in Krugersdorp, Bako was untouched as he first got the job done in the 65cc Class in which he fought for the first step on the podium with his teammate at Team Vision Racing Team, local favourite Wian du Plooy of South Africa.

Bako was just in an uncompromising mood as he put his foot on the gas pedal from the word go and recorded the fastest lap time in Heat One as he finished second behind du Plooy before upping his game in Heat Two in which he took a hole shot and never looked back until the finish line to be crowned first overall in the 65cc Class with 47 points.

Du Plooy (47 points) and his fellow South African countryboy Barend du Toit (40 points) came second and third overall in the 65cc Class which had a strong field of 21 riders.

Bako has now won all his races in the 65cc Class in the opening three rounds of this year’s South African Northern Regions Championship series.

The talented young Zimbabwean rider has also tightened his grip at the top of the NRMX’s 65cc Standings where he has so far amassed 144 points with three more rounds to go in the series which ends on October 6 at Dirt Bronco.

After finishing first overall in the 65cc Class, Bako still had some unfinished business at Terra Topia on Saturday as he went on to compete in the 85cc (Juniors) Class in which he won both Heat One and Two to take the first step on the podium ahead of South Africa’s Troy Muraour to crown a memorable day for himself and his team.

Round four and five of the NRMX series are scheduled for July 7 and September 8 at Terra Topia and Welkom respectively where Bako hopes to sew up the title by the time he competes in the last round at Dirt Bronco on October 6.

Apart from competing in this year’s Northern Regions Championship series, Bako is also in the running for the 65cc title in that country’s Nationals competition where he is currently lying in second place in the group standings with 133 points, four behind points leader Lucca Mynhardt after three rounds.

There are four more rounds to go in this year’s South African National Championship series with the fourth round scheduled for July 7 at Terra Topia and it will be held simultaneously with round four of the Northern Regions Championships; and Bako will once again be out to stamp his own authority at these two events.