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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
AFTER its postponement at the eleventh hour due to the inauguration of President Mnangagwa on August 26, drag racing action returns to Donnybrook in Harare this Sunday for the third instalment of the 2018 hp lubes Castrol Drag Racing Series.

Preparations for the third round of this year’s drag racing series, which had been scheduled for August 26, had reached a fever-pitch when the Sables Dragpro Club, who run this exciting motor racing competition in this country, decided to postpone it as it clashed with an important national event.

They then moved the event to this coming Sunday where thousands of local motor racing fans are once again expected to throng the home of local motorsport to watch some of the country’s top drivers and bikers “burning” the quarter-mile drag strip in the latest edition of this season’s drag racing action.

With only two events remaining in the 2018 Series and an impressive competitor turnout at the first two events, competition remains intense, both across the Club Championship, comprising 14 vehicle classes, and in the recently introduced Nationals event.

The June event showcased some of the country’s fastest motorcars taking to the quarter-mile drag strip in an attempt to shake up standings and achieve personal best times.

The Sables Dragpro Club’s prestigious current “Top Ten Lists” are testament to the progression in the sport of Drag Racing over the past six years, with three cars now running in the elite 10 second bracket and the “slowest” on the list running a time of 12.53 seconds.

Just three years ago when the list was first introduced, the fastest car was running a time of 11.893 seconds and the slowest on the list, 13.781 seconds.

The current fastest time to beat for the motorcars is 10.42 seconds posted by Terry Allberry in the Dragster Rail at the previous event in June.

The fastest motorcycle time, a pass of 9.966 seconds, set by Leslie Carlsson on his Suzuki GSXR1000, in July 2016, is yet to fall.

“Given the track surface we have available to us and the relative infancy of this discipline of motorsport in Zimbabwe, the top ten fastest competitors are quite worthy of mention,” Mano Zevgolis of the Sables Dragpro Club recently said.

With more competitors focusing on improving their vehicles specifically for drag racing, surprises are more likely than ever before.

“For those who think they have a fast car or bike, this coming Sunday is the time and place to prove their metal,” Zevgolis said.

There are five classes for naturally aspirated motorcars; starting at 1600cc through to unlimited engine capacity, five classes for turbocharged motorcars, three classes for motorcycles and one quad bike class.

Trophies and prizes are awarded to the top three placed in every class.

While the racing action is competitive throughout the day, the bracket-based handicaps and the knockout elimination event remain the highlights of the day.

Racing on Sunday starts at 10am and as usual, there will be full bar and catering for spectators on the day, as well as entertainment for children.

Entry fee for spectators has been pegged at $5 per person while children under the age of 12 will get in for free.