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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
IT’S all set for a dose of grit and gusto when some of the country’s top motor racing drivers and motorbike riders converge at the home of local motorsport – Donnybrook Raceway in Harare – on Sunday, a day which heralds the second event of the 2018 hp lubes/Castrol Sables Dragpro Club Drag Racing Series.

The first event of this year’s drag racing season on April 29 attracted a huge number of spectators, who were hungry for some action after the long break following the final event in October last year.

That April 29 event also lived up to its billing, providing local motor racing fans with the exciting opportunity to witness in action the first purpose-built Dragster Rail powered by a V8, running on Methanol.

Terry Allberry of Bulawayo did not disappoint as he thundered up the drags’ quarter-mile straight in his impressive dragster. Allberry achieved a fastest elapsed time of the day of 10.471 seconds, ousting the hp lubes/Castrol Toyota MR2 from its longstanding No. 1 position on the Sables Dragpro Top Ten Fastest List.

Competition was also fierce across the other classes as the battle of the Subarus intensified and several new competitors took to the track.

Whilst motorcycle competitor numbers were below average and with reigning fastest motorcycle competitor, Leslie Carlsson, currently out of action, Grant Gower-Smith emerged victorious, posting a fastest time of the day of 11.081 seconds on his Suzuki B-King.

The quad bikes added to the overall spectacle with Bianca Beling, who is also into motocross, posting the fastest quad bike time of the day of 15.596 seconds on her Kawasaki 450.

This year will be a benchmark year for the sport of drag racing as the first event successfully introduced drag racing as a national competition.

With an initial entry of 11 national competitors, the nationals event is run on a “bracket” system which levels the playing field.

Competitors draw tokens to determine their opponent, race number and lane. The two competitors set off from the tree at different times dependent on the time difference between the two vehicles from qualifying in a knockout tournament style.

Mano Zevgolis, in the hp lubes Castrol MR2, took honours in the first national event but it remains anyone’s guess who will be crowned national champion at the conclusion of the Series, which is calculated by points accumulated throughout the four events.

One thing is certain, however, that competition remains fierce amongst the 14 classes and the pressure is on competitors to make it onto the “Top Ten Fastest List”.

Sunday promises to be another fantastic opportunity for motor racing fans and competitors to come out and watch or take part in drag racing as the Sables Dragpro Club encourages both new and old competitors to “Race the Track, not the Street”.