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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
AFTER missing the opening round of the 2019 South African National Motocross Championship series in Port Elizabeth last month, Zimbabwe’s junior champion rider Emmanuel Bako will this weekend be back on the road.

The 12-year-old, now a member top French team EHR Racing France, will be in Cape Town to compete in round two of this year’s South African Nationals.

He will be competing in the 85cc (Junior) Class for the first time in this series after having graduated from the 65cc Class.

Bako’s father and manager, Brighton, told The Herald yesterday that his son will compete in this weekend’s event in Cape Town.

He will be out to make up for some lost ground after having missed the opening round of the South African Nationals which were held at Rover in Port Elizabeth towards the end of last month.

“Emmanuel is 100 percent going to race at Zone 7 this coming Saturday and he is raring to go after having missed the opening round of the South African National due to circumstances beyond his control.

“The track at Zone 7 is not one of his favourite tracks in the South African motocross circuit but he has promised to give it his best shot and I’m sure he will claim one of the top three places on the podium,” Brighton “Bucks” Bako said.

At Zone 7, Emmanuel Bako will be joined by a number of fellow Zimbabwean riders who include senior bikers Jayden Ashwell and Ashley Thixton as well as his fellow top junior racers Regan Wasmuth, Daiyaan Manuel and Tristan Grainger.

Thixton and Grainger will be racing under the Grainger Racing Team KTM while Wasmuth will be part of Emmanuel Bako’s French team EHR Racing France.

On Saturday, Ashwell and Thixton will compete in the MX1 and MX2 classes respectively while Wasmuth (18) and Grainger are likely to join Thixton in the latter class.

Another exciting young Zimbabwean rider Manuel is expected to carry the country’s flag in the 85cc ProMini Class.