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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
THE Bogwheelers Club, who run the popular motorcycling sport of motocross in Zimbabwe, recently elected Ricky Goby as their new chairman. Goby took over the hot seat from local motocross’s seasoned administrator Gary Grainger and he will be at the helm of the Bogwheelers Club for a one-year term.

He will this year be helped in running the Bogwheelers Club by Bonz Southon, who is the vice-chairman, and co-vice-chairman Sean Whyte, a former Superbikes champion in South Africa.

Owen Robinson, Ray Young, Ross Bradenkamp, Phillip dos Santos, Kuda Mhene (Snr) and Joe Croisette are the club’s new committee members.

A member of the Bogwheelers Club, who asked not to be named, told The Herald yesterday that Goby has already promised to bring in some major changes in the way in which motocross will be run in this country.
“There has been a lot of buzz since Goby was elected as the new chairman of the Bogwheelers Club and he has promised to bring in a sponsor or sponsors for every race meeting which will be held at Donnybrook this season.

“This will see us cutting down on costs of racing there because in the past we were forced to pay about $60 per rider for every race meeting but if sponsors come in, each rider will pay as little as $20 for a day’s outing in either a club race meeting or a national championship event.

“So, there are some exciting times ahead in local motocross which is set to grow bigger under this ‘new dispensation’,” the same source said.

Meanwhile, today will see seven of Zimbabwe’s top junior and senior motocross riders – Emmanuel Bako, Daiyaan “D” Manuel, Jayden Ashwell, Ashley Thixton, Regan Wasmuth, Tristan Grainger and Emile Croisette – taking part in the opening round of the 2018 South African National Championship series at Rover in Port Elizabeth.

Bako will be part of a strong field of 17 riders in the 65cc Class and will be jostling for the top spot with the likes Jordan van Wyk, Timo Toepfer, Lucas Venter, Thor Johnson, Kodi Goosen, Nathan Kuhn, Barend Du Toit, Lucca Mynhardt, Joshua Fletcher, Wian du Plooy, Trey Cox, Wyatt McGregor, Liam Botha, Nathan Verster, Neil van der Vyver and Pieter Brink who are all South Africans.

Having been crowned the 65cc Class Champion in the South African Nationals last year, Bako’s compatriot Manuel has now moved to ride in the 85cc Class Pro Mini this season and he tops the list of contenders in this section where he will have to contend with the defending champion Dylan Kirk of South Africa.

Another top Zimbabwean junior rider Wasmuth is considered a title contender in the 125cc High School Class which has now been vacated by South Africa’s David Goosen who won it last year and has since graduated to race in the MX2 and MX1 classes this year.