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Collin Matiza Sports Editor

IT’S definitely going to be a blockbuster!

This year’s Better Brands Petroleum Zimbabwe Summer Series promises to be a huge event with the news that the riders will, for the first time in this motocross competition, battle it out for a share of a massive US$40 000.

The three-day season-ending 2023 Zimbabwe Summer Series roars off at Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare next Wednesday December 6.

It will consist of two Supercross (night racing) race meetings on December 6 and 8 and it will close with what promises to be some high octane of a full day of motocross competition on the last day on Sunday December 10.

The three-day motorcycling jamboree has over the past years attracted top professional riders from around the world and this year is no exception with more than 20 dirt bike riders from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Australia, Germany and South Africa reported to be heading to Harare for next week’s big international motorcycling event.

And these top dirt bike riders are set to battle it out for a share of US$$40 000 prizepool, which has been dangled in front of them for the first time by this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series main title sponsors — Better Brands Petroleum.

The petroleum company is owned by prominent Harare businessman Scott Sakupwanya. With riders being able to compete in both the Supercross competition on December 6 and 8 and the motocross competition on December 10, it provides three chances to take home some serious cash.

According to Jamie Kerwin and Dougie Mellor of the Bogwheelers Club, the organisers of the Zimbabwe Summer Series, the breakdown will see the overall winner of each class taking home US$5 000 with first and second runners-up getting about US$3 000 and US$1 500 respectively.

With this considerable breakdown to all the senior classes, it means all riders can get excited. “The US$40 000 prize money is for the Senior A riders who will be competing in the main MX1 and MX2 classes.

“I think there’s also a cash incentive for the 125cc riders with the overall winner getting US$5 000, the first runner-up US$3 000 and the third-placed rider getting US$1 500 something along those lines but it doesn’t apply to kids and to us the Veterans.

“It (the US$40 00 prize money) has been mainly put there to lure the professional foreign riders to come for this event . . . and even for them to come back next year,” Mellor said.

Kerwin added: “Yes, the prize money is for the 1st 2nd and 3rd rider in the main classes, that is MX1, MX2, 125cc, 85cc, 65cc and 50cc . . .  the cash incentive is for the overall winner of each class.”

About 14 top South African riders have already committed themselves to racing in this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series with their agent, Grant Foley, reported to be working around the clock to bring them here next week.

Adding to the crack field of South African elite dirt riders coming for the Zimbabwe Summer Series, another top international motocross agent and trainer, Joe Tavares, recently revealed that he was working on bringing more than 20 professionals from the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Austria, Australia and Germany for what it is likely to be the biggest Zimbabwe Summer Series competition in its history. More top riders will be sure to jump on board with what will be the largest prize money event of the year.

“We really want to create this event for the riders focusing on amazing tracks and great prize money,” the Bogwheelers Club said.

“It’s a great chance for riders at the end of the season to come down to the beautiful Donnybrook Park to race hard, enjoy the three days of competition and take home a great pay cheque,” they added.

The event is shaping up to be a spectacle and something that all dirt bike fans need to see live to believe.

The unwavering commitment from this year’s Zimbabwe Summer Series new title sponsors, Better Brands Petroleum, has helped the event reach an all-time level of contingency support, which will only serve to benefit scores of riders that will contest this three-day motorcycling jamboree, starting from next Wednesday night at the iconic Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare.