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Collin Matiza

THE Sables Karting Club are looking at ending their 2024 season in style by hosting an AutoX event at Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare on Sunday.

The club is a community-driven organisation dedicated to promoting and supporting karting as a sport for enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds.

Karting provides a massive personal morale booster for the kids confidence they never knew they had.

According to Bronwyn Parsell, the  chairperson of the Sables Karting Club, apart from prize giving function, several activities, including an AutoX racing event, have been lined up for Sunday.

“The overall prizes up for grabs are in the following classes: Seniors/Masters (which is the class for 14 years and older) first, second and third  places. Juniors (9 years to 14 years) first, second and third place and Cadets (5 years to 9 years) this class is only first and second as we did not had two competitors in this class this year.

“As Sables Karting Club is a very small club, we are trying to fund raise to buy karts for people to hire at events or race meetings because there are many people out there who would love for their children, or themselves, to learn to drive and eventually race.

“To this effect, after the prize giving we will be hosting an AutoX  event to raise funds for our club,” Parsell said.

AutoX is held on a short circuit part tar part dirt race track suitable for both cars and bikes. The track is designed in a way that both race cars and normal road cars can participate.

“It is lots of fun and puts one’s driving/riding to the test. There are two timed laps, one clock wise and the other anti-clock wise and the fastest total time will determine the fastest drivers/riders.

“Kindly come out in your numbers and bring the whole family to support this worthy cause. Come early and have a drive in our hire karts then go on to participate in the AutoX,” said Parsell.

“On Sunday, we are holding the final event of the season. Without the support of our autocross friends, we could not have organised it, nor could we have held our annual prize giving function.”

Bikes and road cars are also welcome.

The fastest karters in each age category will win a prize, much like the championships in any motorsport.

“We are a small club, but we wish to grow it. Next year April, we will organise a big fundraising event and we hope that we can get the support of a broad spectrum of businesses, artists, and the media,” said Parsell.

Meanwhile, 13-year-old Maleehah Parsell, driver with hearing impairment, will be out to show her driving skills at Donnybrook on Sunday.

“She hears through a cochlear implant, you have no idea how karting has booster her confidence,” said Parsell.

“And that is also part of our goal, to get children from all walks of life to do what they never dreamed they could do.”

Malee has been racing karts since 2020.

Her father, Ronnie Parsell, has been involved in motorsport for many years and he has encouraged his children to also take part.

However, his daughter Malee has mild cerebral palsy and has hearing impairmen.

Would she be able to take part in motorsport, he and his wife Bronwyn wondered?

A family day out to the Sables Kart Club in 2020 would prove to them that go-karting was the perfect starting point for Malee to join the rest of the family in their motorsport pursuits.

Bronwyn remembers: “We spent the day watching others take part in races and at the end, some of the children who had been watching were asked if they would like to have a go. Before we could take a breath, there was Malee lining up to have a go — first in the line!’’

Malee is now part of the already extensive line up of the Sables Karting Club racing teams.

In fact, the club is delighted to be able to support in Malee’s future racing career as she prepares for the 2025 season.