Collin Matiza Sports Editor
THE cobwebs will come off some of the country’s top junior and senior motocross riders when they take part in the first club event of the 2016 season at Donnybrook in Harare tomorrow.

After having last hit the dirt on the track when competing in the Zimbabwe Summer Series during the second week of December last year, it’s no secret that most of these riders are itching to get back on their bikes in what promises to be an exciting season-opener at Donnybrook.

And one rider who is looking forward to this event is 14-year-old Regan Wasmuth who will be unleashing his new “weapon of mass destruction” — a Tintswalo, Out of Africa Yamaha Racing YZ125 machine.

Wasmuth, who rides in the 125cc Class, was late last year accepted as a member of South Africa’s motocross racing team Tintswalo, Out of Africa Yamaha Racing Club who recently gave him a brand new Yamaha YZ125 motorbike.

The talented young biker recently spent three weeks training with his new team in South Africa and according to his father, Warren, he is looking forward to competing in his first race of the season at Donnybrook this weekend.

Tomorrow’s race will form a pivotal part of his preparations for the 2016 Monster Energy South African National Championship series commencing on February 27 at the infamous Port Elizabeth track.

“Our game plan remains the same, if Regan can compete lap for lap with the experienced and super fast Ashley Thixton, then he has a good chance at the South African National Championship series this year.

“Thixton’s age does not allow him to race the 125cc Class in other countries, but provides a great benefit to a rider like Regan who needs the local competition to keep him on the pace to compete against the intensity that the South African riders offer.

“We look forward to a great season racing in Zimbabwe and abroad,” Warren Wasmuth said yesterday.

Regan Wasmuth will be joined on the track at Donnybrook tomorrow by a number of fellow talented young Zimbabwean riders who include the exciting 10-year-old Emmanuel Bako who has graduated to race in the 65cc A Class this year.

Bako, who is always a ball of fire on the track, competed in the 50cc Class last year and did extremely well to finish second overall in the tough seven-round Monster Energy South African National Championship series.

Now a Grade Four pupil at Amai Mugabe Junior School in Mazowe, Bako has moved a class up to 65cc A and like Regan Wasmuth, he will be mounting a new bike during tomorrow’s club event at Donnybrook — a 65 KTM 2016.

And it will be interesting to see how Bako will fare in this class in which he will be racing against “seasoned campaigners” such as fellow exciting young riders Daiyaan Manuel, Kuda Mhene (Jnr), Big “BJ” Chitima (Jnr), Reagan Evans, Ricky Whyte, Taine Chapman, Tristan Versfeld and Jordan Chapman.

It could not be established yesterday whether another promising young rider Ryan Masimo is still competing in the 65cc B Class or has moved up to the 65cc A Class for this season.

The country’s top female rider Tanya Muzinda will also be in the mix with the boys in the 65cc A Class tomorrow although her father and manager, Tawanda, indicated that she will also be competing in the 85cc Class this year both at home and in the South African National Championship series.

Some exciting racing is also expected in the 125cc Class where Regan Wasmuth will be coming up against the likes of Joshua Goby, Ashley Thixton, Nicholas Fremantle, Liam Robinson, Bradley Perry, Alexander John, John Evans and Ryan Webb.

In the MX Lites, young Davin Cocker is a safe bet to come out tops, but he should expect some stiff competition from Reagan Bond, Tristan Grainger, Mudiwa Chigumba, David Evans, Justin Spreeth, Joshua Bailey, Anthony Strange, Jourdain du Cladier and Mark Webb.

“Old war-horses” such as Warren Thorne, Philip dos Santos, Bonz Southon, Zenin Ekron, Shane Barrett and Lofty Versfeld are also expected to be jostling for the top honours in the Veterans Class while the Thomas brothers, Blaise and Shane, will be up against each other in the Masters Class.

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