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Collin Matiza  Sports Editor

SOUTH African female Superbikes star rider Zante Otto has promised to produce some fireworks when she takes part in this Saturday’s Toyota 50 Race Day at Donnybrook Raceway in Harare.

Saturday will see Toyota Zimbabwe celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of its vehicles — Toyota Hilux — and as part of this golden jubilee celebrations, they have partnered the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation in hosting the Toyota 50 Race Day at the home of local motorsport — Donnybrook.

And Saturday’s main circuit racing will be spiced-up by the arrival of one South Africa’s top female Superbikers — Zante Otto — who will be representing the Johannesburg-based Monroe Racing Team; and the supremely talented 20-year-old rider has vowed to “captivate” the local motor racing fans on her debut appearance at this event.

Speaking through her handlers for this Saturday’s big motor racing event — Monroe Racing Team — Otto has indicated that she can’t wait to get on the track at Donnybrook where she will be involved in a “Battle Royale” with Zimbabwe’s most promising female Super-biker Jessica Howden.

Former South Africa national Super-bikes champion Shaun Whyte of Zimbabwe is also expected to be in action on Saturday where he will also come up against Otto.

“It’s race week! This time in Harare for the Toyota 50 Race Day. Due to rider injuries and work commitments, Zante Otto teams-up with our Zimbabwe local star Jessica Howden.

“Zante, proven to compete head-on with South Africa’s best will bring a new challenge to the Zimbabwe competitors. The usual capacity crowd (at Donnybrook) will be entertained to some breathtaking action from both Zante and Jessica,” Monroe Racing Team posted on their Facebook wall yesterday.

And Otto added: “Really amazing day out at Redstar Raceway today (Sunday), my first day on track on the Monroe Racing bikes and got to test a few! So impressed with the new Yamaha R6 but also loved being back out on the Kawasaki ZX6 like I raced in 2016?? also spun a few laps on the Monroe R3 which felt like home to me! Thanks to everybody who made it possible but now it’s time to take on Zimbabwe!!”

Otto is a young female motorcycle racer from South Africa who was born on December 1 1997 and grew up in Pretoria till she moved to George in the Western Cape in her early teen years with her family.

She started racing motorcycles in 2014 with the early guidance of the South African Motorcycle Racing Academy and it quickly progressed from 150cc motorcycles to 250cc and then into the 600cc category.

In 2018 she has been competing in the South African national and regional 300cc championships where she is a regular front-runner.

Early this month she was called up by Monroe Racing Team of South Africa to come up to Zimbabwe and compete in this Saturday’s Toyoya 50 Race Day where she will be competing in the 600cc class as well as the Megelli 250cc class where the fans and spectators can expect some awesome racing throughout the day!

And the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation believes the participation of Otto at this Saturday’s Toyota 50 Race Day at Donnybrook Raceway will go a long way in raising the profile of motorsport events in this country.

Temba Mazvimbakupa of the Zimbabwe Motorsport Federation yesterday saluted Toyota Zimbabwe for helping in bringing Otto to this Saturday’s big event and for their continued support of motor racing events in this country.