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Collin Matiza

HE hasn’t lost his appetite of racing.

Motor racing is in his blood and it has become part of his DNA.

Mano Zevgolis has now become an iconic figure in our local racing circles and next Sunday on May 5, he will be back racing at Donnybrook Park Raceway in Harare, defending his title at the Tiger Wheel&Tyre 1 Hour Endurance Race Day.

This exciting motor racing event has been slated for next Sunday, May 5, at Donnybrook where all the country’s top motor racing drivers, including Zevgolis, will be in action.

The irresistible driver came out of retirement in December last year where he successfully defended his 3-Hour Endurance title in Bulawayo.

He is still smelling blood and next Sunday he will be heading to Donnybrook hoping to once again defend his Tiger Wheel&Tyre 1-Hour Endurance title.

And there will be some stiff competition against the fastest vehicles on the grid. The top competitors from Harare, Hamish Perry and Jim Perry, in the BMW’s, and Gary Bluette, in the Mitsubishi Evo, will be battling for the top honors with top cars from Bulawayo being shepherded by Calvin Rademeyer and Angelo Tavares in Subarus.

In the 2000cc Class (A Class) the winner from last year was Hamish Perry.

Other competitors chasing the win include Jim Perry and Angelo Tavares.

The 1800cc Class (B class) winner from last year was Mano Zevgolis. Other competitors to look out for in this class are exciting young Bulawayo driver Dylan Pragji, Calvin Rademeyer, and Ian Goode.

In the 1600cc Class (C Class) the winner last year was Jordan Watt.

All eyes will be on Pragji as he returns to race in Harare.

At only 18 years of age, he is proving to be the future of motorsport racing in Zimbabwe and abroad.

“This year we have some very competitive drivers including Catherine Zevgolis, Adrian Watt, Declan Mellor and Tapiwa Mukori that could take on the win,” Adrian Watt, one of the event’s organisers, told Zimpapers Sport yesterday.

The 1400cc Class (D Class) winner from last year was Melissa Watt. This year some other drivers to look out for are Michael Mukori and Richard Exton.

In the Sports Car Class, last year’s winner was Eric Heard. The other drivers to look out for in this competitive class are Cameron Revolta, Carl Olsen, Brett Olsen, Gary Kirk and Maurizio Savo.

The 250cc motorcycles will be joining this tough competition this year. The motorcycles will have their own endurance race.

Riders on the grid will battle it out for the championship title. Some competitive riders to look out for are Ian Gutherless, Greg Read, Jan Nel, Harley Taylor and Hana Taylor.

“The Harare 1 Hour Endurance race is one of the toughest races of the Main Circuit racing season.

“The reason it is so gruelling is because the competitors are pushing their vehicles to their limits, and they must hold up for an extensive period.

“There is immense pressure put on the vehicle whilst racing endurance races, there is not only the worry of mechanical failure in the engine but also the wear and tear of the tyres during the race,” Watt said.