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Collin Matiza Sports Editor
THE 2020 South African National Motocross Championship series roars into life on Saturday at Rover in Port Elizabeth.

Zimbabwe will once again be represented by Emmanuel Bako, Daiyaan Manuel, Regan Wasmuth and Jayden Ashwell.

This year’s seven-round Motorsport South Africa-sanctioned South African Nationals starts at the sandy track of Rover in Port Elizabeth this Saturday.

Then, it would be the turn of Zone 7 in Cape Town on March 28; Bloemfontein on May 30 and to Pietermaritzburg’s mid-season races on July 4.

The last three races have been slated for August 22, October 10 and November 7 at venues to be announced later this year.

Bako, Manuel, Wasmuth and Ashwell will be battling for honours against their peers from across the Limpopo in the different classes.

Bako and Wasmuth will this year be changing, or upgrading the classes they will be racing in. Thirteen-year-old Bako has now moved from 85cc Class’s small wheel to big wheel and he will also be riding in the 125cc Class with big boys.

Wasmuth (17) has decided to move from 125cc Class to the seniors MX1 Class, according to the latter’s father Warren.

“After a successful trip to the United States of America last year, Regan has decided to move up to the MX1 Class for this season on a KTM 450sx-F.

“At the Zimbabwe Summer Series, which was held at Donnybrook in Harare in mid-December last year, he competed well against South Africa’s best whilst riding the 250, so we took the decision to move up to MX1 Class for the 2020 season,” Warren told The Herald yesterday.

Bako is also itching to give a good account of himself at Rover on Saturday.

At Rover on Saturday, Regan Wasmuth and Emmanuel Bako will be in the good company of fellow talented young Zimbabwean rider Manuel (14) who will be riding in the ProMini Class. Manuel’s mother, Yasmin, yesterday confirmed her son will be flying out to compete in South Africa.

Meanwhile, one of Zimbabwe’s top female motocross riders, Tanya Muzinda, has now relocated to the United States.

She hopes to turn into a fully-fledged professional biker under the guidance of her Italian manager, former three-time women’s World Champion, Stefy Bau of Italy.

Muzinda (14) left Zimbabwe for the United States towards the end of October last year accompanied by her father Tawanda, mother Adiyon and her two siblings Alicia (10) and Jayden (7).

Alicia and Jayden have already embarked on their own riding careers.

2020 South African National Motocross Championship Dates

February 15 @ Rover – Port Elizabeth

March 28 @ ZONE 7 – Cape Town

May 30 @ BORC – Bloemfontein

July 4  MMC&CC – Pietermaritzburg

August 22 – TBA

October 10 -TBA

November 7 – TBA