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Collin Matiza–Sports Editor 

VICTOR Nyamupfukudza will this weekend lead two other young Zimbabwean motocross riders in making their debut appearances at the South African National Motocross Championship series. Round Two of the tough eight-round 2024 South African National Championship series will tomorrow be hosted by Rover Motorcycle Club Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.

And the Zimbabwean flag will tomorrow be hoisted at the Rover Track as four of the country’s senior and junior riders have already entered this tough one-day event.

The Zimbabwean riders will be led by seasoned campaigner Emmanuel Bako, who will be racing in the seniors High School Class.

He will be joined on the track by debutantes Nyamupfukudza and the Sakupwanya brothers Judah and Mudiwa.

They will all be racing under the Better Brands Petroleum Racing Team which is sponsored by a local petroleum company — Better Brands Petroleum. 

Simbarashe Nyamupfukudza, the father and manager of one of the riders Victor Nyamupfukudza, confirmed their participation in tomorrow’s Round Two of the South African National Motocross Championship series in the Eastern Cape.  “We will be competing in this weekend’s Round Two of the South African Nationals and we have already packed our bags.

“We are scheduled to leave for South Africa tomorrow (today) morning…,” Simbarashe Nyamupfukudza said. 

And it is all set to be a memorable weekend for his nine-year-old son, Victor, who will be riding in the South African Nationals for the first time together with the Sakupwanya brothers Judah and Mudiwa. 

At Rover tomorrow, Victor is set to come face-to-face with the tough world of South African motocross racing when he takes part in the 65cc and 85cc classes. 

The Sakupwanya brothers are, meanwhile, set to race in the juniors 50cc class.

But all eyes in the Zimbabwean camp will be on the country’s champion rider Emmanuel Bako who will be out to redeem himself in the seniors High School Class. 

Bako met with mixed fortunes during Round One of this year’s South African Nationals which were held on February 26 at Legends track in Gauteng where he came third overall in the High School Class behind South African riders Ryan Adler and Trey Cox.

In Moto 1, Bako came second before coming fourth in Moto 2 for an overall third place finish.  And the 17-year-old Zimbabwean rider thought his overall third place finish was a fair one as he is still recovering from some injuries which he sustained last year.  

And it will be interesting to see how he will perform during tomorrow’s Round Two of the South African National Motocross Championship at Rover at Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.