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Cloud Fusire Sports Reporter
THE Bogwheelers Club will use this Sunday’s third round of the 2019 National Motocross Championship series at Donnybrook to select Team Zimbabwe for this year’s FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships. Zimbabwe will this year host the annual continental motorcycling event which usually attracts top junior and senior male and female riders from eight African countries — Angola, Botswana, Kenya, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The two-day event, which takes place during the last weekend of August, is this year going to be hosted by Zimbabwe for the second time since 2015 and according to Yasmin Manuel, the secretary of the Bogwheelers Club who run motocross in this country, they will use this Sunday’s Nationals competition as a selection event for the continental championships.

“We will be hosting the FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships at the end of August and we have invited more than 14 countries for this event.

“We will be using this Sunday’s National Championship series at Donnybrook to select the best riders to represent our country at this event.

“Last year we had 45 riders, who took part in the African Championships in Botswana, but we are expecting the number to increase to at least 50 riders this year and we are expecting to have the best team that will fight and raise our national flag high at Donnybrook in August,” said Manuel.

She also said Team Zimbabwe and its captain for this year’s African Championships will be unveiled next week after Sunday’s Nationals at Donnybrook where most of the country’s top junior and senior male and female riders will be out to catch the selectors’ eye in the different classes they will be competing in.

Exciting young rider Tristan Grainger is a safe bet to win the 125cc Class while Cameron Thixton should face no problems in winning the main MX1 Class, which was once a preserve of his elder brother Ashley, who is currently taking a sabbatical from the sport after he recently relocated to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In the juniors’ 50cc Class, Junior Bako, younger brother to the country’s junior champion rider Emmanuel, will be back fighting for the top step on the podium against promising fellow young riders such as Willem Krause, Benji Doran, Seb Wright, Kudzi Chitsurura and Jayden Kerwin.

Some exciting racing is also expected in the 65cc Class which will feature the likes of Jordan Dewdney, Emile Croisette, Munyaradzi Bako, Declan Barrett, Josh Halkier and Ross Stewart.

“Old war-horses” Hamish Perry, Matthew Ferreira, Frik Prinsloo, Phil dos Santos, Trevor Thixton, Jim Perry, Rick Goby and Shane Thomas are also expected to be back racing at Donnybrook on Sunday where they will be competing in the B Class and Masters categories.

And it all points out to an exciting day of motocross racing at Donnybrook on Sunday where action starts at 10am. Entry fees have been pegged at $10 per person for the spectators while children under the age of 12 will get in for free.
There will be full bar and catering.