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Mzingaye Sibanda and Muzingaye Ncube Sports Reporters
MOTOR racing enthusiasts are set for an eventful Saturday at Breedon Everard Race Course courtesy of   Bulawayo Motoring Club (BMC) in what promises to be the biggest event of the year. Both cars and motor cycles will be on display as the organisers crown the best drivers and motor cyclists for 2013. Of late crowds of up to 5 000 have been witnessed at the race course along the Victoria Falls Road.

The prestigious Three-Hour Endurance race for cars and the one-hour duel for motor cyclists will keep fans on the edges of their seats.
BMC vice-chairman Zane Shah said all was set for the much awaited day on the Southern African motorsport calendar as about 38 drivers and 23 bikers have confirmed participation.

“The main event of the year has finally come for motor and bike racing enthusiasts,” he said.
The Three-Hour Endurance race is sponsored by   Toyota and Castrol while the motor cycle competition is sponsored by Colourworld.

Shah said in motor racing they are expecting the biggest field ever of competitors taking to the grid.
Darren Winterboer, the reigning champion, is among the big names.

There is also Ian Howden who has moved from the Subaru to a turbo charged Toyota Corrolla and foreign drivers from South Africa and Botswana.

“This will really make for interesting racing as the two Zimbabwean drivers Winterboer and Howden have been neck to neck in previous national championships. Other local contenders are Angello Tavares in a Subaru, Eric Heard in a Super 7 powered by a Yamaha R1 motorcycle engine as well as Richard Robinson with his son Andrew also in a Super 7,” he said.

Shah said there would be debutants this year with father and son Byron and Dean Norman who are racing a turbo charged VW Golf expected to give the veterans a run for their money.

“Despite these guys being new comers in the race, one cannot rule them out of contention as they have what it takes to clinch top honours,” he said.

Darren Pragji will once again entertain the public in his Datsun 1200 and rumour has it that this time around he will be sharing it with Denzil Bhana.

Foreign drivers who have confirmed their entries are South Africans John Amm and Eric Salamon in a Sports Elf and Rory Sharp of the Alfa team whilst Botswana will be represented by Garth Chitrin who races in a Citreon. Shah also said that some drivers were still to confirm their entries meaning that there is a possibility of having more foreigners on the day of the race.

He revealed that the motorcycle endurance race would be graced by well known names like Fuzzy Walker and Ian Gutherless who are top spot favourites with Harare’s Phil Archenol expected to cause an upset for the two.

Foreign riders were still to confirm their entries in the motorcycle event.