It’s no secret that motorsport is not a cheap endeavour and considering our current economic woes, fuel shortages rising costs; one would expect a luxury like motorsport to suffer. Thankfully though, August proved just how resilient racers and racing enthusiasts can be.
Things kicked off with the All Africa Spinfest at the Borrowdale Racecourse. Local and regional spinners came through with their Gusheshes & Altezza’s to wow the crowds.
The fact that spinning has managed to become a regional sport enjoyed across borders shows a huge potential for future growth, perhaps off the continent.
Young ladies such as Kayla, will be the sports future stars and it’s impressive to see just how the sport, stuntmen and drivers continue to grow locally with continued exposure to the region. The nex installment of the All Africa Spinfest should be quite a show!
Next up for motorsports fans who preferred speed to sideways action was the third Sables DragPro event at Donnybrook. There was a decent turn out of racers, just over 40 participants chasing records, new personal bests or simply testing out new setups before the Grand Finale later this year.
From fuel savers to fuel guzzling American Muscle, there was something there to suit everyone’s tastes.
Including this Z-Kart by Tatenda of Auto-Tunne, which we will have a closer look very soon. It’s not the first minimalist racer at Donnybrook and goes to show that you don’t need much at all to have fun at the track.
On the other end of the spectrum, the latest luxury behemoths from Germany were also present showing just how much performance is available right out the (admittedly expensive) box.
The beauty of drag racing though has been how easy it is to take part. You don’t need to have the fastest, most expensive or highly modified car to compete. It’s a great way to settle those whatsapp arguments about who or what car is faster in safe environment.
The FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships closed out the month with over 200 competitors from seven countries competing at Donnbrook. This was another sport that i got to enjoy as a first time spectator and i can happily say i was not disappointed at all.
The racing was split over two days, practice sessions and one race on Saturday, followed by two more heats on Sunday. Even though it was “just” a practice session, the riders took it all very serious, pushing themselves to get used to the conditions for the races to follow.
South Africa took top honours ahead of Zimbabwe, with Uganda taking the final overall podium step. The motocross definitely stood out to me th most because of the level of corporate participation, and the large crowds an international level event like this attracts. I would certainly love to see our circuit, drags and spinning reach such levels.
Looking back at everything that has happened in this past month, i am left with the impression that no matter the adversity, motorsport will always find away to persevere. The motoring enthusiasts will continue to build or ride whatever they can. And seeing more women and children in motorsport, not just participating but doing really well means that future generations will continue to aim higher.
Below are a selection of more images from the August events. Special thanks to Zaakir Wazir & Brian Moyo for their photography.
All Africa Spinfest
Sables DragPro
FIM Africa Motocross of African Nations Championships
