Kart racer Duffy off to SA
FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD top Zimbabwean kart racer Zac Duffy set off on Wednesday for Vereeniging, South Africa, to start his 2018 South African kart racing campaign.
This year, racing his new Motul Kosmic kart, Duffy is aiming to improve on his good season in 2017, during which he consistently ran in the leading pack for each race.
Racing in both the regional and national MSA academy and the Juniormax national championships, race meetings all over South Africa from Cape Town to KwaZulu Natal to Johannesburg means a hugely demanding and expensive racing season for the talented young Zimbabwean racer.
His main focus will be on the prestigious MSA Academy series with the Juniormax championship being used to train and prepare.
In preparation for this season, Duffy has upped his preparations to really try and attack both championships. Despite a lack of seat time on a racing standard track, he has managed to get in more practice for this year and together with a personal trainer has been hitting the gym hard to cope with the physical demands of the MSA academy class, which is one of the fastest classes in South Africa.
With a talented and competitive field in the hotly-contested Academy class that offers international racing opportunities, Duffy will be tested to the limit but he is upbeat of his chances against the dominant South Africans.
With a best result of a 4th position in 2017, Duffy has proved he has what it takes to mix with the best South African drivers with their huge budgets.
Duffy, who started kart racing aged six, has represented Zimbabwe twice at the World Championships and in 2013, aged just nineyears-old, was the youngest Zimbabwean ever to compete at this level. As one of the few Zimbabwean motorsports competitors racing in South Africa, and the only karter for many years, Duffy is hoping to do Zimbabwe proud.
The MSA academy class is an official CIK FIA class for junior racers worldwide with the emphasis on driver skill and ability. All competitors use the same engines which are drawn by ballot for race day ensuring no “trick” engines are used and after qualifying, the top three engines are exchanged with the bottom three ensuring all drivers have an equal chance.
The winner in each country championship qualifies for the World Finals held in Italy at the end of the year.
It is also very fortunate that for the third year running Motul Zimbabwe has come on board to support Duffy’s dream and his team would like to thank them for their commitment and encouragement over these years.
Meanwhile, the Bogwheelers Club’s first national motocross championship race meeting will be held at Donnybrook Raceway in Harare on Sunday.
This event brings together all the top junior and senior motocross riders from this country who will be vying for the top honours in the different classes they will be racing.
And look no further than 12-year-old Emmanuel Bako for claiming the first step on the podium in the 65cc Class while Daiyaan “D” Manuel (13) is a safe bet to dominate the 85cc Class but he should face some stiff competition from fellow talented young biker Tristan Grainger.
The country’s top female rider Tanya Muzinda (13) is also gearing up to compete in the 85cc Class (big wheel) after having moved into this class from the small wheel at the beginning of this year.