WINNING START FOR ROLF, JESSE AND MBUKI

Rolf Kihara (MX65) and Apollo Mbuki (MX125) started off the 2012 Kenya National Motocross season on a winning note. The venue for the high-speed and entertaining bike racing was indeed the dry and dusty Jamhuri Park racetrack situated in Nairobi. But Mbuki, who is the outgoing MX85 Champion, however admitted candidly that he is yet come to grips with his new KTM machine on his very first MX 125 class race.

"The switch from MX85 to MX125 is obviously big and more intense. But I still feel I need to have more of the big bike in order to can get used to it," remarked Mbuki. University of Nairobi dentistry student Shivam Vinayak cruised to an easy win in MX1 riding his 450cc four-stroke Kawasaki contraption to a flawless 60 points score. The 2012 season welcomes three debutantes; two in MX50 and Abishek Rathod in the MX125 class. The MX50 newcomers are Ethan Nyachae and Jack Pelling- who is son of Kenya's 2011 FIM Africa Cross Cross Country Captain Sean Pelling. Fans who turned out at Jamhuri Park for the season opener were treated to some exhilarating displays of riding artistry.

Organizers East African Motor Sports Club (EAMSC) combined the MX1 and MX2 classes to enhance competition and entertainment of spectators. Tutu Maina won the MX2 class while Jesse Waithaka claimed the MX50 class for the diminutives. After living in the shadows of Apollo Mbuki last season Samir Anwar was back in the groove and rode exquisitely well in his MX85 class specialty. Tutu eclipsed star rider Ivan Guya to second place. This was Guya's first race since returning from injury lay off.

Daredevil rider Cruze Muigai was the notable absentee in the race though present as a spectator. Cruze is set to proceed to Great Britain for University education in September and has preferred doing selected races this year. Muigai hopes to ride competitively in Britain and has options of joining a College which offer motocross opportunities. "I'm not really that disappointed not to have ridden today. I will not ride seriously this season due to academic commitment. This year its basically for fun but I am planning to do the next national race and the FIM continental championship

in Uganda so that I can score points for Kenya," said Cruze. The current dry and hot conditions rendered the Jamhuri park track dusty and slippery. "It was actually very slippery coming round the corners. It was also very tight to negotiate and I felt I wasn't 100% fit because the first race came quite early in January. But I will keep up practice and be in good shape come the February race," said Shivam, who was last year voted Kenya's most improved sportsman in the Safaricom Soya Awards.

ROUND 1 MOTOCROSS RESULTS

MX50

1. Jesse Waithaka 60 2. Dekker Kihara 49;

MX65

1. Rolf Kihara 60 2. Jeremy Waithaka 51; 3. Elias Sherman 41.

MX85

1. Samir Anwar 57; 2. Githuku Muigai 54; 3. Ngugu Waweru 45.

MX125

1. Apollo Mbuki 60; 2. Rohan Ghadhi 47; 3. Masalule Kituyi 41; 4. Karan Sehmi 41; 5. Ted Wanday 39.

MX2

1. Tutu Maina 60; 2. Ivan Guya 51; 3. Mwai Kibaki 43.

MX1

1. Shivam Vinayak 60; 2. Allan Maina 3. Louis Duirnboek