Held in challenging, muddy conditions at Uganda’s Victoria Racetrack in Garuga, the 2022 FIM AFRICA Motocross of African Nations
Continental Championships (MXOAN) saw an epic tussle between Zambia and eventual winners South Africa. At the end of the two-day event, just one point separated the two teams.
The Zambia Motor Sports Association (ZMSA) team notched up victories in two of the seven categories, with Dale Holiday winning the Veterans Category and Leah Heygate coming first in the Ladies’ Category. This was Leah’s sixth consecutive MXOAN category win, and she also holds the record as the fastest lady Motocross rider in Africa.
Their individual triumphs contributed to a great overall team performance that saw Zambia rack up 653 points in what can be regarded as a highly successful outing for the Zambian team.
The 24 young Zambian riders on the ZMSA team were able to represent their nation thanks to the generous support of sponsors including Vehicle Centre Zambia and CFAO, national distributors of Motul lubricants and Maxxis tyres.
“Without the sponsors that supported the team, none of this would have been possible,” commented team captain and category winner Leah Heygate. “This year’s MXOAN turned out to be a great event for team Zambia and I couldn’t be prouder of the way everyone came together as one to represent our country but also to do our sponsors proud,” she added.
“The quite extreme conditions at MXOAN were compounded by our logistical difficulties in reaching the venue,” explained Zambia team manager Stewart Parks. “All our riders put in their absolute maximum effort – bringing home a second place to Zambia by a single point was a unique achievement, and one that was made possible by all the support we received from many companies, including Motul,” he added.
“The future of motorsport in Zambia is bright thanks to the active involvement of the youth and their passion for racing,” commented CFAO representatives Frederic Roux and Michael Sieta. “Our ZMSA partnership is an opportunity for young people to discover their potential in sport – and put Zambia on the map. We are proud to have partnered with ZMSA to help develop and grow motorsport in Zambia by providing support including access to premium lubricants and tyres, plus emergency medical services at events,” they added.
The last word on Zambia’s excellent showing at the 2022 edition of the FIM AFRICA Motocross of African Nations Continental Championships goes to Mercia Jansen, Motul Area Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean: “I’d like to offer my congratulations to ZMSA and all the Zambian riders who flew the flag high at MXOAN. It’s wonderful to see how this event has grown, and to see how the standards have risen year on year.”
For more information around this year’s FIM AFRICA Motocross of African Nations Continental Championships, visit the FIM Africa website.
To learn more about Motul’s product range and commitment to motorsports sponsorship, visit https://www.motul.com/za/en
ABOUT MOTUL
Motul is a world-class French company with 169 years of experience in the specialised formulation, production and distribution of high-tech engine lubricants (for two-wheelers, cars and other vehicles) as well as lubricants for industry via its Motul Tech division.
Since its inception in 1853, Motul has been recognised for the quality of its products, commitment to innovation and involvement in competition, and is also acknowledged as a specialist in synthetic lubricants. In 1971, Motul was the first lubricant manufacturer to pioneer the formulation of a 100% synthetic lubricant, derived from the aeronautical industry and making use of esters technology: 300V lubricant.
Motul partners with many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological product development through experience gained in motorsports. It has served as an official supplier for teams competing in iconic Road racing, Trials, Enduro, Endurance, Superbike, Supercross, Rallycross and World GT1 events, including 24 Hours of Le Mans (cars and motorcycles), 24 Hours of Spa, Le Mans Series, Andros Trophy, the Dakar Rally and the Roof of Africa.
Published by: Listen Up – Adilia Joubert