RMC African Open 2023: Celebrating African Karting Excellence

The RMC African Open is not just a competition; it’s a celebration of the diverse African Karting community.

This weekend’s RMC African Open is set to determine Africa’s 2023 Karting champions and grant them the opportunity to represent their nations at the prestigious RMC Grand Finals in Bahrain this December. This year’s event boasts a truly representative entry list, with over 32 drivers travelling to Pretoria from far-flung locations like Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Namibia, joining a large contingent of South African drivers at the Zwartkops International Kart Track.

The victors in four of the RMC African Open classes on Sunday will secure their spots at the Grand Finals in Bahrain, joining the 2023 RMC South African champions who were crowned earlier in September. Those champions are Sebastian Boyd in DD2, KC Ensor Smith in Senior Max, Kent Swartz in Junior Max, and Caleb Odendaal in Mini Max while DD2 Masters champion Kyle Lawrence and Micro Max champ Rafael da Silva will represent their classes individually.

This year’s African Open promises excitement, as it’s not guaranteed that only South Africans will advance in all classes. Riders from various African nations will be in the mix on Sunday.

DD2

In the premier DD2 Class, local talents like Kian Grottis, Nicolaos Vostanis, Dusan Radojevic, Reza Levy, and Jamie Smith will be vying to secure their spots in the Grand Finals alongside Sebastian Boyd and Bradley Liebenberg. Adding to the intensity are skilled drivers from Gauteng, such as Delon Thompson, Tiaan Eloff, Brandon Smith, Niko Zafiris, and Wayland Wyman. They’ll also face competition from the Namibian team, including Ezequiel Dos Santos, Ivan Vorster, Zane Beuthin, and Justus Beulker.

DD2 MASTERS

In the DD2 Masters category, South African champion Kyle Lawrence will be representing Team SA in the UAE in December, but there will be a talented bunch of Masters gunning for victory at Zwartkops this weekend. A win on Sunday guarantees some awesome prizes and potentially even a ticket to join Lawrence should one become available. The men to watch this weekend are Jonathan Pieterse, Bjorn Roos, 2022 SA Champ Eugene Brittz, Philippe Chapat, Jonathan Kairuz, Ming Ma, Robert Fulton, Grant Veenstra, and Llewellyn Sutherland. Adding to the challenge are speedy Namibian Mark Villinger, Angolan hopeful Cleusio Serrao, and Mozambique’s Cristian Bouche.

SENIOR MAX

The Rotax Senior Max category features South African champion KC Ensor Smith, who has already secured his place in the Grand Finals. Local talents Troy Snyman, Olerato Sekudu, Kian Spies, Roshaan Goodman, Ethan Bostander, Ethan Stier, and Matthew Wadeley will be facing competition from Namibians Kian Fussell, Kobus Reynecke, Chucky van Dyk, Darius Kotze, and local hotshot Muhammad Wally, who is racing under a Kuwaiti license. All will be vying for a shot at that coveted Grand Finals berth.

JUNIOR MAX

Interestingly, the Junior Max class stands out as the sole category devoid of any international participants. As Kent Swartz has already secured his Grand Final ticket, the competition will primarily revolve around a group of talented young South African racers. Among the contenders are karting enthusiasts Gianna Pascoal and Georgia Lenaerts, alongside drivers Jonno Wilson, Wian Boshoff, Jordon Wadeley, Mauro Da Luz, Amani Kinyua, Jesse Swart, and Cole Hewartson. These promising talents will battle it out for that coveted second ticket to RMC Grand Finals 2023. With the ongoing intensity seen during the National Championships, spectators can anticipate a day filled with thrilling high-speed, wheel-to-wheel racing action.

MINI MAX

Under-13 Rotax Mini Max boasts a diverse and extensive roster of participants from across Africa all focused on a win on Sunday and a Grand Finals ticket. Current South African champion Caleb Odendaal may already have a ticket, but he is out for African Glory on Sunday with a lineup of stiff competition keen to top him. Among the contenders are notable local talents Reagile Mailula, Kegan Martin, Durelle Goodman, Taylin Patel, Franco Gibhard, Caleb Moss, Joshua Moore, and Emma Dowling, who are poised to perform well on their home turf. In addition, they will face a challenging lineup of racers hailing from various African nations, including Namibian racers Joshua Hanstein and Paul Oosthuizen, Mozambique’s Andre and Goncalo Bettencourt, Angola’s Lucas Campos, and Zimbabwe’s Tawana Shambaro.

MICRO MAX

South African young guns will compete with Namibian and Angolan racers in a diverse lineup of talented racers under the age of 11, all eager to achieve African glory with a potential seat alongside South African champion Rafael Da Silva to the prestigious ‘Olympics of Karting’, should one become available. Short of that amazing prizes are up for grabs here. Among them are young South Africans such as Matthew Shuttleworth, Cristian Verheul, Ronaldo Koen, Brodi Dowling, Callum du Toit, Ruvan Maritz, and Benjamin Gibhard. On the international front, they face stiff competition from a quartet of Namibian contenders, including Milan Fischer, Hermann Schouw, Mandume, and Nande Kaiyamo, as well as Angolan standout Kiamy Guedes.

BAMBINO

While the baby Bambinos may not be eligible to participate in the RMC Grand Finals, the victor of this class will be rewarded with a National Team 2023 Grand Final race suit. This attractive incentive hasn’t deterred 22 young talents from joining the day’s largest class, all vying to be crowned the African Bambino champion.

Leading this enthusiastic pack is the South African champion, Adriaan Steyn, who heads a formidable local team consisting of Luhan de Wet, Ronald Venter, Yaqeen Gamieldien, Alonzo De Oliveira, Lwashu Mathebula, Slater Smith, and Sebastien Shuttleworth. However, they’ll face a spirited challenge from a determined Namibian contingent, featuring Rocco van Eeden, Zain Nel, Russell Josephat, Gury Dos Santos, Mila and Miko Botha, Nic Kruger, and Ned Hannam.

The RMC African Open consists of several heats, but the focus is on the final races in each class, which will determine the RMC African Karting Champions and select drivers for the South African team at the Grand Finals in the UAE this December.

For live timing, results, live streaming, and more information on karting in South Africa, visit www.kart.co.za.