CRACKING CAPE DELIVERS RMC EPIC

Home heroes star at Killarney RMC National

The stormy weather took a break, allowing for a perfect winter’s day in Cape Town, where the thrilling third round of the Rotax Max Challenge Karting National took place at Killarney. It was a day filled with multiple winners, intense racing, and great excitement. The national class championships saw significant competition as they tightened up, building anticipation for the final event at Zwartkops in August.

Sebastian Boyd, a local hero, emerged as the star of the day, achieving a clean sweep by securing victory in the premier DD2 gearbox class. He outpaced his compatriot Jason Coetzee and the championship leader from Gauteng, Bradley Liebenberg. Kian Grottis and Jamie Smith followed closely behind, while Kyle Lawrence claimed the victory in the DD2 Masters class, finishing sixth overall. Nicolaos Vostanis trailed Lawrence in the Masters class, with Jonathan Pieterse and Reza Levy in pursuit. Jared Jordan secured third place in the Masters class and tenth place overall.

The Senior Max category proved to be the highlight of the day. Muhammad Wally won the opening heat, benefitting from a nose cone penalty that Troy Snyman, the local contender, received. Wally continued to impress by fighting his way from fifth position to win the second heat after Charl Visser, the runner-up, received a ten-second penalty. The championship leader, KC Ensor-Smith, showcased his skills by leading the finale from start to finish. Consequently, Wally emerged as the victor of the day, followed closely by the consistent Storm Lanfear, Snyman, Visser, and Ensor-Smith. Ethans Stier, Bostander, Roshaan Goodman, Kian Spies, and Matthew Wadeley rounded off the top ten finishers.

In the hard-fought Junior Max category, Reese Koorzen, another local hero, prevailed over Wian Boshoff, who had dominated the opening heat. Koorzen emerged victorious in two out of the three races, securing the honors for the day. The local contingent remained strong, with Jude Stuart, Jordon Wadeley, and Ethan Deacon securing third, fourth, and fifth positions respectively. Amani Kinyua, Jonno Wilson, and Georgia Lenaerts followed suit, while Kent Swartz and Joshua Smit encountered some difficulties.

Caleb Odendaal, hailing from Buffalo City, demonstrated his determination to claim the Mini Max title by successfully fending off local competitor Kegan Martin in a thrilling contest. Odendaal triumphed in two out of the three races, with Martin emerging victorious in the second heat. Meanwhile, Durelle Goodman secured third place overall, followed by Keagan Beaumont, Jack, and Joshua Moore. Emma Dowling, Jesse Swart, Franco Bensch, and Reagile Spice Mailula rounded off the top ten finishers.

The Micro Max class witnessed an intense battle between two drivers named Rafael. Rafael Da Silva won two of the under-11 heats, while his namesake, De Sousa, claimed victory in the remaining heat. However, De Sousa’s third race result was nullified due to a technicality, causing him to drop to twelfth position overall. Consequently, Ronaldo Koen secured second place, with Matthew Shuttleworth, Brodi Dowling, Johan Nolte, and Cristian Verheul closely behind. Jayden Van Der Merwe, Michael O’Mahoney, Callum Du Toit, Kiyaan Reddi, and Carter Cedras completed the top ten finishers in the fiercely competitive 21-kart grid.

In the Bambino category, local competitor Michael O’Mahoney and upcountry visitor Adriaan Steyn each won one race. However, O’Mahoney’s consistent performance in the heats secured him the overall victory. The championship leader, Luhan de Wet, managed to fend off Steyn, finishing in third place overall. Another local contender, Yaqeen Gamieldien, and Luke du Toit followed suit. Slater Smit, Caleb Lingeveldt, Aston Verheul, Radhi Harris, and Ronald-Bodhi Venter completed the top ten finishers.

The Rotax Max National Championship will continue with four more heats in each class at the Zwartkops Final in August. Following the crowning of champions, six South African titleholders will join the winners of the African Open in October to represent South Africa at the prestigious Rotax Max “Olympics of Karting” in Bahrain in December.