MAX Nationals Will Thrill In Benoni

Don’t miss The South African Kart Championships, streamed live from the spectacular Formula K.

The 2021 Rotax South African Kart Championships moves to its second round at Benoni, Gauteng’s Formula K Raceway on Sunday 25 April. If the explosive action at a splendid first round at Killarney in Cape Town a month back, as well as the Gauteng Championships last week at FK are anything to go by, the fine new spirit of Rotax Max Racing Together can be expected to deliver far more almighty entertainment.

Gauteng locals have a point to prove in Benoni after Capetonians, SA champion Sebastian Boyd, Jason Coetzee, wildcard Umpie Swart and Joseph Oelz repeatedly broke the lap record in a dominant home display in the premier direct drive gearbox DD2 class in round 1. Top Jozi lad Brandon Smith reiterated his intent with a win at FK last week, with Jamie Smith, Nicolas Spanyannis and Niko Zafiris also out to impress. In what is possibly one of the most exciting developments in the build up to Sunday’s action, W Series international sensation Tasmin Pepper makes a return to her South African roots as she prepares to engage in premier DD2 battle while ex South African champion Delon Thompson will also bring his international experience to the Formula K table. All the ingredients here for a thriller.

SA racing legend Michael Stephen similarly broke the Killarney lap record, but the PE star had to work hard to deliver a triple over-32s DD2 Masters wins over Pretoria’s SA champion Nicholas Verheul, Durban lad Jonathan Pieterse and Gauteng man Eugene Britz. Alistair Mingay, Andrew Thomas, Carlo Gill, Tinahe Ncube and Calvyn Ferreira will also be among those keen to make a strong impression at Benoni.

Cape drivers also appear to be the ones to beat in the top chain drive Senior Max class, where Andrew Rackstraw, SA champion Tate Bishop, Jason Coetzee and Storm Lanfear were unstoppable last time out. With Coetzee and Lanfear missing this round, Gauteng local Kian Grottis will be out to prove a point having shown impressive speed at the Killarney round, joining him to do battle on home turf will be Hamza Jassat, Olerato Sekudu, Andrew Hill, Kgalema Mngadi and Tyrone Stern while KZN is set to be represented by national regulars, Riley Horner, Jack Rowe, Juandre Nel and Yifan Li.

Devoid of regional domination, under-15 high school Junior Max is a three-way interprovincial war this year. Cape kid Reza Levy holds a tiny title advantage after he, Jozi’s SA champion Muhammed Wally and KZN’s 2019 SA Mini Max champion Troy Snyman each won a race in the Cape. Jayden Goosen has shown he is ready to upset that apple cart after some strong regional performances while another lady super star, Berlin Robinson, will be keen to bring her international experience into play. Also keep an eye out for Cape driver Matthew Wadeley, and KZN’s Corban Spies among the Juniors.

One area where Jozi and KZN kids will be desperate to make a point is in under-13 Mini Max, where Cape lad Joaquin de Oliveira broke the Killarney lap record three times in the three races as he beat Gauteng visitor Wian Boshoff two races to one in round 1. Also expect East London’s 2020 Micro Max Champion Caleb Odendaal, Jozi kids, Kent Swartz and Erich Heystek, KZN star Travis Mingay and Cape visitors Joshua Smit and Jordon Wadeley to feature there.

Under-11 Micro Max championship leader Reagile Mailula and third placed Kegan Martin are fit to race following their accident at FK’s Gauteng regional last week. But fellow Gauteng lad Mattao Mason, who picked up the pieces last week and sits second in the SA title chase, KZN kid Harry Rowe, Joshua and Jack Moore, Aadam Kajee, Keagan Beaumont, Dale Hobbs and Taylin Patel are all potential podium contenders in what is set to be the biggest class on the day. Action will be aplenty.

Jack Moore and Michael Danks head to Formula K tied on SA national baby Bambino championship points, but they will have the full attention of Logan Billau, Shayaan Mohamed, Maddox Mason, Santiago Frade, Liam Wharton, Siyabonga Ntuli and Rafael de Sousa in Benoni. And all of them also know full well that Matthew Shuttleworth dominated last week’s regional, so expect fireworks in the kindergarten of karting, too!

The South African Karting Championships is enjoying a purple patch since moving under the auspices of governing body WOMZA, with packed grids at the Cape national and record fields at the various regional championship races. More of the same is expected at Formula K, where south Africa’s finest karters will be sure be put on another spectacular display of racing.

Sadly, while you can eat without masks inside a well populated restaurant and wander around a packed shopping mall, lockdown law still prevents you from enjoying a braai on a remote bank out in the open at the side of a sporting venue,. So no spectators are allowed at Formula K Raceway on Sunday 25 April. You can however follow all the action on Rotax Max South Africa’s brilliant live streaming service at www.kart.co.za. Diarise that now!