EXCEPTIONAL RACING AT IDUBE ROTAX KART NATIONALS

KZN neutral ground delivers action of the highest order

The twisty iDube Raceway, mined off the side of the Camperdown, KwaZulu-Natal hillside, is among the most daunting and challenging out there. That came to bear, and then some, at Saturday’s South African Rotax Max Challenge Karting Nationals. Being neutral ground to most competitors who trekked in from Gauteng and the Cape, iDube is also a crucial point in the four-round championship chase. It was also a good day for drivers from neighbouring countries.

DD2 & DD2 MASTERS

Cape veteran Jason Coetzee made it seven wins in nine heats in premier class Rotax DD2, but he was made to work for it all the way at iDube. You can never hold a good man down, and Masters class home hero, multiple Rotax Max world champion Cristiano Morgado kept his young rivals on point with three second places on the trot. Then Coetzee’s Cape compatriot Sebastian Boyd stole the second race win to make it a close 1-2-3 from two more Cape lads as Matthew Wadeley edged Anwill April for fourth. Mozambican Cristian Bouché continued his impressive Master’s run with second over expat local Jonathan Pieterse.

Senior MAX

The hectic 20-kart Senior Max result remains provisional after Jozi karting lass Gianna Pascoal put one over hometown comeback kid Troy Snyman in the opening race, with Jonno Wilson third from Kent Swartz, Charl Visser and another quick girl, Georgia Lenaerts. Pascoal went on to do the double over, Visser, Wilson, Lenaerts, Matthew Carter and a KZN racing surname from the past, Ryan Berrington-Smith, and then the triple, with the same top three in the final from Lenaerts, local lad Travis Mingay and Ethan Bostander.

Junior MAX

Eastern Cape lad Caleb Moss consolidated his high school Rotax Junior Max title advantage with a two-to-one overall victory over his closest championship rival, Cape Town driver Sebastiano Human. Pretoria lad Cristian Verheul popped up in third after a count-back when he matched Human’s overall points score with a couple of seconds on his way, ahead of Jozi karting lass Emma Dowling, Keenan du Plessis, and Jack Moore.

MINI MAX

Under-13 Rotax Mini Max was another monster 21-kart affair but there was nothing much anyone could do as Jozi kid Brody Dowling dominated to take the championship lead away from Cape challenger Max Boshoff. Dowling was assisted by Declan Jurgens nicking a second place off Boshoff en route to third for the day, ahead of Rafael de Souza and Rafael de Silva, yes, you read that right, and Christian Naidoo in another fraught Rotax Max midfield battle.

MICRO MAX

Jozi lads, triple winner Luhan de Wet, Luke du Toit and Adriaan Steyn did their under 11 Rotax Micro Max championship aspirations no harm at all ahead of Western Province kids, Yaqeen Gamieldien and Radhi Harris. Their compatriot and former championship leader, Michael O’Mahoney, had a day to forget en route to sixth in the hills of KwaZulu Natal.

BAMBINO

And finally, little Alonzo de Oliveira out of Gauteng did his baby Bambino championship advantage no harm at all when he stormed to a triple win over Jozi rival Sebastien Shuttleworth, Mozambican lass Teresa Bettencourt, Yerhu Malaba, Sean Arde and Yinhla Makhubele. Even better, the kindergarten of motorsport has also seen its grid swell to encouraging numbers in recent national races.

“As always, iDube delivered great Rotax Max karting off packed grids across all classes,” Rotax SA CEO Ed Murray concludes. “That now sets up an incredible South African Championship final at Zwartkops at the end of August, but not before the wildcard Rotax African Open, also at Zwartkops in three weeks. Roll out that TNT!”

The 2025 South African Rotax karting champions will form the basis of the National team alongside the winners of the African Open to travel to the annual Rotax Max Grand Finals ‘Olympics of Karting’ in Bahrain in December.