Fun End to Rotax MAX Year

Cool day of karting ends season at Zwartkops

The 2022 Rotax Max karting season came to a popular end at Saturday’s Gauteng Finals at Zwartkops this past weekend. The Mini Max, Micro Max and Bambinos raced their regional finals, with the others racing for RKC club points. That, along with some new drivers and others taking their first runs in their new age groups for 2023, made for some interesting and most entertaining racing.

The baby Bambinos starred, delivering three winners in three races, but it was middle race winner Diego Antunes who emerged a close overall baby class winner for the day. He edged opening heat winner Luhan De Wet and final race victor Adriaan Steyn to take the top step of the podium. It was just as close for fourth between Ronaldo Koen, Callum du Toit and Caleb Rogers.

Kegan Martin edged opening race winner Spice Mailula two under-13 Mini Max races to one, while Aadam Kajee hung on to beat Durelle Goodman, Amani Kinyua and Ruald Hartzenberg to third by the skin of his teeth. Rafael Da Silva put his Grand Finals experience to great effect to beat Emma Dowling to all three under-11 Micro Max wins. Cristian Verheul held on to third from Johan Nolte, Brodi Dowling, Franco Gibhard and Logan Billau.

Erich Heystek escaped a final race issue to edge Jayden Goosen to high school Junior Max honours from newcomers Mauro Da Luz, Georgia Lenaerts, Kent Swartz and Brandon van der Nest. Karabo Malemela meanwhile scored a come from behind Senior Max win from Roshaan Goodman after Olerato Sekudu hit trouble after winning the opening two heats. He ended third for the day from Ethan Bostander, Moosa Kajee and Ross Campbell.

Last but very much not least, Kian Grottis delivered a fine couple of wins to edge final race winner Jamie Smith to his first open class DD2 win. Nicolas Spanoyannis ended third on a count-back over Dusan Radojevic and Nicolaos Vostanis, with Wayland Wyman sixth. Ming Ma took the Masters’ win, while Philippe Chapat beat Robert Fulton to DD2 Vets honours.

A happy end of year prize giving straight after the races also saw two popular Victor Laudorum awards handed to Junior driver KC Ensor-Smith, who starred at the Rotax Max Grand Finals in Portugal a week ago and Senior went to DD2 driver Jamie Smith. It all starts all over again early in 2023 when Rotax Max sets out to find the best karters from each region, the country and then the world. Bring it on!