Rotax MAX karting delivers great Zwartkops action
The Gauteng Rotax Max karting scene burst back into action at Zwartkops with a first post-lockdown Rand Kart Club meeting. A strong field ramped up their preparations for when the South African Kart Championships and Gauteng Regional Kart Championships resume over the coming weeks.
It was an interesting day – city council required the Club to split the races into two events to keep numbers down. So Junior classes ran in the morning and Senior in the afternoon.
Victory was sweetest for maiden premier DD2 gearbox class winner Niko Zafiris, who took two wins to one to take the day from the evergreen Nick Verheul and race 3 winner Wayland Wyman. Divan Braak was fourth from Ethan Toth and Cyril Niemandt. Muhammad Wally gave notice of his national intent with a triple Under-15 Junior Max victory over arch rival Troy Snyman, while Moosa Kajee topped off a tight battle for third over Nicolaos Vostanis, Karabo Malemela and KC Ensor-Smith after race 1 second man Jayden Goosen hit trouble.
Kian Grottis likewise rattled off a trio of under-15 Senior Max wins over Olerato Sekudu, while Conner le Roux topped a busy fight for third over Roshaan Goodman, Ryan Wustmann, Sarah Smith and Ethan Bostander. Primary school action saw Wian Boshoff take a trio of under-13 Mini Max wins over Erich Heystek while Caleb Odendaal beat Kent Swartz and Tjaden Tromp in the battle third for place.
Reagile Mailula, Cristian Verheul and Rafael da Silva each won an under-11 Micro Max heat as da Silva emerged the overall winner from Verheul, Kegan Martin, Mattao Mason, Aadam Kajee and Emma Rose Dowling after Mailula retired from the second heat to drop down the order. And Matthew Shuttleworth delivered a final race win over race 2 winner Santi Frade to take a close baby Bambino win over a packed grid after race 1 winner Maddox Mason ran into trouble. That allowed Tyron Kinghorn onto the podium ahead of Brodi Dowling, Kayde Cornofsky and Rafael De Sousa.
The Rotax Max Challenge karting focus now shifts to the first regional action since lockdown for a KZN championship round at iDube near ‘Maritzburg next Sunday 15 August. A strong upcountry contingent should turn out for that pre-national ahead of SA National Round 3 there at the end of the month. Any visitors will however have their hands full with the plucky KwaZulu Natal locals.
Robert Whiting and his Masters rivals, Jonathan Pieterse and Alistair Mingay will be the men to beat in DD2, while Riley Horner and Jack Rowe will defend local Senior Max and Troy Snyman and Corban Spies KZN Junior honour. Travis Mingay and Dylan Watkins are KZN’s top Mini kids, Harry Rowe and Kyle Spies its Micro Max front runners and Troy Pieterse and Kayden Pistauer the top Zululand Bambino babies.
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Over 200 competitors have registered to compete in this year’s revolutionary new South African Rotax MAX Kart Championships. Have you?
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Over 200 competitors have registered to compete in this year’s revolutionary new South African Rotax MAX Kart Championships. Have you?