Summarize

New for 2018 following an experimental season last year, the fast and affordable new DVS karting class is all set and ready to race at the first round of the SA Rok Cup at Vereeniging’s Laserfiche Raceway Saturday 10 March. The new series has attracted the cream of South Africa’s open class kart racing crop — not surprising considering that there’s a DVS International Final drive on the line in Italy at the end of the year.

With an entry list that includes the cream of SA's racing crop, racing should be close and enthralling - multiple South African champions, Luke Herring and Dino Stermin from Cape Town, Jozi drivers, leading karting lass Fabienne Lanz, MSA Academy champion Jordan North and Blaine Rademeyer; Durban's Daniel Duminy, young guns Wayland Wyman, Liam Pienaar

and Brandon Smith and the returning Mario Ras are among the ladies and gentlemen chasing that International drive.

The new DVS race engines bring a new angle to open-class karting in South Africa, with drivers arriving at the track with ready to race chassis before picking up their race engines, which are allocated by ballot on the race Friday. Lighter and more compact, DVS kart engines are also simple to use and maintain thanks to the elimination of complex and expensive electronics, internal water pumps and clutches, all of which also leads to inexpensive maintenance and in turn, low racing budgets.

All DVS race engines are output equalised to ensure close racing as part of the DVS Rental Package. These sealed units are issued and maintained by the organisers at an affordable set rental per race, which includes the use of the engine for five Friday practice sessions and the full Saturday race day. Additional practice engines can also be leased for the season, while the DVS Purchase Package allows drivers to buy race engines that can either be placed into the organisers motor pool or be used for practice days. 

The Purchase Package requires a service fee to refresh engines every race, but the engine becomes the owner’s property at the end of the season. Drivers are limited to one set of new practice tyres over and above the race set allocated as part of the weekend fee per race.

The 2018 SA DVS Challenge Champion wins a fully paid drive in the DVS International ROK Finals in Lonato, Italy in October. The prize sees all costs paid, including free race entry, the cost of the rental of the chassis of the driver’s choice free engine rental and two sets of new tyres for the race weekend. Add three nights of hotel accommodation and even three lunch vouchers at the famous Lonato track restaurant.

The Northern Regions DVS Challenge Champion also earns a free wildcard DVS entry to the Lonato International Final covering race engine rental and one set of race rubber. ROK International Final wildcard entries are also available to any South African driver who has raced three or more 2018 ROK Cup SA events by the end of August 2018, while drivers who compete in five SA DVS rounds earn an automatic wildcard International Final entry. 

So there’s plenty to race for at Vereeniging on Saturday, where DVS will race as part of a full Laserfiche Raceway program of ROK Cup classes along with the well supported GP 125 Shifter class.