Summarize

Little Luan Mostert had never driven anything other than his faithful Andre Mostert Vervoer Cadet kart before last week, but when team manager Ricky Perdigao suggested that he take the risk and step up to the Micro Rok class for the opening SA Rok Cup races up at Vereeniging, he jumped at the opportunity to travel up and learn all about a new Kosmic kart in a new class and at a new track at the Laserfiche Raceway. 

Not only did Cape Town seven-year old Mostert take to it like a duck to water, but he starred en route to a stunning debut third overall against the hometown favourites. “We never planned to go, but Ricky suggested we travel to Vereeniging to learn and my dad decided that we should go to race there. “But when we arrived there on Thursday it was raining and no one could go out on the track,” Luan explained.

“Then we lost a lot of time on Friday because I am so small and we had to work on making me fit in the kart and to get the kart set up, but really I loved that track! “We kept on working and the kart was strong on Saturday morning and my uncle and aunt from Johannesburg and my cousin came to support me so it was a very exciting day!”

Luan qualified fourth and enjoyed a good dice with Mzwandile Anele before taking charge and racing to fourth place, but the team kept on working on the kart and Luan found the half a second he needed a lap to chase for third, which is exactly what he achieved in the second race. Luan then enjoyed a great scrap for third to steal his second podium for the day from Anele to stand on the podium again as he took a most impressive third overall on his first race on the bigger kart against the locals there at a track he had never driven on before.

“It was so cool to receive those medals on the podium after the second and third races with my Johannesburg family there to cheer!” Luan admitted. “I ended up third for the day and I really enjoyed dicing the Joburg kids best of all, I am only one of two Cape Town kids to bring a trophy home. “Thanks so much to Tio Kito, uncle Ricky, Arnold Neveling, Leon Hill and everyone from RKT who helped us this weekend and especially to my dad and mom — I can’t wait to race a big kart again soon!”