Summarize

The Rotax Max Northern Regions karting championships returns to the Zwartkops International Kart Track for its third round on Saturday 4 May, where several drivers will be keen to defend their early season advantage, while their rivals will be out to make up for lost ground in the opening races.

Local Pretoria veteran Nicholas Verheul was the form man at a tightly fought second round also at Zwartkops, where he won both the DD2 and Senior Max classes. He will have to deal with another veteran in DD2 this weekend, with Roman de Beer fresh off a national race win in PE last weekend. Verheul leads Bloem lad Justin Allison in the title race with Branson Smith third.

Do not ignore Jamie Smith and Anton Pommersheim, Llewellyn Myburgh, Brandon Smith, Wayland Wyman, Pascal Acquaah and Eugene Brittz in DD2, while Philippe Chapat will want to hold on to his handy DD2 Masters title advantage over Steve Beaumont and Mitch Coetzee.

Verheul is also in the thick of the Senior Max title fight following a victorious run last time out and he sits just two points behind Wayland Wyman with the consistent Dane van Heerden within ten points of both of them. Expect East London lass Shannon Jackson, Jurgen Pommersheim, Taiibi Tucci and Max 175 leader Erwin Sterne to all stir up the Senior title race too.

Cape Town visitor Joseph Oelz has the Gauteng Junior Max gang in check after taking the day last time out, but it is local ace Kwanda Mokoena who leads the under-15 title race from Oelz and Ethan Coetzee. Other kids to look out for here include Aqil Alibhai, Jordan Brooks, the ever-improving Lorenzo Cianfanelli, Ndumiso Bungane, Kgalema Mngadi and Godfrey Malumane.

Troy Snyman remains the lad to beat in under-13 Mini Max, especially after his recent national dominance in that class. He will have championship second and third kids Muhammad Wally and Matthew Morrell breathing down his neck, while one should never ignore Jordan Brooks, Bjorn Bertholdt, Mandla Mlangeni, Ghazi Motlekar, Taya Van Der Laan, Giulio Cianfanelli and Seth Gomes here.

Little Mo Moerat is looking good for a possible double title this year if his antics in Micro Max are anything to go by — he is not only second in Mini, but also leads the under-11 Micro Max championship chase over the impressive Luviwe Sambudla and Kyle Beukes. Wian Boshoff, Caleb Cotterell hot off a great PE national, Erich Heystek and Kent Swartz are all strong Micro contenders too, while Hriday Pooren, Ntiyiso Mabunda and Mahlori Motlhabani are also among those in with a shout.

Last but not least, Tshepang Shisinwana and Troy van der Laan ended up on even points in the baby Bambinos last time out, but Shisinwana leads van der Laan in the title chase with Caleb Odendaal, Nick’s son Christian Verheul and Keagan and Aiden Beaumont all in the mix, while a host of new kids on the block will want to stake their baby kart claims too.

The Zwartkops International Kart Raceway is located behind the main circuit pits - find Zwartkops on the R55 just outside Laudium, Pretoria. Entrance is free and the facility offers great grub and all amenities at the clubhouse.