Summarize

The 2021 Rotax Max Challenge delivered no less than 21 regional karting champions across its seven classes in three regions through the year. While several of them scored double titles alongside their national championships, others never quite had it their own way in their efforts on home soil.

National 1-2, Joseph Oelz and Sebastian Boyd also fought it out for the Western Cape premier DD2 title, with Jason Coetzee occasionally playing interference. But it was wild in Gauteng where no less than seven drivers won races. Brandon Smith took the upcountry title with nine wins versus second man Wayland Wyman’s three and Nicolas Spanoyannis’ one. Niko Zafiris, Nick Verheul, Jamie Smith and Divan Braak also won several races between them. And Jonathan Pieterse pipped Robert Whiting in KZN. 

The Gauteng DD2 Masters chase proved an epic fight as Carlo Gil won four races to Philippe Chapat’s two, to take the title on a count-back of wins. Tinahe Ncube also won four times but ended just five points adrift. Conor Hughes took the Cape Masters title from a much improved Andrew Thomas, who won several times through the year, and Steve Beaumont and Jared Jordan. And Shane Foley and Alistair Mingay fought it out in KZN.

SA champ Tate Bishop had it all his own way in the Cape Senior Max title race, although second placed Storm Lanfear, Tristan de Nobrega in third and Andrew Rackstraw kept him honest, when they raced. National runner-up Kian Grottis likewise made the Gauteng championship his own ahead of race winner Olerato Sekudu and Roshaan Goodman. Third man in the nationals, Riley Horner was untroubled in KZN too, where Yifan Lee held race winner Jack Rowe and Juandre Nel off for second.

Third in the nationals, Jayden Goosen won four races to Moosa Kajee’s three to clinch the Gauteng high school Junior Max title. Improving duo Nicolaos Vostanis and Karabo Malemela completed that top four. Reza Levy was in charge in the Cape Juniors, although Matthew Wadeley took a trio of race wins to beat Jaden Jacobs and Joshua Smit to second. And Corban Spies and Maahir Wahab did just enough to hold SA flying champion Troy Snyman at bay in KZN, after Troy missed a few rounds.

SA champion Wian Boshoff was also imperious in Gauteng under-13 Mini Max, but Caleb Odendaal managed to beat him four times en route to second. Kent Swartz also stole a race win and Georgia Lenaerts improved through the season to end fourth. National runner-up Joaquin de Oliveira was the lad to beat in the Cape, as Joshua Smit and Jordon Wadeley both took races off him. And Travis Mingay was unstoppable in KZN as the consistent Travis Yeld beat race winner Dylan Watkins to second.

Kegan Martin was dominant in Gauteng under-11 Micro Max, although Rafael da Silva won seven races to keep him honest. Mattao Mason also won a few times while Taylin Patel improved through the season to end fourth. Keagan Beaumont was dominant in Cape Micro Max, but brother Aiden took a few races off him in second and Dale Hobbs took several wins as he beat the ever improving Matthew Chiwara to fourth. And in KZN, Kyle Spies beat Harry Rowe to the title with Troy Pieterse third.

In the baby Bambinos, Matthew Shuttleworth took nine wins to Brodi Cooper Dowling’s six and Santiago Frade’s three, to take the Gauteng title. Fourth placed SA champion Maddox Mason won seven races. Michael Danks was dominant en route to his WP title over consistent duo Liam Wharton and Ruan Lewis 2. Zach McAuley came on strong to win several races later on, while fifth placed Siyabonga Ntuli also won a few races. Kayden Pistauer was unchallenged for most of the KZN year.

It all starts all over again when the various 2022 Rotax Max Challenge regional championships kick off early in the new year, where local racers will commence their chases for those next 21 titles...