Summarize

The 2024 Rotax Max Challenge South African Karting Championships will come to a dramatic head at Zwartkops over the weekend of 29 and 30 August. Not only will seven new MSA South African Rotax Max Karting Champions be crowned after four fight heats of racing following a year of racing in each class, but the results will also formalise the South African team for October’s Rotax Max ‘Olympics of Karting’ Grand Finals in Napoli, Italy. 

The champions will join the Rotax African Open Champions already crowned in each class, except for Bambino, in Italy in October. Should the same driver be both African Open and National champion, the National runner-up will then pick up the second seat. So there’s quite literally no place to hide until the fat lady has sung at Zwartkops come Saturday afternoon. Every class must still crown its king, queen, and in some cases, runner up too.

Champion archrivals, Cape lad Sebastian Boyd and Johannesburg Bradley Liebenberg will fight over the premier class DD2 title on Saturday. They still have Jason Coetzee, Nicolaos Vostanis, Matthew Wadeley and Karabo Malemela close enough to pick up the pieces. Boyd has however already secured his passage to those Italian finals with his African Open success. So his rivals certainly have it all to do, for title and country.

Bjorn Roos took a fortuitous Rotax African Open win to steal the Grand Final tivcket to watch the action, when rival Jared Jordan hit trouble in the final, that day back in March. But Jordan still leads the national chase, albeit by a handful of points from Roos and Justin Rogers. KZN veteran Jonathan Pieterse, Mozambican Cristian Bouche and Michael Jordan are also all still in the chase for the title, and that precious Grand Finals seat.

Jozi lad Muhammad Wally, KZN driver Jonno Wilson and Capetonian African Open winner Charl Visser find themselves in a frantic three-way Rotax Senior Max title fight. Visser is thus already heading to Italy, so it’s between Wally and Wilson for the second Grand Finals seat. Unless Kent Swart, Mauro Da Luz or Mikel Bezuidenhout have anything to say about it, as they’re all still in mathematical contention for the National title too.

Cape high school Rotax Junior Max log leader William Marshall may have already booked his ticket to the Grand Finals by winning the Junior African Open in March, but he has his work cut out if he wants to add the South African National title to his karting cart. Jozi karting lasses Gianna Pascoal and Georgia Lenaerts sit within ten points, with Keagan Beaumont and Luke Hill also still in contention. There’s still of a chance of landing that second SA team Junior seat, so it’s all to do there.

It’s all about Gauteng kids in under-13 Rotax Mini Max. Tshepang Shisinwana leads Durelle Goodman, Rafael De Sousa, Brodi Dowling, Ronaldo Koen and Ruvan Maritz to the Zwartkops finale. The Mini champion will also definitely pick up that hallowed Grand Finals ticket. That thanks to Dubai-based KZN driver Aaryan Singh pulling an epic African Open wildcard feat to steal that slot in the South African national team for Italy.

Jozi lad Matthew Shuttleworth seemingly has one hand on the under-11 Rotax Micro Max title following a solid last two outings, leaving Cape lightie Liam Wharton with it all to do at Zwartkops. Compatriot Michael O’Mahoney has already booked his ticket to suport the team at the Grand Finals after winning the Micro Max African Open, but he still has Gauteng trio Luhan De Wet, Adriaan Steyn and Luke Du Toit on his case for that third spot.

Cape kids Radhi Harris and Caleb Lingeveldt lead the way in the baby Bambinos. Both have proven that that they have no qualm in fighting the Jozi locals on the home ground. But Alonzo De Oliveira, Aston Verheul, Sebastien Shuttleworth and Liam De Beer will no doubt seek that home Zwartkops advantage in that four-heat Finale. Bambino does not race at the Grand Finals. But the champion earns a green and gold race suit for the new season next year.

Talking of green and gold, the Zwartkops finals this weekend will confirm who will fly the flag at those Naples Rotax ‘Olympics of Karting’ in October. So it’s a double bonus as that right will only come via national championship success. With practice and qualifying on Friday and a full day of racing on the undulating, twisting and testing Zwartkops International Kart track Saturday, that sounds like a great reason to enjoy a epic day of kart racing out of the very top drawer, first hand.