Summarize

Bradley Liebenberg, Bjorn Roos, William Marshall, Tshepang Shisinwana, Mathew Shuttleworth and Radhi Harris are MSA’s South African National Rotax Max Karting Champions for 2024 following a dramatic four-heat finale in each class at Zwartkops over the weekend. They now also form the basis of the South African team for October’s Rotax Max ‘Olympics of Karting’ Grand Finals in Napoli, Italy.

DD2 champion Liebenberg, DD2 Masters champion Roos, and the Senior Max champion to be decided at an imminent MSA Court hearing on an earlier season infraction, will fly the flag in October. Marshall had already won his berth at the African Open, so second-placed Junior driver Luke Hill will join him in Italy, while Shisinwana and Shuttleworth will represent SA in the Rotax Mini and Micro Max grand Finals.

Saturday’s racing was superb. Liebenberg won a DD2 race, as did Nicolaos Vostanis, aa Jamie Smit won two heats on the day. But it was consistent Vostanis who took the win from Liebenberg, Smith, Jason Coetzee, Olerato Sekudu, Matthew Wadeley, and outgoing champ Sebastian Boyd. Now a six-time DD2 champion Liebenberg, and African Open winner Boyd are the SA DD2 team.

Bjorn Roos had to play second fiddle to the ever-impressive multiple world Max DD2 Masters Champion Cristiano Morgado for the day. But Roos did enough to secure his Grand Finals seat as Masters representative in the SA Team in Italy in October with second ahead of Jonathan Pieterse, Justin Rogers, Cristian Bouché, Jared Jordan and Neville Chapman. 

Muhammad Wally took three Senior Max wins versus Kent Swartz’ one to take the day,  but it was the consistent Wian Boshoff who ended second for the day from Roshaan Goodman in third, Mauro Da Luz, Swartz, and Durban brothers Dhivyen and Shrien Naidoo. This one must however still go to court over an earlier issue, to find a champion in the coming weeks.

Cape high school Junior lad Max log leader William Marshall added the South African National title to his Junior African Open win as he took one win to Luke Hill’s three to come home second on the day. Hill’s efforts were good enough to net the title second and the second National Team seat for Italy. Gianna Pascoal ended third on the day from Keagan Beaumont, Emma Rose Dowling, Cristian Verheul, Jordon Wadeley and Anwill April.

Under-13 leader Tshepang Shisinwana delivered his regular polished performance to take the Mini Max day from double heat winner Brodi Dowling and final victor Rafael De Sousa. Durelle Goodman ended fourth on the day from Max Boshoff, Kiyaan Reddi, Christian Naidoo and Ruvan Maritz. National champion Shisinwana now joins African Open winner Aaryan Singh in the Mini Max South African national team for Italy.

Jozi lad Matthew Shuttleworth dominated under-11 Micro Max with four race wins to add to two solid previous outings, as he claimed his Grand Finals seat. Adriaan Steyn and Luke Du Toit completed the podium with Luhan De Wet, Michael O’Mahoney, Liam Wharton with Retlotleng Thekiso and Alessio Britz in pursuit at Zwartkops as Shuttleworth took that Micro Grand Finals seat.

It was so close in the baby Bambinos that Alonzo De Oliveira and Sebastien Shuttleworth scored a dead heat in race 3 and each also won a race as De Oliveira beat Shuttleworth by a single point to take the day. But that was not enough to prevent Cape kid Radhi Harris from taking the title and the green and gold race suit that comes with it with third on the day after he won the opening heat too. Enzokuhle Ncwane was fourth on the day from Aston Verheul, Caleb Lingeveldt, Daniel Resende and Anash Madikane.

The Zwartkops Rotax Max  National Finals closed off yet another exemplary and superbly supported South African Rotax Max Karting season as they crowned the 2024 Champions and almost finalised the SA team for the ‘Olympics of Karting’ in Italy. That happens from 20 to 26 October in Naples.