Summarize

Saturday saw double South African Rotax Max regional karting action with racing both in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Formula K hosted the opening round of the Gauteng Northern Regions championship in Benoni, while the second round of the Cape championship went down at Killarney.

KC Ensor-Smith made a triumphant karting return with two race wins en route to DD2 honours at Formula K over Olerato Sekudu, Gabriel Fernandez and Dusan Radojevic. Opening race winner Bradley Liebenberg’s day fell apart to end fifth overall from Elektra Skordis. Sebastian Boyd took Cape premier DD2 honours with a couple of wins over Joseph Oelz, with Anwil April, Matthew Wadeley and Ethan Stier in chase. Jason Coetzee hit trouble in the opening heat but struck back to win the final from Boyd, Oelz, April and Wadley. That was not enough to stop Boyd from taking the day from Oelz. 

Former Durbanite Jonathan Pieterse beat ex-V8 racer Jimmy Auby and Jared Jordan to the opening DD2 Masters win at Killarney. Auby then took heat 2 from Cristiano Morgado recovering from an early shower in the opening race, Pieterse and Jordan. Morgado then beat day winner Auby and Neville Chapman in the final to make it three winners in three races. Justin Rogers meantime took Gauteng DD2 Masters honours up at Formula K.

Luca Wehrli dominated Senior Max at Killarney from Keagan Beaumont each time, while Jesse Swart, Jordon Wadeley, Joshua Smit, and Tristan Botha shared out the minor placings. Double winner Kent Swartz escaped a final race disaster to win the Gauteng Senior day from Jonno Wilson, Ethan Bostander, Roshaan Goodman, surprise final race winner Tristan du Plessis and Mikel Bezuidenhout.

Durelle Goodman beat Cristian Verheul, Caleb Odendaal, and Jack Moore to a busy opening Formula K high school Junior Max bout. Odendaal took race 2 from du Keenan Plessis, Tshepang Shisinwana and Goodman, and overall winner Odendaal the final  from Moore and Goodman. Down in the Cape, Sebastiano Human did the triple from newcomer Manelisi Nkomo and Nicholas Lennox in heat 1, from Lennox, Caleb Moss and Nkomo in race 2, and over Moss, Lennox and Aiden Beaumont in the final. 

Liam Wharton took the opening Killarney Under-13 Mini Max race from Max Boshoff, Jayden van der Merwe and Ruhan Victor. Max then beat Zac Boshoff, Victor and van der Merwe in the second heat before Wharton hit back from day winner van der Merwe, Zac Boshoff and Victor in the final. There was a turn-up for the books in Formula K Mini races where Declan Jurgens took the day with a third and a couple of wins over Ruvan Maritz, race 1 winner Renaldo Koen, Kiyaan Reddi. Namibian Nande Kaiyamano in sixth was one of several drivers in that 15-kart field from neighbouring countries.

Formula K delivered an under 11 Micro Max thriller as opening race winner Adriaan Steyn beat second race winner Luke du Toit and final victor Luhan de Wet overall.  Alessio Brittz, Raidyn Reddy, Russell Josephat and Aston Verheul followed. It was also super competitive at Killarney’s Micro races, where Yaqeen Gamieldien and Logan Roehrig shared out the wins with Ebrahim Khalpey, Jake Steyn, Michael O’Mahoney, Yaqeen Gamieldien and Radhi Harris right in the mix.

Divaaj Govender continued his Cape Bambino domination with another Killarney triple over Aleena Doutie, Ashlyn Beaumont, Emelee Adriaans and Ryder Roehrig each time. Sebastien Shuttleworth went unbeaten at Formula K where three Bambino thirds were good enough for Ndwambi Rofhiwa to steal second from Alonzo de Oliveira after his tough third race. New face Yerhu Malabi, Zonkizizwe Holomisa and Teresa Bettencourt closed off the Gauteng top six.

“That was another cracking weekend of regional Rotax Max karting around the country,” Rotax South African karting boss Ed Murray concluded. “It once again bodes for a truly exciting National season ahead, starting at Killarney on Saturday 22 March. We cannot wait!”