Summarize

If the regional racing action seen so far this season is anything to go by, the 2025 South African Rotax Max National Karting Championship promises an epic prospect starting at Killarney in Cape Town over the coming weekend. Set on a date that suggests sunny conditions, there’s however no guarantee that early Cape rains won’t arrive to disrupt the formbook.

“Rotax Max karting is in a rude state of health and that’s a very good sign for the National season ahead,” Rotax SA CEO Ed Murray explains. “We had record numbers in most classes in the regionals across the country so far this season and we expect most of them to be at Killarney when upcountry Rotax karters trek to the Cape for the first round this weekend. We’re looking forward to a super competitive National season across all the Rotax Max classes in 2025.”

Sebastian Boyd has been in champion form in the premier DD2 gearbox class so far this season, but hometown Cape compatriots Joseph Oelz and Jason Coetzee have kept him honest too. They will have their work cut out, however. Gauteng aces KC Ensor-Smith has made a triumphant karting return and Bradley Liebenberg is back chasing yet another National Rotax DD2 crown. Also keep an eye on Cape youngsters Matthew Wadeley, Anwil April and Ethan Stier, and upcountry visitors Olerato Sekudu, Gabriel Fernandez and Dusan Radojevic.

There are a few interesting twists in the Rotax DD2 Masters for older, heavier drivers with multiple Rotax World Champion Cristiano Morgado back in the fray and ex-V8 racer Jimmy Auby in the mix too, for 2025. They will keep class regulars Jonathan Pieterse, Jared and Michael Jordan, Neville Chapman and Justin Rogers, among others, on their toes this season.

Cape locals Luca Wehrli, Keagan Beaumont, Jordon Wadeley, Jesse Swart, Joshua Smit, and Tristan Botha should enjoy a hometown Rotax Senior Max  advantage at Killarney. But that’s certainly not a given. Especially with the likes of Kent Swartz, Gianna Pascoal, William Marshall, Jonno Wilson, Ethan Bostander and Roshaan Goodman, making the trip down from Jozi for the weekend.

High school Rotax Junior Max is another class where anything can and will happen. The touring party will include Emma Dowling, Durelle Goodman, Caleb Odendaal, Cristian Verheul and Jack Moore, Tshepang Shisinwana, Sebastien Blignaut and Ashaan Reddi among others. But the Cape kids won’t want any rain on their parade. Sebastiano Human, Caleb Moss, Aiden Beaumont, Manelisi Nkomo and Nicholas Lennox and the rest are more than ready to combat the influx from the north.

Expect war in Rotax under-13 Mini Max, where the plausibility of qualifying heats cannot be out of the question as there may well be more than karts entered than the maximum 36 allowed to start a single race. Max and Zac Boshoff, Liam Wharton, Jayden van der Merwe, Ruhan Victor are among the Cape kids out to protect local honour. Declan Jurgens, Ruvan Maritz, Renaldo Koen and Kiyaan Reddi lead the upcountry charge. And don’t be surprised to also see a few entries from neighbouring countries at Killarney this weekend.

Under 11 Rotax Micro Max is another likely Killarney thriller with Adriaan Steyn, Luke du Toit, Luhan de Wet, Alessio Brittz, Raidyn Reddy, Russell Josephat and Aston Verheul headed for the Cape from the Witwatersrand. They will find some definite home resistance from the likes of Yaqeen Gamieldien, Ebrahim Khalpey ,Radhi Harris, Jake Steyn, Michael O’Mahoney, and the rest.

Last but not least, local lad Divaaj Govender has gone unbeaten in the Cape baby Bambino races so far this season, so he should be the kid to best at the Killarney National. However, not only will he have local rivals, Aleena Doutie, Ashlyn Beaumont, Emelee Adriaans and Ryder Roehrig baying for his blood, but Alonzo de Oliveira, Sebastien Shuttleworth, Yerhu Malabi, Zonkizizwe Holomisa and Teresa Bettencourt are among the Gauteng kids on their way to chase a vital Killarney victory.

“Saturday is the first major step towards crowing the 2025 Rotax Max National Karting champions as well as shaping the South African team to travel to the annual Rotax Max Grand Finals ‘Olympics of Karting,” Ed Murray concluded. “There are many reasons to believe that 2025 will be the best season of Rotax Max Karting for years, if not ever in South Africa. See you at Killarney!”