What Rotax Max National Finals Preview
Where Zwartkops International Kart Raceway, Pretoria
When Saturday 31 August 2024
Community South Africa National
Titles to be settled, national seats filled in Pretoria
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 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 African Open win to steal the first DD2 Masters Grand Final seat, 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 second 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 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 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 trio, Kegan Martin and 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 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 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 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 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. And a ticket to go with the team to watch and learn the ropes in Italy.
Talking of green and gold, the Zwartkops finals this weekend will confirm who will fly the flag at those Naples ‘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.
Issued on behalf of Rotax Max Challenge
Photography by: Abri de Bruyn
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