The Killarney karting circuit again proved challenging for Diego Antunes this past weekend as the Mini ROK driver from Johannesburg battled to find the perfect balance of performance and grip during the opening round of the National ROK Cup South Africa Kart Championship.
Qualifying down in 13th, Diego had his work cut out for him in the opening heat. Caught up in a battle towards the end of the field, he improved his starting position to finish just outside the top ten in 11th.
Heat 2 would see more of the same, with Diego again battling for the minor positions but losing a few places to finish 12th. In his final heat, however, he recorded his quickest lap of the day before finishing in the top 10 (ninth) despite picking up a Nose-Cone Infringement Penalty. He was also classified as ninth in the overall standings.
“It wasn’t a great weekend, but it never seems to be when I compete here. Finding a balanced setup is a challenge for us. Maybe my driving style doesn’t suit this circuit. I’m not sure, really. But when you’re racing down the field, you get to pass more often, and that certainly has been something I enjoyed; hopefully, we can put that to good use going forward,” said Diego.
While Diego will have a few weeks off, he returns to Gauteng for the Northern Regions ROK Kart Championships opening round, which gets underway on 6 April.
Diego is backed by TrevPar World.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Diego Antunes
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