On 10 June, Mikel Bezuidenhout competed in the senior MAX category at Zwartkops Kart Raceway. While celebrating his 15th birthday, he achieved an impressive top-seven finish, competing against a group of skilled drivers despite being a newcomer to the category.
With the second half of the MSA Northern Regions Rotax Karting Championship season underway, Bezuidenhout secured an impressive fourth qualifying position on Saturday morning, trailing only 0.052 seconds behind third.
During the first heat, Bezuidenhout lost a position but later regained it. However, he faced further setbacks due to other racers’ assertive driving, ultimately dropping him to seventh place. The Johannesburg teenager would eventually finish in eighth.
In the second heat, Bezuidenhout, sponsored by MTN Cosmo-Net and Vivo Mobile South Africa, moved up from sixth to fourth place in another closely contested race. However, he could not maintain his place and finished the race in sixth place, losing the two positions he had gained. He made up three positions in the opening lap of the final heat but received a post-race penalty (5 seconds) for a Nose-Cone Infringement after some intense racing. He finished seventh.
Bezuidenhout humorously commented, “Senior MAX is not for the faint-hearted,” after the final heat. “The racing was extremely close, and many of us were involved in some form of contest today. It creates a fantastic spectacle, and I enjoy the intensity it provides. Battling each other on the track is an experience I cannot describe. Adrenaline flows throughout, and it becomes almost addictive.”
Bezuidenhout thanks his team at NBR Racing and his sponsors for their support. Round 5 of the MSA Northern Regions Rotax Karting Championship will see him return to Zwartkops Kart Raceway on 15 July. Before that, he will travel to Cape Town for Round 3 of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge at Killarney International Raceway on 30 June to 1 July.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
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