Kid ROK rookie Diego Antunes endured another challenging karting weekend, finishing sixth overall at MSA’s Northern Regions ROK Karting Championship following a spirited performance at Formula-K Kart Circuit. While he might not have had the pace to challenge for the podium placings, he certainly gave his all as he continues to find his feet in the hotly-contested Kid ROK class.
A new layout and an underperforming engine made it difficult for the TrevPar World-backed driver to be competitive this past weekend as he continued a new chapter in his short karting career. While Qualifying in seventh on Saturday morning, it was soon evident that the kart lacked pace despite the team’s best efforts. Regardless, Antunes soldiered on giving his all to finish seventh in the opening heat, battling with fellow rookie Omolemo Mfana. Heats 2 and 3 would end similarly, with the Johannesburg youngster finishing fifth and sixth, respectively.
“It’s always disappointing to witness your driver struggle. While the team tried everything to give him the best kart possible, we soon realized we were down on power. You don’t want to be at a disadvantage driving the reverse layout here at FK, as the straight is at an incline, and you have to negotiate the steep corkscrew. On the positive side, he showed tenacity, grit, and a “never give up” attitude, which I loved. He also learnt that these weekends are part of the learning process. So despite the results, I’m incredibly proud of him. He has a great attitude to racing, and I believe it will help him going forward,” said Neil Basilio, Antunes’ driver coach.
Antunes thanks TrevPar World, Cars.co.za and NBR Racing.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix – Raymond Cornwell
Picture Caption: Diego Antunes
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