In what was arguably one of Manelisi Nkomo’s best race weekends since joining the Mini ROK field, the Cape Town resident’s ever-improving form saw him claim his maiden national podium and finish in the top seven as the MSA National ROK Cup Championship concluded at the Vereeniging Kart Circuit this past weekend.
Heading into Saturday’s four race heats, Nkomo qualified more than a second off the pole-setter’s time in fourteenth. While this was somewhat concerning in such a close and fiercely contested class, Nkomo consistently showed good race pace to finish in the top seven, finishing an impressive third in the penultimate heat. He looked like repeating the feat in the final heat before crashing out while on course for a sure podium finish. Despite recovering, the former Johannesburg student finished 17th. Over the course of the day, Nkomo reduced the gap to the front runners to be within 0.2 seconds of their quickest lap time, again showing how he has improved to become an all-round racer.
“I am very happy with my overall performance, despite the disappointment of crashing out of the final heat while trying to challenge for second. The opportunity presented itself, and I went for it. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out, but I won’t die wondering,” he joked. “I must thank the team for their hard work. It was a long day with four heats, and I am now looking ahead to a brief stint in Germany before heading to Italy for the Super ROK Finals.”
While his national season has concluded, Nkomo now heads to Europe for competition before returning to South Africa and the Western Cape to conclude the WPMC Karting Regional Championship.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Manelisi Nkomo
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