Senior MAX rookie Brandon van der Walt displayed remarkable driving skills at Zwartkops Kart Raceway, standing out among highly skilled racers to clinch a well-deserved fifth-place finish in Heat 2 as the fourth round of the MSA Northern Regions Rotax Karting Championship concluded at the weekend.
Following a relatively long break since the last race meeting, Van Der Walt took to the circuit during Saturday morning’s Qualifying Session a tad rusty, having not practiced much in the event build-up. While he qualified in seventh, he was only two-tenths off third place. Starting from the fourth row of the grid, the Ice Motorsport driver made a solid start to move up several positions. He would, unfortunately, lose out after a pass was made on him to drop back to eighth before making up a position to finish in seventh.
In Heat 2, Van Der Walt did an outstanding job by finishing fifth even though he started from the last row of the grid. He had a great start and quickly moved up the ranks, gaining even more positions by the middle of the race. Unfortunately, an engine issue in the final heat hindered the teenager’s strong performance. This left Van Der Walt with less power, but he persevered and completed the heat. It was still commendable, considering it could have been his best result.
Van Der Walt thanked the team for their exceptional job and was pleased to be back competing. Despite the challenge of a long break, he improved throughout the day and is satisfied with his overall result, particularly in Heat 2. Moving forward, the goal remains to continue improving, and he is excited about the national round in Cape Town in a few weeks.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
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