As the 2023 Northern Regions Rotax Karting Championship season comes to a close, several Toyota Gazoo Racing Junior Academy (TGRJA) drivers are in contention for regional honours. The final round is set for an almighty showdown at the Formula-K Kart Circuit this weekend.
In the premier DD2 class, Kian Grottis will be keen to return to the circuit, where he claimed three of his seven victories this season. With the championship leader not participating in the final round, Grottis is in a strong position to claim the title while only two points off the top of the championship standings.
With newly crowned national Senior MAX champion KC Ensor-Smith having done enough to add the regional title to his 2023 season, TGRJA will be looking to end the season with a one-two finish with Olerato Sekudu. Sekudu takes a 25-point buffer over third into the final round and will hope to add to a single victory along with nine podium finishes this season.
Kent Swartz, the only other 2023 national champion from TGRJA, is in a good position to win another Junior MAX title this season. The current championship leader, who Swartz trails by four points, won’t participate this weekend, solidifying Swartz’s chances of winning. Additionally,Swartz has a 26-point lead over third position. The odds are, therefore, in Swartz’s favour to win, considering that three out of his six victories this season came at the Benoni circuit.
In the closely-contested Mini MAX class, an inform Reagile Mailula can still secure the regional championship with the current points leader not competing this weekend. He will, however, need to make up 22 points, which, coupled with a points system that allows a driver to drop his three worst-scoring rounds, could mean that Mailula will need to win all three heats on Saturday.
The only significant change to the usual academy line-up sees regular Mini MAX contender Emma-Rose Dowling make her debut in the Junior MAX class. Dowling, one of only a few female karting competitors and the only one competing with TGRJA, has performed admirably this season, recording several fourth-place finishes.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Emma-Rose Dowling
MSA Publishes media releases from a host of different sources on our website as a service to the sport. It is not practically possible to vet/approve every release that is published. Some news items and articles are written by correspondents and do not necessarily represent MSA’s views.