Six-year-old Alonzo de Oliveira won his first Bambino race and secured the overall runner-up position this past Saturday at the Northern Regions Rotax Kart Championships, underlining the start of the 2024 karting season for many.
Hosted at the Zwartkops Kart Raceway, the opening round was warm, with another heatwave pushing through Gauteng. On top of that, Alonzo was a little under the weather, too, but that did not stop the 2023 rookie from performing on the day.
The Glen Vista Grade 1 pupil qualified in second on Saturday morning before battling Sebastian Shuttleworth and Radhi Harris for the class honours. Alonzo claimed the last podium position in Heat 1 before going one better in Heat 2. However, his drive in the final heat impressed most, and he claimed his maiden win on a weekend that saw some epic racing.
“We are very proud of Alonza,” said Abel de Oliveira, Alonzo’s father. “Until this morning, we were unsure if he was up for racing, having felt ill during the night, but he woke up smiling and eager to race. His progress from a few months ago is phenomenal; he has learnt so much from his coach, Neil Basilio. We are nervously excited for the season ahead and will be focused on preparing him for the national and African Open in March.”
Next month, Alonzo heads to Cape Town for the African Open and the opening round of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge (SARMC) Kart Championships from 22-23 March.
Alonzo is backed by S.Y. Meat Wholesale Butchery, Y2K Audio Germiston and MSLB Projects.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Alonzo de Oliveira
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