Summarize

Rotax Max Challenge regionals delivered a double bill of great WOMZA Gauteng and KZN karting over the weekend. It was a mixed day of domination and close racing, form book results and surprises too at what proved something of a pre-National at Zwartkops near Pretoria on Saturday, while Sunday at iDube near Pietermaritzburg saw a few upsets and form being shown too.

A delighted Niko Zafiris scored a double DD2 win from Nicolas Spanoyannis, Wayland Wyman, Delon Thompson and race 1 winner Nicholas Verheul on a splendid 19-kart grid. Ian Allnutt was next up from Masters winner Eugene Brittz, Justin Allison, KZN visitor Ian Allnutt and the troubled Smith brothers, Brandon and Jamie. Robert Whiting beat Brent Walden to KZN honours.

Double winner Eugene Brittz fended off KZN rivals, race 1 winner Jonathan Pieterse and Alistair Mingay for the Zwartkops DD2 Masters win with Philippe Chapat, Shane Foley and Carlo Gil in pursuit. The men from KZN did not score, leaving Chapat officially second from Gil, Llewellyn Sutherland and Cyril Niemandt in the Gauteng outcome. The KZN Masters men then rushed home from Zwartkops to see Jonathan Pieterse take the win from Shane Foley and Alistair Mingay.

Kian Grottis made short work of the Zwartkops Senior Max races with a triple win over KZN visitor Shrien Naidoo, Juandre Nel, followed by Olerato Sekudu and Jordan Brooks. Jack Rowe was sixth but like KZN compatriot Naidoo, he does not score in Gauteng, leaving Roshaan Goodman and Ethan Bostander to pick up fifth and sixth. The KZN Senior Max races saw Riley Horner take a triple win from Jack Rowe and Yifan Li at iDube.

National rivals, Muhammad Wally, KZN visitor Troy Snyman and Jayden Goosen fought it out at the head of a growing 10-kart upcountry under-15 high school Junior Max grid. Wally won two to Snyman’s one heat, but Snyman did not count for the Gauteng title so it was Goosen who ended up second from KC Ensor-Smith, Moosa Kajee and Nicolaos Vostanis. Uzair Khan and Corban Spies ended up tied for the KZN Junior win with Jonno Wilson third as Troy Snyman hit trouble.

Wian Boshoff was dominant as he left Erich Heystek, Kent Swartz, KZN visitor Travis Mingay and East London las Caleb Odendaal to fight over the scraps in Zwartkops under-13 Mini Max. Mingay did not score points, so Odendaal, Tjaden Tromp and Georgia Lenaerts rounded off the top six. Travis Mingay then rushed home to iDube to take Sunday’s KZN win over namesake Travis Yeld.

Kegan Martin caused somewhat of an under-11 Micro Max upset at Zwartkops when he trotted to a triple win over Rafael da Silva, Durelle Goodman and Spice Mailula, with Mattao Mason and Cristian Verheul next up. Kyle Spies meanwhile won all three of Sunday’s iDube KwaZulu Natal KZN Micro Max races from Harry Rowe and Troy Pieterse.

A splendid 15-kart Gauteng baby Bambino grid delivered brilliant racing, but Matthew Shuttleworth was most consistent with two seconds and the third heat victory to take the day. Shayaan Mohamed and Logan Billau also had consistent days to share second ahead of race 1 and 2 winner Maddox Mason, Kayde Cornofsky and Santi Frade. Kayden Pistauer took Sunday's KZN Bambino win after double winner Yashlan Chetty was found underweight in race 1.

Richard Van Heerde took the KZN Max Masters win from Richard Horner and James Stewart. Also at iDube, Peter John Garbutt and Byron Campbell shared the KZN 4 stroke wins as Stan Whiting took the day on handicap from Kyle Nivison and Campbell. And a FKR Shifter race rounded the Gauteng day off as Ian Basson bounced back to take the second and third races from race 1 winner Jaco Nel, Deon Auby, David Hollis, Andreas Kyriacou and Marius Swanepoel.

Rotax Max regionals continue at Killarney in Cape Town on Saturday 25 September before the bumper National Finals and Rotax Max African Open double header back at Zwarkops 2-3 October.