Summarize

Rotax Max karting’s 2026 Northern Regions championship wrapped up with a four-heat, double-points thriller at Benoni’s Formula K Raceway on Saturday, crowning seven regional champions across a packed day of racing.

Two-speed gearbox Rotax DD2 delivered a three-way fight up front before Jonno Wilson won the third and fourth heats to take the day from Race 2 winner Jamie Smith and opening heat victor Charl Michael Visser. Third overall was more than enough for Visser to add the 2026 Northern Regions crown to his National DD2 championship ahead of Tyler Posthumus, Dusan Radojevic, and Oliver Ehlers. Juan Stander swept all four DD2 Masters heats to seal the veteran title.

A competitive 15-kart 22 kW Rotax Senior Max grid saw Tristan du Plessis win three of the four heats to take both the day and the 2026 championship crown. Race 3 winner Kian Spies chased him home in second overall ahead of Tshepang Shisinwana, Keenan du Plessis, Reagile Mailula, Ayden Koen, Ashaan Reddi, and Layton van der Merwe.

17 kW high-school Rotax Junior Max saw Ronaldo Koen win three heats to take the day from Race 3 winner Brodi Dowling. Munsanje Mukosa followed in third from Declan Jurgens and Keenan du Plessis. Keenan’s fifth place on the day wrapped up the 2026 Junior Max championship ahead of Cristian Verheul, Ruvan Maritz, and Matthew Bridle.

Ten-kilowatt under-13 Rotax Mini Max produced three different heat winners across the four races as Luke du Toit won the middle two heats to take the day and clinch the 2026 championship. Final heat winner Radhi Harris took second overall from Lwashu Mathebula, Adriaan Steyn, opening race winner Callum du Toit, Parker van der Molen, Kireev Chetty, and Juan Stander.

Six-kilowatt under-11 Rotax Micro Max saw Radhi Harris win the first three races to take the day and seal the 2026 championship title. Alonzo de Oliveira ended second overall by a single point from final heat winner Rofhiwa Ndwambi, with Mozambican lass Teresa Bettencourt fourth ahead of Zwothe Magoda, Aston Verheul, Yinhla Makhubele, and Tiyani Malabie.

And not least of all, Yerhu Malabie swept all four nursery school of karting 2 kW Bambino heats to take the day and wrap up the 2026 championship crown. William Grant followed in second overall from Tyler Stanyer, Siyanda Nkwanyana, Jayden Minnie, Jaxon Holzapfel, Gerrard Martin, and Handré Kukkuk.

Saturday’s double-points finale closes out the 2026 domestic Rotax Max season, with all eyes now shifting to Portimão in Portugal, where Team South Africa takes on the world at the Rotax Max Grand Finals this weekend. Learn more about Rotax Max karting in South Africa at www.kart.co.za