Summarize

Rotax Max karting commenced its Northern Regions championship with a spectacular racing off record grids at an often dramatic Zwartkops International Circuit on Saturday. On a weekend that delivered multiple winners across the board, there were some surprises, much action and even a little drama on a day that seemed more like a national, than just a regional race meeting. 

Their main drama was in the premier division 25 kW direct drive two-speed DD2s, where the heat 1 and 2 top two, Cape lad Charl Michael Visser and local hero Brandon Smith failed to start the final. Which left that third heat winner Justin Allison to take the day on an international podium alongside second and third men, Namibian Guido Bidoli and Zimbabwean Freddie Nunes. Wian Mulder ended fourth for the day from Visser and Smith.

Tristan du Plessis benefited the on form Emma Dowling, suffering a tough final heat to beat her to overall top chain drive 22 kW Rotax Senior Max class honours on an 18-kart grid on the day. Dowling ended second with Eastern Province visitor Caleb Moss a very close third from Spice Mailula, Georgia Lenaerts and Kian Spies, while Tshepang Shisinwana, Tyla Scrimgeour, Ayden Kiem and Anele Nzimande closed off the top ten.

A stunning twenty-one karts lined up for the three 17 kW high school Rotax Junior Max races, where Keenan du Plessis took the first two heats to take the day before Retlotleng Thekiso bounced back from a tough start to his weekend to take a surprise final heat win. Behind them, Brodi Dowling held Rafael de Sousa and Ashaan Reddi off for second overall with Munsanje Mukosa fifth for the day from Matthew Shuttleworth, Ruvan Maritz, Renaldo Koen, Ty Naidoo, and Cristian Verheul.

Luke du Toit opened his 2026 10 kW Rotax Mini Max account with a double win in the opening heats to take the day from the consistent Diego Antunes and final heat winner Christian Naidoo. Adriaan Steyn was fourth on a count back to his second heat third place, over Kireev Chetty with Luhan de Wet, Callum du Toit and Mozambicans Eduardo Campos and Igor Estevez among a splendid 19-kart field.

Alonzo de Oliveira beat Cape lad Radhi Harris two wins to one to take the 6 kilowatt under-11 Rotax Micro Max day ahead of Rofhiwa Ndwambi, Jurgens Jordan, Sebastian Shuttleworth and racing lasses, Mozambican Teresa Bettencourt, and Pretoria local Aston Verheul. Zwothe Magoda, Mulaudzi Thendo and Nichola Fleming closed off the top ten off another healthy 16-kart grid.

Last but not least, the nursery school of karting, the 2 kilowatt Bambino for kids from 5 to 9-years old saw Yerhu Malabie take two wins to Tiyani Malabie’s one to take the day. Zonkizizwe Holomisa held William Grant off for third with Tyler Stanyer fourth from Handré Kukkuk, Siyanda Nkwanyana, Grayson Venter, Zaid Panday and Jayden Minnie on an impressive grid of fifteen future racing stars.

“A few years ago, we’d be proud with an entry as big as Saturday’s Northern Regions opener for a National weekend,” Rotax South Africa supremo Ed Murray concluded. “Now we’re regularly beating those numbers on regional weekends, which is not just testament to the Rotax ethos of close, fair and meaningful racing, but that Max racing is also by far the closest, hardest fought and most popular karting series in South Africa.”

The 2026 Rotax Max season now gets serious with the first of four Nationals at Killarney in Cape Town on 28 March. Each Rotax class National Champion, as well as the winners of the five bigger of the July wildcard Rotax Max African Open classes, qualify for the ‘Olympics of Karting’ Rotax Max Grand Finals at the Kartódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal, 21-28 November 2026. Learn more and follow Rotax Max Challenge South Africa at www.kart.co.za