Summarize

Sunday’s Zwartkops National Finals did far more than just formalise the South African Rotax Max team for the 2022 ‘Olympics of Karting’ as it crowned the 2022 SA Rotax Max National Champions. It was also a splendid day of kart racing between record entries across all classes and the crowning glory of a fine season of Rotax Max karting in Southern Africa.

 

Saturday’s action saw Cape lad Sebastian Boyd claim the 2022 SA DD2 crown with runner-up Joseph Oelz also joining the team. Pretoria driver Eugene Brittz wrapped up the DD2 Masters title and another Cape youngster, Charl Michael Visser won Senior Max. Jozi lad KC Ensor-Smith dominated under-14 Junior Max championship, Caleb Odendaal marched to the under-13 Mini Max title, Rafael Da Silva won under-11 Micro Max and Noah Cronje is SA Bambino champion.

 

Boyd, Oelz, Brittz, Visser, Ensor-Smith and Da Silva will now join African Open champions, Bradley Liebenberg in DD2, and Senior Max driver Shrien Naidoo at the ‘Olympics of Karting Rotax Max Grand Finals at Portimão in Portugal. Second in the Mini Max title race, Aadam Kajee will join Odendaal there in Mini Max and Junior Max African Open runner-up Wian Boshoff will join the team.

 

“We had our Rotax Max South African Finals this past weekend and it was great,” Rotax SA’s Ed Murray confirmed. “Congratulations to our 2022 South African Rotax Max Champions and to the drivers who earned their Grand Final seats through guts, hard work and a great effort.”

 

This year’s Rotax Max Challenge has probably been the best ever national series in fifty years of South African Karting. Excellent fields in all seven classes delivered good, hard, and competitive racing without any acrimony at all amongst chassis importers and teams with a good spread of results amongst all the different chassis brands.

 

“I have seldom seen as passionate a crowd or so much cheering at the races in my over half century of karting almost every weekend! Add very good video production, which was both live-streamed and broadcast live and will be replayed next week on DSTV 180 and Openview 115”

 

“We have a great team of officials who deal with often difficult (enthusiastic) parents in a very professional manner. We’re also happy with a high standard of technical control, from fuel tests to a broad selection of detailed TECHNICAL checks throughout every event, and fantastic support from our governing body WOMZA.”

 

“We do have our challenges. There’s still resistance to our affiliation, nonetheless Rotax Max still represents the greatest proportion of South African karters. We trust, that like our country reconciled our difference so wonderfully a quarter-century back to provide us with a fair constitution, that local karting can progress as one, regardless of the controlling body.”

 

“For now, however, Rotax South Africa and WOMZA wishes the South African Team the very best of luck to for the Rotax Max ‘Olympics of Karting ‘Grand Finals in Portugal in November.”