Summarize

The Formula K raceway near Benoni on the East Rand hosted the fifth and penultimate round of the Gauteng Northern Regions Rotax Max Challenge karting championship on Saturday. Some blistering racing of mostly packed grids and a few surprise winners proved the talk of the day.

Unbeatable in Senior Max, Jonno Wilson left ladies, Georgia Lenaerts to fight Gianna Pascoal off for second ahead of Tristan du Plessis, Rudi Schüssler and Reece Butz. Relative newcomer Keenan du Plessis surprised with high school Junior Max honours, taking the opening heat and then doing enough to hold second and third race winner Mattao Mason off to win the day by a point. Two more new names, Connor Macintyre and Munsanje Mokosa, and Tshepang Shisinwana and Reagile Mailula followed.

Renaldo Koen’s second and third race wins were similarly not enough to prevent Brodi Dowling from taking the well supported under-13 Mini Max day victory by a point. Declan Jurgens held Maddox Mason, Rafael da Siouza and Kireev Chetty off for third. Under 11 Micro Max proved a du Toit benefit as brothers Luke and Callum kept it in the family to share out the race wins two-to-one ahead of Cape lad Radhi Harris, Ashton Verheul and Raidn Reddy.

Alonzo de Oliveira dominated baby Bambino with a triple victory as he left Zwothe Magoda to fight Yerhu Malabie, Che Makhubele, Tyler Stanyer and Tiyani Malabie off for second on another encouraging Northern regions grid. The final round of the Gauteng karting championship is at Zwartkops on 18 November, the Cape final takes place on 5 November and the Bahrain Grand Finals ‘Olympics of Karting happens  in December.