Summarize

The wild Cape storms of the past week gave way to a perfect sunny Saturday for the third round of the Western Province Rotax Max karting championship, while the Gauteng Northern Regions racers had to wait since February for their second round at Formula K. An entertaining day’s racing delivered a mix of close results and domination across the well supported classes with a few surprise winners among them in both regions.

Young gun Matthew Wadeley is making a habit of winning the premier direct drive 2-speed DD2 weekends in the Cape. He did so again on Saturday, although that was partly to blame on double winner Joseph Oelz suffering a tough second heat, which Wadeley won to take the day thanks to two close seconds, too. Tony Auby closed off the podium ahead of elated Masters winner Conor Hughes, Ethan Stier, Storm Lanfear and Masters men Jimmy Auby and Neville Chapman. 

Up in Gauteng meantime, with the National there in two weeks, the Benoni grids were packed. Jamie Smith made short work of the DD2 races with a triple victory while Cape visitor Charl Michael Visser beat Jono Wilson two seconds to one to complete the podium. Another Cape visitor, Jono Pieterse beat Bloemfontein lad Justin Allison and home racer Carlo Gil to the Gauteng DD2 Masters win. 

Staying upcountry, Muhammad Wally, Georgia Lenaerts and Tshepang Shisinwana shared the Formula K Senior Max wins as Wally beat Lenaerts, Reagile Mailula, Shisinwana, Tristan du Plessis and EP lad Caleb Moss to the trophies off that 21-kart grid. Keagan Beaumont won two to William Marshall’s one heat to take the Cape Senior Max day with Sebastiano Human, Jordon Wadeley, Jesse Swart, Onwabile Mcinga, Matthew Carter, and Geo Christl in chase off another encouraging 15-kart grid. 

The opening wins were enough for Michael Danks to take the Western Province high school Junior Max day on a countback over final winner Justin Milleskie after Danks hit trouble. Aiden Beaumont held Jose Slamet and Raffaele Musso off for third ahead of Zion Hair, Zach McAuley, and Ruan Lewis. Up in Jozi, Brodi Dowling beat Munsanje Mukosa, Keenan du Plessis and Ronaldo Koen to the heat 1 win, du Plessis won race 2 from Dowling, Ruvan Maritz and Rafael de Souza and Koen took the final from Mukosa, de Souza and Ty Naidoo.

Kireev Chetty won the second and third Benoni under-13 Mini Max heats to take the day from Lwashu Mathebula, race 1 winner Luhan de Wet, Diego Antunes, Luke du Toit and Christian Naidoo. And  Zac Boshoff took two wins to nick the Cape Mini Max day off opening heat winner Liam Wharton. His win gave him the nod for second over the tied Jayden van der Merwe, with Ruhan Victor third from Logan Roehrig, Michael O'Mahoney, Yaqeen Gamieldien and Slater Smith. 

Slater Smith dominated the Cape under 11-Mini Max races from Caleb Lingeveldt, Lehan Fourie, Yaseen Panday, Aleena Doutie, Jamie Geldenhuys, Ashlyn Beaumont, and Emelee Adriaans. Another Cape kid, Radhi Harris went upcountry for his Mini Max pre-national, where he took all three heats to hold locals Jordan Jurgens, Alonzo de Oliveira, Aston Verheul, Zwothe Magoda and Rofhiwa Ndwambi at bay.

Yerhu Malabie dominated the upcountry baby Bambino action with a triple win to take the day from Zonkizizwe Holomisa, Tiyani Malabie, Melokuhle Ndlovu Tyler Stanyer and Siyanda Nkwanyana. And newcomer Blake van Deventer made a significant impression with a dominant clean Cape Bambino sweep over Zeeva Strydom and Sebastian Fletcher, who shared out the seconds and thirds, with Remi Coxon in pursuit. 

The Rotax Max Challenge continues with another WP round at Killarney on Saturday 6 June before the delayed second round Nationals at Formula K in Benoni a week later. The next Northern Regions races are at Zwartkops on 4 July.