Still only 16 years of age, Brandon van der Walt – or Lil’ Lightning as he’s known to South Africa’s growing community of drifting fans – already has an impressive track record in karting and drifting competitions.
This rising star has rapidly established himself as one of SA’s hottest young motorsport competitors, with his recent achievements including being crowned the Rok Cup OKN Regional Champion last year. He was also selected to represent South Africa at the 2024 OKN FIA Karting World Cup in the UK, as well as at the 2024 Rok Super Final in Italy. Closer to home, Brandon also competed as the youngest driver in the Red Bull Car Park Drift for the SA leg of this international championship.
As the youngest driver on the books of the SkellyWags Drift Academy, Brandon is being viewed as a future legend of the sport. The fact that he has already achieved so much is a testament to his own skill and tenacity, and to the expert coaching he has received from the founders of the Academy, Mikey Skelton and Andre Leibbrandt.
Brandon has already been in action in 2025 in the Drift Masters SA Championship, the FKR Shifter Series and Toyota GR Cup. His intentions for the season are simple – to “open up some eyes” and to prove that age (or the lack of it) is no impediment to being a superb driver.
As he continues to gain experience – and accumulate accolades – Brandon will be inspired by his hero, French GT driver Kévin Estre who is currently racing for Porsche Penske Motorsport in the IMSA SportsCar Championship – GTP.
As well as drifting for Skellywags, Brandon represents the Roos Kart Team as part of his continuing fascination with professional karting. This goes back to his first experience of karting while on holiday in Namibia in 2020. Karting was something he took to immediately, from the very first circuit he completed.
Brandon’s entry into drifting was also serendipitous – his father wanted to be sure that he had the necessary skills to control a car in the event of a loss of traction, and one drifting course at SkellyWags was all it took to show that he was a natural. His advice for anyone keen to follow in his tyre tracks is to either invest in a secondhand kart to get a feel for the sport, or, for drifting, to take a course at SkellyWags Drift Academy.
“We’re thrilled to see the progress that Brandon has made since he first came to the Academy,” commented Mikey Skelton, Co-Owner of SkellyWags. “We believe that between his determination and the sponsorship support provided by Motul, we can expect great things from him this year and beyond as he brings a Lil’ Lightning to every event he enters,” he added.
“At Motul, we’re big believers in the importance of supporting grassroots motorsport and the next generation, and Brandon’s story is the perfect example,” commented Mercia Jansen, Motul General Manager for Southern and Eastern Africa. “His hard work and dedication are qualities we can easily relate to, and we’re proud to be working with him,” she added.
Learn more about Brandon’s drifting dream in this produced short on YouTube and to follow the action as Brandon drifts along his racing journey, check out SkellyWags on Facebook or on Instagram.
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Issued on behalf of Motul by Adilia Joubert – Listen Up
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