On 23 March, a group of talented drivers earned their place in Team South Africa, which is set to compete in Italy in the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF) later this year. Their victory resulted from their success in the annual African Open, hosted at Cape Town’s Killarney International Raceway, which saw just under 130 African competitors compete. The achievement was a testament to their exceptional ability and commitment to the sport. The RMCGF, often called the Olympics of Karting, is highly coveted and brings together top Rotax drivers worldwide.
The African Open’s success is once again testament to how well the event was organized and represents South Africa’s thriving karting industry. It underscores the quality of its drivers and is a testament to the 14 RMCGF titles it has accumulated since the inaugural event in 2000. While Team South Africa has only missed one Grand Finals (Bahrain 2021) due to a ban on the movement of African nationals following the emergence of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, it remains the second-highest winningest country, playing second fiddle only to Great Britain (that includes England, Scotland and Wales).
While the opening national round of the South African RMC preceded the African Open, the national’s three heats served as the qualification heats for the African Open final. Winners of the various classes were as follows:
Micro MAX – Michael O’Mahoney
Mini MAX – Aaryan Singh
Junior MAX – William Marshall
Senior MAX – Charl Visser
DD2 – Sebastian Boyd
DD2 Masters – Bjorn Roos
Those who could not come out as winners at the African Open still have a chance to earn a ticket to the RMCGF. Additionally, the winners of each national championship class will also be allowed to participate in Italy in October.
Rotax Max South Africa’s Ed Murray was reported as saying, “This was without doubt the best South African karting event in the last two decades. The event had a carnival atmosphere and the pits were buzzing throughout the week and weekend. Our Rotax Max Challenge technical changes and new-age engine cylinders have delivered a new level of parity to deliver the best racing in years.”
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Close to 130 competitors participated in this year’s African Open
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