On a weekend that Mikel Bezuidenhout completed 68 laps of the Vereeniging Kart Circuit, the Johannesburg teenager ended his national karting season with a top-five finish in the newly introduced OK-N class.
After a lengthy rookie-karting season that saw the MTN-Cosmo Net / Vivo Mobile South Africa-backed driver compete across the Rotax and Vortex-powered championships, the curtain finally fell on his national campaign. Despite his best efforts and a chassis change later in the day, things didn’t go as planned. After qualifying in sixth, Bezuidenhout would record a pair of fifth place finishes and a couple of sixth place finishes across four race heats. In the African Karting Cup (AKC) Shootout, he finished fourth and missed out on qualification for the final later this year, where a pair of drivers will represent South Africa, competing against other African nations to earn a drive at an FIA CIK event in Europe.
“Certainly one of my more frustrating weekends,” said Bezuidenhout. “We could not find a good balance with the setup this weekend. To take nothing away from my competitors who were really quick, I expected to be a little closer to the front. Then, to add insult to injury, the chassis broke, and we had to borrow one for the Shooutout. Regardless, it’s been a steep learning curve this season, and I am sure it will make me a better racing driver in the future. We have some big plans for next season and this is all part of the process.”
Bezuidenhout will head out to Europe next, where he will compete in the Super ROK class at the ROK Cup Superfinal, hosted annually at the South Garda Karting Circuit in Lonato, Italy. From 11 to 14 October, more than 400 participants from over 35 nations will compete for the honours of the ROK Superfinals winner.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Mikel Bezuidenhout
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