This weekend, Mikel Bezuidenhout, a newcomer to karting, will participate in his second national OKN race. The Pretoria driver will be part of the 2023-introduced OKN class in MSA’s National ROK Cup Karting Championship. The event will occur at the Formula-K Kart Circuit in Benoni, Gauteng, this weekend (26-27 May).
Bezuidenhout began karting in mid-2022 and is adjusting to the OKN and Senior MAX classes in which he competes regularly. Although he initially showed raw talent, his skills have been improved through the help of Neil Basilio for competition. While he ranks third in the national OKN championship boasting a podium finish, he will hope to draw on his regional experience, where he has competed thrice at the Benoni circuit, scoring four podiums.
“It’s a crucial weekend in terms of the championship. The class is still fairly new to most, but some have figured things out far quicker than others. Our performances have improved over the last few races so I am confident that we can at least compete for the podium places. With a little luck maybe even the win. So while I remain optimistic I am also realistic. But anything is possible and I have a great team backing me with some very supportive sponsors. Let’s see how we go.”
OKN competitors will compete over 12 laps and race around the 1 570 m anti-clockwise Track-A layout. On Friday, five official practice sessions will precede the afternoon’s qualifying set to start at 4:17 PM. On Saturday, three race heats are scheduled for 10:51 AM, 12:53 PM and 2:56 PM. Races will also be live-streamed on the day, with more information available from the event promoters.
Published by: Motorsport Fanatix
Picture Caption: Mikel Bezuidenhout
MSA Publishes media releases from a host of different sources on our website as a service to the sport. It is not practically possible to vet/approve every release that is published. Some news items and articles are written by correspondents and do not necessarily represent MSA’s views.