Fourteen-year-old Chase Haskins took an important step in his motorsport journey this past weekend when he made his main circuit racing debut at the opening round of the Investchem MSA4 Championship, South Africa’s premier single-seater series, at the Killarney International Raceway in Cape Town.
Competing for the Kokoro Racing Academy, the Grade 8 learner from De La Salle Holy Cross College in Linden joined a highly competitive grid for his first experience of national-level single-seater racing.
Chase already has a strong motorsport foundation through karting. He currently competes in the ROK Cup South Africa, a highly competitive two-stroke karting championship that forms part of an international karting structure where many Formula One drivers began their careers. The karting discipline has provided the young racer with valuable racecraft as he begins his transition to circuit racing.
The Killarney weekend presented a steep learning curve as Chase adapted to the turbocharged MSA4 machine and the fast and technical 3.267 km Western Cape circuit.
During qualifying, Chase steadily improved his pace as he built confidence in the car, securing 13th position on the grid for the opening race of the weekend.
Race 1 provided the young driver with his first taste of wheel-to-wheel single-seater racing. Staying composed in the midfield battle, Haskins drove a consistent race to finish ninth.
Later in the afternoon, Chase lined up again for Race 2 where he continued to gain valuable experience. Maintaining a steady rhythm throughout the race, he again brought the car home in ninth position to round off a positive debut weekend.
Away from the racetrack, Chase’s life revolves almost entirely around motorsport. When he is not competing, he spends hours sim racing, watching racing videos, and even convincing his father to take him karting whenever possible. Quite simply, if it involves racing, Chase wants to be part of it.
With his first national circuit event now behind him, the Kokoro Racing Academy driver will look to build on the experience gained at Killarney as he continues his development in the Investchem MSA4 Championship.
“Making my main circuit debut in the MSA4 Championship was an incredible experience. There was a lot to learn, but I really enjoyed every moment of it and I improved throughout the weekend. Racing is something I love doing all the time, whether it’s karting, sim racing or even karting with my dad. I’m really grateful to the Kokoro Racing Academy and everyone who supports me, and I’m looking forward to the next round.”
Next up for Chase, however, is the opening double-round of the ROK Cup South Africa Karting Championship at Red Star Raceway, where he will compete in the OK-N class.
Published by: Raymond Cornwell
Picture Caption: Chase Haskins
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.