KARTING | Bezuidenhout Claims Top-5 National Finish

Mikel Bezuidenhout left Capt Town last weekend, having clinched a top-five Senior MAX finish at the opening national round of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge (SARMC) Championship.

Mikel, in only his second full season of karting, impressed with his racecraft and decision-making, something he needed to avoid the carnage in the hotly-contested Senior MAX class.

After qualifying in 11th on Friday (22 March), the Johannesburg teenager put in an impressive performance, making up eight positions to finish third on the circuit. Unable to avoid an incident at the start of the race, Mikel picked up a five-second penalty for a Nose-Cone Infringement and was classified fifth.

Starting from second and third on the grid in Heats 2 and 3, he completed the races in seventh and ninth place after losing a couple of positions. With his fifth overall classification, the 2024 Investchem Formula 1600 rookie started fifth for the wild card African Open that sees the winner gain automatic entry to the RMC Grand Finals. Following a solid start, Mikel maintained his fifth position before dropping back to 22nd after an incident on Lap 3. While he worked his way back up to 14th by the end of the race, he gained another position following the allocation of post-race penalties.

“I haven’t had much luck in Senior MAX, to be honest. It was a tough introduction to karting last season with a class filled with former and current champions and drivers with international experience. So, to finish fifth in a national is certainly rewarding. My African Open challenge, on the other hand, didn’t work out so well, having been pushed off and down the order,” said Mikel.

Mikel returns to the kart circuit on 6 April for the start of the Northern Regions ROK Kart Championships, where he will compete in the OK-N class at the Vereeniging Kart Circuit.