KARTING | Cornofsky Remains Upbeat After Trying Mini ROK Opener

2023 National Kid ROK Champion Kayde Cornofsky endured a challenging Northern Regions ROK Karting Championship round at a somewhat wet Vereeniging this weekend. While the young Johannesburg driver showed impressive pace throughout the weekend, the results did not reflect his performance on the day.

Following Friday's open practice, where Kayde focused on fine-tuning his setup, he would qualify 10th on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, Kayde was deemed in breach of a regulation before qualifying, which excluded him from the session and the opening heat result. In addition, he was forced to start Heat 2 from the back of the grid. With no chance of challenging for the day's podium, he focused on preparing for the upcoming national round set at the same venue a few weeks later.

From last on the grid, Kayde battled through the field to finish in an inspiring seventh in Heat 2. Focused on another good result, the Xtreme Racing Team driver started the final heat from fourth, hoping to finish on the podium and end his weekend on a high. Unfortunately, his poor luck continued as he was involved in an incident that forced his retirement after only six laps.

"It's a day I'd rather forget," said Kayde. “Today was a disaster, with almost everything going wrong. While the penalty was not entirely my fault, we had to take it on the chin and focus on the rest of the day. If anything, we showed some good pace in challenging conditions, which we will focus on and improve on ahead of the national. Thank you to the team and everyone for their support. We will bounce back and make up for today's disappointment. You can count on that."

Kayde will return to the circuit on 17-18 May for Round 2 of the National ROK Cup Karting Championship at Vereeniging. Kayde thanks Canario Cornofsky Attorneys, Calisto's Restaurant, Allegiance Properties, Smith Garage, the 357 and the Xtreme Racing Team.