Close Battles Throughout at WPMC Karting Round 3

On Saturday, May 11th, the WPMC Karting section dove right back into Regional action, especially for those drivers fresh from the RMC National at Zwartkops just a week prior. With vital regional points on the line, the track came alive with quality racing across all 10 WPMC Karting classes. Drivers seized every opportunity to score big while engaging in epic battles throughout. Lets dive into the results from another epic day of Killarney Karting action.

BAMBINO

In the Bambino class, though the field was small, the stakes were high as Caleb Lingeveldt and Radhi Harris reignited their title battle. Harris asserted dominance with a pole position while Lingeveldt faced troubles in the morning qualifying session. However, Lingeveldt staged a remarkable comeback, clinching a narrow victory over Harris in race 1, with Aleena Doutie and Ashlyn Beaumont following closely behind.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Lingeveldt continued his momentum, securing his second win of the day in race 2, with Harris in second. Beaumont achieved her best result yet, landing in third ahead of Doutie. In the final race, Harris reclaimed the spotlight with a commanding win, leaving Doutie in a delighted second place, and Lingeveldt settling for third ahead of Beaumont.

The intense battle at the front persisted, with Lingeveldt and Harris crossing the finish line mere thousandths of a second apart in the opening races. Lingeveldt’s early wins secured him the overall victory by a narrow margin of 1 point over Harris, who took second. Doutie clinched third for the day, with Beaumont in fourth.

As the season progresses, the title fight appears to be a two-horse race between Lingeveldt and Harris. Expect this rivalry to intensify over the remaining 5 regional rounds.

MICRO MAX

The showdown in Rotax Mini Max kept spectators on the edge of their seats as Liam Wharton clinched a narrow pole position over Michael O’Mahoney by a mere 37 thousandths of a second. The intensity escalated in Race 1, with O’Mahoney securing a narrow victory over Wharton as they crossed the finish line side by side. Impressive newcomer Yaqeen Gamieldien showcased his talent with a commendable third-place finish, just ahead of a determined Jayden van der Merwe, who charged from the back of the grid to claim fourth.

Wharton retaliated in Race 2, snatching a thrilling win in a nail-biting race where the lead changed hands multiple times. Ruhan Victor secured second place after leading several laps, followed closely by O’Mahoney. Once again, van der Merwe battled his way to fourth, with less than a second separating the top four at the finish line.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

O’Mahoney continued his momentum in the final race, clinching his second win of the day, with Wharton in second and van der Merwe in third. The top three crossed the line almost simultaneously, highlighting the intense competition. O’Mahoney’s two wins and a third secured him the overall victory for the day, edging out Wharton by just 1 point, with van der Merwe taking third.

Gamieldien impressed with a fourth-place finish, ahead of Jake Steyn and Slater Smith. Despite a challenging day, Victor finished in seventh, ahead of Qaanit Doutie and Mia Hermanus. O’Mahoney’s comeback after a tough round 2 keeps the battle at the front of Micro Max tightly contested. With the top six drivers all capable of securing wins, the remainder of the season promises to be fiercely competitive. Get ready for more exhilarating races ahead.

MINI ROK

Mini Rok delivered a day packed with surprises, as Rayan Karriem showcased his talent by narrowly missing out on pole position by half a tenth in his first karting appearance after a long hiatus. Taking the pole was the consistent performer Logan Roehrig, setting the stage for an enthralling day of racing at the front.

Karriem wasted no time making his mark, securing a victory in his comeback race as he battled Roehrig all the way to the finish line. Meanwhile, a remarkable drive from Bambino front-runner Radhi Harris landed him in an impressive third place.

Harris continued to impress by clinching his maiden Mini Rok win in race 2, with Karriem and Roehrig in pursuit. Karriem then capped off his stellar comeback performance with a narrow victory in race 3, closely followed by Roehrig in second place, while Jose Slamet signalled his intentions with a fantastic third-place finish.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Karriem’s consistent performance throughout the day earned him the overall victory, with rookie Harris securing a well-deserved second place and Roehrig rounding out the podium. Slamet’s podium finish in the final race secured him fourth overall, ahead of Aadiv Singh, Ebrahim Khalpey, and Zeph Hair.

With at least four drivers showing their determination to vie for the title, the championship is set to intensify. It will be intriguing to witness how the competition unfolds for the remainder of the season.

MINI MAX

Mini Max delivered thrilling action throughout the day, kicking off with Max Boshoff securing a fine pole position. However, it was Zac Hindley who clinched a tight win in race 1, with Boshoff closely behind and Michael Danks securing third place.

Boshoff then dominated race 2, securing a commanding victory by nearly 10 seconds, while Zach McAuley drove to an impressive second place ahead of Ruan Lewis in third. The battle intensified in race 3, with Boshoff and Danks engaging in an epic fight for the win, ultimately won by Boshoff, with Hindley putting in a stellar performance to claim third after a strong drive through the field.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Max Boshoff is rapidly establishing himself as the one to beat in Mini Max, with his two wins securing him the top step of the podium overall. Danks took second place, with McAuley securing a delighted third. Lewis, Hindley, and Zac Boshoff followed closely, ahead of Hugo Aggett, Andrew Retter, and Zion Hair.

Expect the fiercely contested action to persist in Mini Max as the season unfolds.

OKJ

Matthew Chiwara continued his impressive form from the previous round by securing pole position in the OKJ category early on. However, it was Gauteng’s Gianna Pascoal who stole the show, delivering an extraordinary performance by charging from the back of the pack to claim victory in the first race, leaving Chiwara and Reese Koorzen trailing behind in second and third, respectively.

Pascoal continued her dominance in race 2, setting a new lap record as she cruised to another convincing win, leaving the local contenders struggling to match her remarkable pace. Koorzen settled for second place again, followed by Onwabile Mcinga in third.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

The final heat of the day brought intense competition as Koorzen and Chiwara aimed to assert themselves on home turf. Koorzen narrowly clinched victory over Chiwara, with Mcinga securing third place. Despite Pascoal’s exceptional performance, the overall win for the day was determined by race victories, resulting in Pascoal and Koorzen sharing equal points at the top. Chiwara secured third place overall, followed by Mcinga, Manelisi Nkomo, and Aleksandar Praizovic.

Pascoal’s display of speed impressed the local competitors, but Koorzen and Chiwara both garnered valuable regional points, setting the stage for a continued title fight at round 4.

JUNIOR MAX

In a field filled with fast and talented Junior Max drivers, the track was ablaze with tightly contested action this past weekend. Keagan Beaumont wasted no time in asserting his dominance, delivering a standout performance in qualifying to outpace the competition by almost half a second, establishing himself as the one to watch for the remainder of the day. This momentum carried into race 1, where Beaumont clinched a comfortable victory over his title rivals Jordon Wadeley and Sebastiano Human.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Race 2 proved to be a nail-biting affair, with Beaumont narrowly securing the win ahead of Human and Wadeley. The intensity only increased in race 3, with lead changes occurring lap after lap. Wadeley, determined to bolster his championship aspirations, claimed a crucial win ahead of Beaumont and Human, all crossing the finish line within a second of each other.

Beaumont’s stellar performance earned him a well-deserved overall victory for the day, with Wadeley and Human rounding out the podium. Nicholas Lennox, Anwil April, and the young Aiden Beaumont also showcased their skills in the fiercely contested races. While Beaumont may carry confidence into the rest of the season, Wadeley, Human, and their determined peers will undoubtedly continue to challenge him every step of the way.

SENIOR MAX

In a surprising turn of events, Senior Max witnessed an early upset as rookie Ethan Deacon clinched a mid-morning pole position, edging out multiple champion Charl Visser. However, Visser swiftly demonstrated his prowess by seizing the lead in race 1 and pulling away from the pack, leaving Deacon to settle for second place ahead of Jude Stuart. Cole Hewetson and Luca Wehril encountered setbacks due to nose cone infringements, relegating them down the order.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Race 2 unfolded as a fierce battle at the front, with Visser narrowly securing victory over Hewetson and Wehril, the top three separated by a mere half a second at the checkered flag. Visser continued his dominance in the final race of the day, securing his third win, followed by Hewetson and Stuart.

Visser’s trio of wins secured him another overall Senior Max victory for the season, with Stuart claiming second place for the day and Deacon, the pole-sitter, rounding off the podium. Hewetson finished fourth, followed by Wehril and Gabriele Gazzilli, while Storm Lanfear endured a challenging day, finishing in seventh place.

DD2 & DD2 MASTERS

In the premier Rotax DD2 class, Sebastian Boyd narrowly clinched pole position ahead of his rival Joseph Oelz, setting the stage for an intense battle. Meanwhile, Jared Jordan secured a solid pole position in the Masters category.

Race 1 unfolded with Oelz seizing the momentum, comfortably claiming victory ahead of Boyd, who faced close pressure from rookie Matthew Wadeley in third. In the Masters category, Jordan cruised to victory, engaging in a tight battle with some of the DD2 drivers, with Roy Gruer securing second place ahead of Conor Hughes.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Race 2 brought another win for Oelz, although the victory wasn’t straightforward. Oelz, Boyd, and Jason Coetzee fiercely battled for the top spot, with Boyd ultimately finishing second and Coetzee facing disqualification due to being underweight. In the Masters category, Hughes, Gruer, and Jordan engaged in a tight battle, but unfortunate incidents saw Jordan and Gruer retiring early, allowing Johan Hamman and Eugene Clark to secure second and third places, respectively.

In the final race of the day, Oelz secured his third consecutive win, fending off a strong challenge from Boyd and Wadeley. In the Masters category, Jordan bounced back from his earlier setback to claim victory over Hughes and Gruer.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Overall results placed Oelz on the top step of the podium, followed by Boyd and Wadeley, with Ethan Stier securing fourth place ahead of Coetzee. In the Masters category, Hughes clinched the win, with Hamman and Jordan completing the podium. Eugene Clark finished fourth, closely followed by Gruer.

With such closely contested races, fans can expect the battles at the front of both classes to continue throughout the season, showcasing the exceptional talent of these drivers.

WP CLUBMANS

Clubmans witnessed a strong lineup of 12 karts, setting the stage for some thrilling action on the track. Oliver Hintenhaus showcased his talent early on, securing a debut pole position in qualifying, narrowly edging out Zimvo Majova. However, Majova quickly bounced back, claiming victory in race one, with Sean Le Riche following closely behind in second, and Hintenhaus impressively taking third in the Gold Class. Christopher Flack demonstrated his prowess in the Silver category, securing a win ahead of Alex Iepelley and Jade Smith.

© 2024 copyright: Jason Hanslo – Motorsport Fanatix™️

Race two saw Hintenhaus dominate, clinching victory in the Gold Class, while Flack continued his winning streak in the Silver category. In the final race of the day, Hintenhaus secured another narrow win over Majova, who unfortunately faced a penalty, allowing Jade Lanfear to claim second place in the Gold Class. Flack sealed his dominance in the Silver category with another win.

Hintenhaus claimed the overall top step in the Gold Class, with Le Riche and Lanfear following closely behind. Flack’s impressive performance secured him the overall win in the Silver category, with Smith and Iepelley securing second and third respectively. The competition in Clubmans is intensifying, and it will be fascinating to see how these drivers fare for the remainder of the season.

CONCLUSION

Round 3 of the WP Kart Championships delivered the excitement we anticipated. From start to finish, the competition was fierce across all grids, providing an exhilarating day for everyone involved, both on and off the track. As drivers now take a brief hiatus to fine-tune their strategies, we eagerly anticipate the upcoming Winter Round 4 on June 22nd. Join us for another action-packed event – we can’t wait to see you there!

PUBLISHED ON BEHALF OF WPMC KARTING BY RACEBOOK MEDIA

karting
May 15, 2024

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