Rotax Max Challenge Finals
 Start of Max Challenge final |
Ralph Odendaal drove a blinder of a race to win the South African Max Challenge and book his place in the World Final taking place in Malaysia next month.
The 17-year old Durban driver initially lay third and took the lead when Birel drivers Mathew Hodges and Wiaan Swart got into a scrap. Then, three laps from home he survived a coming together with Hodges, which saw the latter launched over the top of the PCR driver.
 Ralph Odendaal |
That allowed Kyle Lawrence (Birel) into the lead, but Odendaal fought back quickly to reclaim the position and claim the title with just over a tenth of a second to spare.
After an impressive drive from ninth on the grid, third place went to Ryan Constantinou (CRG) with Gennaro Bonafede (Birel) and Swart, the top five blanketed by half a second.
 Jonathan Wiehahn |
Capetonian Jonathan Wiehahn won the most important race of his life when he took the flag at the end of the 20-lap Rotax Junior Max final.
A good scrap for the minor placings saw Free Stater Willem Botha (PCR) take second from Birel drivers Jamie-Lee Rossiter and Nicholas Clarke as Dean Lester (Sportstar/PCR) and Alex Jacovides (CRG) completed the top six.
As expected, Trent Williams (Sportstar/PCR) took an easy win in the Rotax Mini-Max class ahead of Caleb Williams (PCR) and Richard Napier (Birel) with Olivier Calkoen (M&G Birel) also in the mix.
 Michael van Rooyen |
Michael van Rooyen walked the single make Rotax RM1 event, finishing over two seconds ahead of Mish-Al Sing as Rocky Gush was a further second behind in third.
As ever the GP Junior brigade put on a good show and with a Rotax Mini-Max engine on offer to the winner, the pace was hard and fast.
 Aiden de Nobrega |
Aidan de Nobrega took the lead on the final lap to win from Bevan Williams and Jordan Williams.
The Max 175 class was poorly supported and Keven Hodgkiss (Birel) took an easy win from Dino Scribante (CRG) and Tony Kart drivers Donald Agnew and Eric Lindeque.