De Wet Narrowly Misses African Open Crown in Zwartkops Thriller

Luhan de Wet, a Motorsport Fanatix™ ambassador, came agonisingly close to claiming the 2025 Rotax African Open Micro MAX title yesterday at Zwartkops Kart Raceway.

After delivering a consistently strong weekend and two tactically executed pre-final victories, the young Centurion-based racer was edged out in the final race by a heartbreaking last-corner move from class rival Adriaan Steyn.

Luhan entered the event as one of the favourites, and he lived up to that billing in style. Qualifying second, he controlled both pre-finals, leading for the majority of laps and showing maturity beyond his years in managing pressure from behind.

The all-important final heat—the winner-takes-all showdown—saw Luhan start from pole and lead for most of the race, before Adriaan made a pass for the lead. Luhan immediately countered with a pass of his own, taking the lead on the final lap. But with a corner to go, a minor moment saw him run marginally wide, opening the door for Adriaan to pounce and snatch victory.

Despite the disappointment, Luhan remains firmly in the hunt for international glory. The Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals seat for Micro MAX is still up for grabs through the South African Rotax MAX Challenge Championship, where Luhan leads with a round to go.

“This one hurts, especially with how well the weekend was going,” Luhan admitted after the final. “But I know I need to now focus on the main prize. The Grand Finals in Bahrain is my dream, and I’ll give everything in the final national championship round to make that happen.