De Wet Ready for Zwartkops Double as SARMC and Africa Open Stakes Rise

Luhan de Wet heads to Zwartkops Kart Raceway this weekend for one of the most important Mini MAX events of his young career, as the Pretoria circuit hosts the third and penultimate round of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge alongside the winner-takes-all 2026 Africa Open.

The young Centurion racer, a two-time national champion and the reigning national Micro MAX Champion, arrives at Zwartkops with momentum on his side after a standout performance at Formula-K Raceway in Benoni, where he clinched the weekend’s spoils and underlined his growing confidence in the Mini MAX ranks. Still in his rookie season in the class, the TGR Junior Academy driver has continued to adapt quickly, showing both the pace and maturity needed to fight at the front.

This weekend, however, brings a different level of pressure.

Not only will valuable national championship points be on offer, but the event will also decide the 2026 Africa Open champion. For the Mini MAX field, that title carries significant weight, with the Africa Open winner earning a ticket to the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals in Portugal. A second Mini MAX ticket is earmarked for the national champion at the end of the season, adding further importance to every session and every heat at Zwartkops.

Luhan heads into the weekend fifth in the national championship standings, although the points table has not yet accounted for the drop-round system, which allows competitors to remove their worst points-scoring round from the final tally. With two national rounds still to play out, the championship picture remains open, and a strong result at Zwartkops could prove crucial in shaping the title fight.

Thursday and Friday will be dedicated to several practice sessions as drivers and teams work to find the right balance on the tight, technical Zwartkops layout. Qualifying and the opening heat are also scheduled for Friday, setting the tone for what is expected to be a fiercely contested Mini MAX weekend.

Saturday will see Heats 2 and 3 conclude the national round, before a fourth and final heat determines the Africa Open champion in a winner-takes-all showdown. With a Grand Finals ticket on the line, the final race is expected to deliver one of the most intense battles of the season.

As an OMP and Motorsport Fanatix™ ambassador and one of the young drivers representing the TGR Junior Academy in Mini MAX, Luhan will be looking to carry his Benoni form into Pretoria and keep himself firmly in the fight for both national honours and the Africa Open crown.

After his breakthrough Mini MAX performance last time out, this weekend presents another major opportunity for Luhan to show how far he has come in his first season in the class.