Killarney Crowns 2026 ROK Champions
The 2026 South African National ROK Karting Championship reached its conclusion at Killarney Kart Circuit in Cape Town, where Rounds 7 and 8 produced two contrasting days of racing.
Friday’s opening round was held in dry conditions, while rain transformed the circuit on Saturday. The changing grip levels placed an even greater emphasis on racecraft and adaptability as the championship contenders fought through the season’s final six heats.
By the end of the SPRING NATS, Grayson Venter, Kayde Cornofsky, Mattao Mason and Jack Moore had secured the four national titles.
CADET
Grayson Venter opened Round 7 from pole position before producing a dramatic late charge in the first heat. Melokuhle Ndlovu led the opening seven laps, but Venter found a way through on the final tour to take the win.
Ndlovu again made the stronger start in Heat 2, leading the opening two laps before Venter moved ahead and controlled the remainder. Ndlovu responded in the final heat, leading throughout to claim his first victory of the weekend.
Two wins and a second place gave Venter the Round 7 honour, while Ndlovu finished second with Christopher Grimmick third. Venter also recorded the fastest racing lap of the round.
Ndlovu immediately established himself as the driver to beat in Saturday’s wet conditions. After taking pole position, he led every lap of the opening two heats to place himself in a commanding position.
The final heat developed into a far closer contest as the circuit began to dry. Ndlovu and Venter exchanged the lead before Venter moved ahead over the closing laps and won by less than half a second. Grimmick crossed the line just behind them, completing a three-kart fight for victory.
Ndlovu’s two wins earned him the Round 8 overall victory, with Venter second and Grimmick third. Grimmick claimed the fastest racing lap.
Venter’s consistently strong campaign, combined with another victory and runner-up finish in Cape Town, saw the Pretoria driver top the 2026 Cadet National Championship.
MINI ROK
Juan Stander produced the quickest qualifying performance in Round 7, edging Zac Boshoff and Kayde Cornofsky in a closely matched session.
Championship leader Cornofsky moved into the lead early in Heat 1 and resisted sustained pressure from Riley van Staden to win by less than three-tenths of a second. Boshoff answered in Heat 2, emerging from a race filled with lead changes to beat Noah Cronje and Maddox Mason.
Van Staden controlled the final heat from start to finish, but Cornofsky remained close throughout and crossed the line closely behind. Cronje completed the top three.
With a win, a fourth and a second, Cornofsky took the Round 7 overall victory. Van Staden finished three points behind, with Cronje third. Cornofsky also recorded the round’s fastest racing lap.
Rain greeted the Mini ROK competitors for Round 8, where Boshoff secured pole position. Maddox Mason mastered the wet conditions in Heat 1, taking the lead during the second half and winning from Van Staden and Diego Berardone.
Heat 2 produced one of the closest finishes of the weekend. Cronje and Boshoff traded the lead before Cronje edged his rival by just 0.014 seconds, with Cornofsky finishing third.
The drying circuit delivered an action-packed final heat. Boshoff, Van Staden, Cornofsky and Mason all featured at the front before Cornofsky took the lead on the final lap. He beat Boshoff by only 0.018 seconds, with Mason less than four-tenths behind the winner.
Cornofsky’s final-heat victory secured his second overall win of the weekend which saw the Johanneburg driver claim his second R25 000 cash prize. Mason took second on a tie-break from Boshoff after both finished on equal points. Stander recorded the fastest racing lap.
By winning both Cape Town rounds, Cornofsky completed his national campaign in style and was crowned the 2026 Mini ROK National Champion.
OKJ
Declan Jurgens started Round 7 from pole after narrowly beating Max Boshoff and Mattao Mason in qualifying.
Mason led the opening three laps of Heat 1 but was later excluded for being underweight. Jurgens took control from the fourth lap and secured the victory ahead of Boshoff and Aleksandar Praizovic.
Praizovic dominated Heat 2 from start to finish, leading Thekiso Retlotleng and Logan Billau home. Jurgens returned to the front in the final heat after Billau had led the opening three laps, pulling clear to win ahead of Mason and Ruvan Maritz.
Two victories gave Jurgens the Round 7 overall honours. Praizovic was second, with Retlotleng third. Praizovic recorded the fastest racing lap.
Mason claimed pole position for Saturday’s wet Round 8, but it was Maritz who converted the difficult conditions into two successive victories. He was classified first in the opening heat following a two-position penalty for on-track leader Jordan Klaasen, before winning Heat 2 ahead of Retlotleng and Boshoff.
Jurgens led the opening six laps of the drying final heat before Boshoff moved ahead. Boshoff crossed the line first but was demoted to fifth after receiving penalties for a nose-cone and starting infringement. Praizovic inherited the victory, with Maritz second and Jurgens third.
Maritz’s two wins and a second place gave him a convincing Round 8 overall victory. Praizovic took second on a tie-break from Jurgens. Boshoff recorded the fastest racing lap.
Despite a difficult Cape Town finale, Mason’s exceptional results during the opening six rounds had already created a decisive championship advantage. He was duly crowned the 2026 OKJ National Champion.
OKN
Jack Moore set the pace in Round 7 qualifying before leading every lap of Heat 1 and winning comfortably ahead of Liam Pillay and Aidan Calitz.
Pillay led the opening stages of Heat 2, but Aashay Nagura took over during the second half and went on to win from Jason Coetzee. Pillay finished third after receiving a starting infringement penalty.
Coetzee controlled most of the final heat, leading the opening 12 laps before Moore mounted a late attack. Moore moved ahead with three laps remaining and held on to complete his second victory of the day.
Moore won Round 7 by a single point, ahead of Coetzee. Nagura completed the overall podium with Moore recording the fastest racing lap.
Moore remained the quickest driver in Saturday’s wet qualifying, but Coetzee proved formidable once racing began. The Cape driver led every lap of Heat 1 and then won Heat 2 from Moore after taking the lead from Nagura during the second half.
The final heat brought another direct fight between Coetzee and Moore. The pair traded the lead before Moore went ahead over the closing four laps, winning by less than a quarter of a second. Nicolaos Vostanis completed the top three.
Coetzee’s two wins and a second place secured the Round 8 overall victory. Moore finished second, with Nagura third. Coetzee recorded the fastest racing lap.
Moore’s strong season, capped by an overall victory and runner-up finish at Killarney, earned him the 2026 OKN National Championship.
INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT
The four newly crowned champions now have international opportunities awaiting them.
Cadet champion Grayson Venter receives an entry to the Tillotson T4 Nations Cup at Kartódromo Internacional Lucas Guerrero in Valencia, Spain.
Mini ROK champion Kayde Cornofsky, OKJ champion Mattao Mason and OKN champion Jack Moore receive entries to the 2026 ROK Cup Superfinal, scheduled for 13–17 October at South Garda Karting in Lonato, Italy.
Gary Lennon, the promoter of ROK Cup South Africa shared his thoughts: “The racing at Killarney demonstrated the level of parity we have worked hard to create throughout this championship. The close margins across all four classes placed the emphasis firmly on driving ability, preparation and race craft, while the changing conditions provided a true test for every competitor.
“Congratulations to all our Cape Town winners and champions, Grayson Venter, Kayde Cornofsky, Mattao Mason and Jack Moore. We wish Grayson every success at the Tillotson T4 Nations Cup in Spain, and Kayde, Mattao and Jack all the best at the ROK Cup Superfinal in Italy. They have earned these opportunities, and we know they will represent South African karting with pride.”
