Legend in the Making: Caleb Odendaal Wins African Open Number Three
East London’s Caleb Odendaal added yet another chapter to his growing legacy by securing his third African Open title yesterday at Zwartkops Kart Raceway. The three-time national champion and two-time African Open winner delivered an outstanding performance in the Junior MAX final, overcoming mid-race pressure and earlier setbacks to emerge victorious in a nail-biting finish.
The African Open’s unique format meant everything came down to the all-or-nothing final, but the road there was far from smooth for Odendaal. After qualifying seventh on Friday, Caleb had to dig deep during the two Pre-Finals to improve his starting position.
A strong performance in Pre-Final 1 was hampered by a nose-cone infringement, resulting in a five-second penalty and dropping him to 5th in the adjusted results. In Pre-Final 2, the Motorsport Fanatix™ ambassador struck back with blistering pace, setting the fastest lap of the race (42.085 seconds) and leading for several laps before an incident pushed him down the order to finish sixth.
Lining up fifth on the grid for the 18-lap final, Caleb wasted no time in making his presence felt. He launched into the lead by the opening turn before a thrilling back-and-forth battle with Matteo Mason unfolded. The two swapped positions multiple times in a tactical and fiercely clean fight.
With just two laps remaining, Odendaal reclaimed the lead and held off Mason in a drag race to the flag, taking the win by just 0.085 seconds, one of the closest finishes in recent African Open memory.
“It feels incredible to win it again,” Caleb said post-race. “There were moments this weekend where things didn’t go to plan, but we never gave up. Huge thanks to my team, Legend Motors, and Kart Republic Africa for believing in me. This one means a lot.”
With the win, Caleb secured South Africa’s first Junior MAX ticket to the 2025 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain, his third career RMCGF qualification, a feat achieved by only a select few in South African karting history.
Caleb Odendaal remains one of many incredibly talented drivers from the Eastern Cape, continuing to inspire with his relentless work ethic and composure under pressure. No doubt the trip to Bahrain will be an expensive one, and anyone who would like to come on board to assist the young champion on his quest for an RMCGF title can call Raymond on 082497180.
