Local Talent Lights It Up: Aashay Nagura Grabs Another OKJ Trophy

Eastern Cape hometown hero Aashay Nagura thrilled local fans this past weekend as he charged to his second consecutive podium in the National OK-Junior class during Round 3 of the ROK Cup Karting Championship, held at Celso Scribante in Gqeberha.

Continuing to build on his impressive OK-Junior debut in Cape Town, Nagura was immediately on the pace. He delivered a superb qualifying performance to line up fourth on the grid, just 0.205s off pole position in an ultra-tight session that underlined his growing confidence in the class.

In Heat 1, Aashay made a strong start and slotted into second place early on. Running inside the top five for much of the race, he looked set for a solid opening result. However, an incident and a post-race nose cone infringement penalty cost him dearly, dropping him to the bottom of the result.

Shaking off the setback, the Kokoro Racing Academy driver came back firing in Heat 2. After a clean start, he kept pressure on the leaders and crossed the line second behind overall winner Jack Moore, his best result in the class to date and a statement performance among South Africa’s finest young karters.

In the final heat, Aashay pulled off a spectacular launch and even led the first lap, much to the delight of the home crowd. While he eventually dropped to fourth, he remained within striking distance of the podium and brought the kart home for valuable points.

Thanks to his consistency and strong pace throughout the weekend, Aashay finished third overall on points, tied with Aleksandar Praizovic but ranked ahead on countback due to his higher Race 2 finish.

“Starting in front of my home crowd and grabbing the lead at the start of Race 3 was such an adrenaline rush,” Aashay shared. “I’m really proud of how we’ve progressed. It’s been a steep learning curve since moving from Mini ROK, but we’re making real progress every time we hit the track.”

With support from The Bronscor Group, Sparco South Africa, INGCO South Africa, and Score Immune Booster, Aashay continues to rise through the ranks.

The fourth and final round heads back to Red Star Raceway on 23–24 August, where Aashay will look to end his debut OKJ season on a high, and perhaps even clinch his maiden national win.