Vereeniging Produces Five Rotax Thrillers

Fine margins, changing fortunes and penalties shape a closely fought third REGIONAL round

VEREENIGING, SOUTH AFRICA – 1 August 2026 – Round 3 of the MSA Northern Regions Rotax Kart Championships produced an absorbing day of racing at GT Raceway in Vereeniging, where five classes delivered close finishes and several decisive changes to the final results.

Four of the five overall classifications were separated by five points or fewer. Tiyani Malabie, Alonzo de Oliveira, Luhan de Wet, Keenan Du Plessis and Reagile Mailula emerged with the class victories after three heats in sunny and dry conditions.

Bambino

Tiyani Malabie set the early pace by securing pole position before winning Heat 1 ahead of Siyanda Nkwanyana and Tyler Stanyer, both of whom remained firmly in podium contention throughout the day.

Nkwanyana responded in Heat 2, edging Malabie by just over a tenth of a second, while Grant Sheehan completed the podium after a strong and consistent run that kept him in the overall fight. Stanyer also delivered a notable performance in the midfield battle, repeatedly challenging the top three pace.

The two leading contenders resumed their battle in the final heat, where Malabie turned the tables and beat Nkwanyana by less than a tenth of a second. Sheehan again finished third after another composed drive.

Two heat victories earned Malabie the overall win with 102 points. Nkwanyana finished three points behind in second, with Sheehan taking third on 89.

Micro MAX

Radhi Harris took pole position and followed it with victories in the opening two heats. He beat Alonzo de Oliveira by only 0.066 seconds in Heat 1, with Jordan Jurgens finishing third after a strong opening performance.

Heat 2 was equally close as Harris held off Jurgens by 0.086 seconds. De Oliveira crossed the line third, while Teresa Bettencourt also impressed with competitive pace just outside the podium positions.

De Oliveira delivered when it mattered in the final heat, winning ahead of Bettencourt and Jurgens, both of whom capitalised on the opportunity to secure strong final results. Harris was classified ninth after receiving a five-second nose-cone penalty.

That result handed de Oliveira the overall victory with 97 points. Harris finished second on 94, while Jurgens completed a tightly packed top three with 92.

Mini MAX

Christian Naidoo started the Mini MAX contest from pole, but Diego Antunes moved to the front in Heat 1 and secured the win. Naidoo followed in second, with Adriaan Steyn third after a solid podium drive, while Luhan de Wet narrowly missed the podium in fourth.

Naidoo returned to winning form in Heat 2, beating de Wet by only 0.027 seconds. Luke Du Toit was another 0.104 seconds behind in third as the leading trio crossed the line almost together, with Steyn again showing consistent top-five pace.

De Wet controlled the final heat and resisted sustained pressure from Du Toit to win by 0.062 seconds. Lwashu Mathebula completed the podium in third after a strong late-race charge.

De Wet and Naidoo ended the meeting level on 96 points, with the official overall classification placing de Wet first and Naidoo second. Du Toit’s two podium finishes secured third overall with 88 points, while Antunes’ Heat 1 victory remained a standout performance in the early stages of the day.

Junior MAX

Keenan Du Plessis claimed pole position before Declan Jurgens won the opening heat. Du Plessis finished second, while Ronaldo Koen took third after another consistent podium challenge.

Jurgens also led the second heat across the line but was subsequently excluded for a technical infringement. The amended result handed victory to Brodi Dowling, with Du Plessis promoted to second and Munsanje Mukosa to third after a strong and opportunistic drive.

Du Plessis made his opportunity count in Heat 3, taking the lead during the second half and going on to win. Ruvan Maritz produced a strong drive to finish second, while Koen earned his second podium of the day in third.

Three podium finishes, including the final-heat victory, gave Du Plessis the overall honours with 99 points. Koen placed second on 89, with Mukosa third on 86. Dowling’s Heat 2 victory and Maritz’s late-race podium further highlighted the depth of competition outside the top three.

Senior MAX

Reagile Mailula secured Senior MAX pole position, but Muhammad Wally took control of Heat 1 and won ahead of Mailula. Caleb Moss finished third after remaining firmly involved in the leading battle, while Tshepang Shisinwana also showed strong pace just outside the podium positions.

Mailula hit back in Heat 2, moving into the lead during the middle stages and taking the victory. Shisinwana finished second after a determined drive, with Wally third.

The final heat brought another change to the result after the chequered flag. Moss crossed the line first but received a 10-place penalty for a race incident. Mailula was therefore classified as the winner, followed by Wally and Jonno Wilson.

Back-to-back heat victories gave Mailula the overall win with 102 points. Wally’s consistent front-running performance earned him second on 97, while Wilson secured third with 86. Moss and Shisinwana both delivered standout pace throughout the day, repeatedly challenging the front-runners and shaping the outcome of all three heats.

Round 3 underlined how little separates the leading contenders across the Northern Regions championship. Several overall results remained undecided until the final heat, while post-heat penalties again demonstrated the importance of combining speed with clean, disciplined racing.