Morgan McColl
Axcil Jefferies
Ricky Hill
Kevin de Wit
Arnold Neveling
Kyle Lawrence
Simon Moss
Rory Atkinson
The
cream of tomorrow’s motorsport stars will converge on Port Elizabeth for
the first round of the 2007 Engen Supa Kart national championship on 28
April.
As
in the past, the opening round of the four race Engen SupaKart
championships is bound to provide a thrill a minute day of action, thanks
in part to the Celso Scribante tack’s unique mixture of ultra-quick
sweeps and tight hairpins.
The
60cc GP Junior class is wide open seeing as though reigning champion Aston
Hare (Head 2 Head) has had his hands full this year. Klerksdorp’s 11
year-old Morgan McColl, a member of the Toyota/Castrol Development Team,
has improved greatly and won a closely contested regional championship
event at Vereeniging last month – his first in the class.
Cousins
Bradley and Michael Taylor (Rigidek) are also capable of winning. Hot on
their heels and looking for a gap is Lyle Ramsay, son of former motorcycle
racer Mike and Chad McIver but Capetonians Marco Busi and Delano Fowler
could upset the applecart.
Drivers
to watch in the 125cc Rotax engined Mini-Max class are CRG mounted Ricky
Hill and Birel drivers Axcil Jefferies (Toyota/Castrol) and Sean Frost.
All three have won races this year and two weeks ago Jefferies overcame a
steep learning curve when he went to France for round 1 of the Rotax Euro
championships. Jordan Pepper is the youngest driver in the class and has
already claimed a pole position.
One
driver who could upset all their plans is Red Bull PCR’s Caleb Williams,
but will the fact that he’s also racing the Junior Rok class hinder him?
Junior
Max has seen Richard Napier on top in the Northern Regions championship
without much opposition but his reign could end in PE as PCR driver Trent
Williams will return to the class and will be determined to win in order
to get to the World Finals taking place in Dubai in November.
Western
Cape representation comes from Stephanie Craig (Arrow) and Andrew
Middleton (Birel).
On
form in Max Challenge at the moment is former Euro Junior Max champion
Arnold Neveling, but he has been pushed hard by CRG’s Ralph Odendaal,
Kevin de Wit and Birel’s Mathew Hodges who raced the Euro Max event in
France last month. De Wit is in his first season of the ‘big league’
having moved up from the Junior Max ranks at the beginning of the year and
won the PE club race over Easter.
Bjorn
Ganz (CRG) is another driver who’s shown pace this year, but Capetonian
Wiaan Swart (Birel) will be another favourite to win. He went superbly in
Portugal to claim fourth in the DD2 class at the Rotax Grand Finals so
there’s no doubting his ability.
Also
from Capetown there’s the vastly experienced and current Rotax Masters
Euro champion Claudio Piazza-Musso and young charger David Perel on their
PCRs and Jonathan Whiehahn.
The
twin speed Rotax powered DD2 class should be a fascinating contest between
CRG’s Ralph Odendaal and Kyle Lawrence in a Birel and Capetonian Wiaan
Swart (Birel) proved he’s got the pace to win when he took fourth place
in the DD2 class at the rain affected Rotax Grand Finals in Portugal.
Christopher and Gavin Frost have also been quick in their CRGs, and they will be determined to beat fellow CRG driver Jennifer Murray and Formula Ford racer Craig Allan (CRG) will also be in the line-up.
So
far this year the Junior Rok class has produced great racing, controversy
but most of all excitement.
PCR
drivers Trent Williams and Red Bull backed Caleb Williams (no relation)
will be facing Birel’s Ian Young and local lass Vicki Kemp (Birel). Sam
Tingle (TonyKart) is determined and also has the pace to win as do Adrian
Wood (TonyKart), Chad van Beurden (Birel) and David Smith, but they’ll
have to keep an eye on the Engen Tony Kart pair of Staci and Justin Allan.
Olivier Calkoen (Birel) and KZN’s Mitchell Licen (PCR) could be a thorn
in the side of the more fancied runners.
With
a top quality entry, the Super Rok class will be closely watched. Main
interest will surround Robert Briggs (TonyKart) who makes a return to
serious karting after a long absence and 16-year old lady racer Tasmin
Pepper (Toyota/Castrol Birel) who recently switched to Super Rok where her
pace and performances have opened many eyes. She is on form at the moment
and has won races at the last two Northern Regions then bagged a win and
pole position in PE at the Easter race meeting.
Also
aboard Birel karts are Gennaro Bonafede (Asiawing), Nicholas Toner and
Rory Atkinson while Zimbabwe’s Gerard Peters could also be in the hunt.
TonyKart
has the home ground advantage and the likes of Engen teammates Michael
Stephen and Simon Moss should be in the leading bunch as will Kyle Shering
and smooth driving veteran Mike van Niekerk
PCR
will be represented by lady racer Fabienne Lanz who claimed a solid fourth
place in Europe recently and local hero, former GP Junior champion Chassen
Bright who recently moved up from the Junior Rok class.
The
Celso Scribante circuit is located on Victoria drive and offers full
catering facilities for spectators who can watch thw action from a grassed
embankment that offers a full view of the spectacular circuit.
Racing
starts at 09:30 am
Bradley Taylor
Jordan Pepper
Sean Frost
Mathew Hodges
Caleb Williams
Ian Young
Gennaro Bonafede
