The second round of the 2019 South Africa Rotax Max Championship took place in tough conditions, but the Port Elizabeth round will be remembered for the rising Praga stars who shone through.
It was a challenging weekend for Troy van der Laan. The Bambino driver qualified in a solid 3rd position in the sunshine on Saturday, but the rain and home town challengers set his podium aspirations aside on Sunday. Troy finished 6th, 7th and 6th in the three heats respectively and ended the weekend 6th overall.
Praga put in a good performance in Micro Max, with the highlight being a one-two finish in the second heat.
Mohammed Moerat was set for another brilliant set of results, after qualifying 4th. However, a DNF in the first race hampered his position in the overall standings. He had a great second race, claiming the race win, before finishing 2nd in the final race of the day.
Caleb Cotterell shone in PE. An average qualifying session saw Caleb start 11th on the grid. He crossed the finish line in 7th, but was later given a nose cone penalty which dropped him to 9th. This seemed to fuel the youngster who then drove the wheels off his Praga in the second race. He took the race lead and held it until the final lap, when Mohammed Moerat passed him for the win. He finished 5th in race three, which gave him a well-deserved podium finish in the overall standings.
Erich Heystek achieved varied results. He qualified 6th and drove to a very credible 4th place in race one. He took 9th in race two and although he took the flag in 11th in the final race, he was issued with a nose cone penalty which dropped him down to 12th. Erich ended the day 8th overall.
Kyle Beukes was another driver who struggled in the very wet and slippery conditions. He qualified 10th and made up four positions in the first race to finish 6th. Kyle received a nose cone penalty in race two, which dropped him down to 12th place. He finished 11th in the final race and 10th overall for the day.
Taya van der Laan’s talent and determination shone through this weekend with an impressive set of results. The Mini Max driver had good pace all weekend and qualified on the second row of the grid. She finished the first race in 5th, but the five second nose cone penalty dropped her down a position. Taya struggled a bit in race two. After starting 3rd, she finished 8th. It was however in the final race that Taya excelled. She drove a fantastic 15 lap race, to claim her first National podium finish. Her results placed her 5th overall.
Dane van Heerde didn’t have a great day in Senior Max. He qualified 10th and finished 14th in the first heat after taking a nose cone penalty. He recovered to 6th in the second race, before the chain on his Praga broke in the final heat, taking him out of contention in the overall standings.
The team can leave Port Elizabeth proud of their achievements and feeling motivated about the possibilities for the future.
Issued by: Motorsport Marketing Services