Viana – South Africa
by Ken Walker
For very nearly 3 years now, it has been
my considerable pleasure to watch some excellent South
African Karting performances on various world stages,
and then to write approvingly about them afterwards both
in the wider world’s karting press, and also on
this website.
Well what are we to make of the South
African showing in Portugal at the 7th Rotax World Finals.
It certainly wasn’t South Africa’s finest
week. The absence of a single podium place when previously
there had been 11 including 6 world champions tells it’s
own story.
But is that the full story? I think not.
I spent most of the week in Portugal, as usual, in the
Commentary Tower, which also converted to a temporary
television studio. (Don’t forget to visit www.raceworld.tv
and click on the Karting button to the left, then follow
the links) As a result I feel that I saw the bigger picture.
Let’s start at the top.
Whatever the reason for former world
champions Wesleigh Orr and Claudio Piazza Musso drawing
a blank this time round, they have not turned into bad,
or even ordinary, drivers in one Race Event. They will
still win more races than they lose.
Even more relevant to me was the performances
of Arnold Neveling and Ralph Odendaal. They will both
be bitterly disappointed by the eventual outcome of the
Finals. However I will state here and now, and put my
journalistic reputation on the line in doing so, that
they confirmed that they are two stunning talents on the
world karting scene. Just ignore Portugal and watch what
happens next with those two.
Even better still, what about the youngsters.
Tasmin Pepper was a revelation and until the rains came,
and wow did it rain(!) she was most impressive. Caleb
Williams was, I thought, consistently good throughout
and even showed signs of increased capability as the week
went on. Devin Robertson wasn’t far behind, and
with Kevin de Witt making it 4 South Africans in the top
14 of the Junior World Final, 2 in the top 10, there is
much to look forward to in the future.
Wiann Swart who I have seen race successfully
in Egypt and South Africa was classified 4th in a most
competitive DD2 Final and he can be satisfied with that
effort.
Unfortunately South African good cheer
was not too common and we ended the week with the news
that Steve Wicks and 2 other world karting journalists
had been badly injured in a car crash on the Finals night.
I trust that Steve and the others will make a full recovery
even if it takes a little while.
All this was in contrast to the stunning
South African success in the 2006 Euro Challenge. I wrote
in glowing terms about that but for whatever reason, my
article didn’t hit the right target. I will send
it along again and maybe you would like to have a read
even if it’s a bit out of date now. It makes for
better reading than from Portugal.
However, we can close on a High note.
There was one area in which South Africa did still reign
supreme in Portugal. In the Exhibitionist field, nobody
could outperform the extrovert Rocky Gush in his public
efforts on the Dance Floor. What a mover!
Regards to you all.
Ken Walker
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