The ROK Cup National Championships concluded at the newly revamped Red Star Raceway. Mikel Bezuidenhout put in an impressive performance to secure second place overall and be awarded the OKN Driver of the Day, marking his best result of 2024.

The Johannesburg teenager qualified in fifth, 0.395 seconds off the pole sitter's time, with the top six all within half a second of one another. Unable to find a favourable position through the fast right-hander at the start, Mikel was demoted to seventh. Making up an early position, he soon closed the gap to the trio squabbling over the final podium position. Mikel, however, benefitted from an incident between two drivers ahead and slotted into third before a retirement ahead would see him finish in second. A Nose-Cone Infringement Penalty (NCIP) would see him classified in fourth after five seconds were added to his race time.

Heat 2 would see a better start, where Mikel again made up an early position before taking up third on Lap 2. He would remain in third for most of the race before gaining a position to take the chequered flag in second once again. Mikel would finish third in Heat 3 before crossing the line in second once again in the final heat.

Reflecting on his performance, Mikel expressed his gratitude. "What a day," he said. "A few laps into the opening heat, I thought we might be in for a long day, but while I might have benefitted from a few incidents, that's racing. My pace was also pretty good, which was evident in the remaining heats. I'm quite proud of the team and this result is just reward for the hard work they have been putting in. I couldn't have done it without them. And to everyone who supported us today, thank you. Your support means the world to me."

Looking ahead, Mikel is set to return to Senior MAX karting this weekend. He will be competing in the final national round of the South African Rotax MAX Challenge at Zwartkops Kart Raceway. With his recent success at the ROK Cup National Championships, all eyes will be on Mikel as he aims to continue his strong form in the upcoming event.