KARTING | National OKN Podium Finish for Bezuidenhout

OKN driver Mikel Bezuidenhout, a force to be reckoned with, left the Eastern Cape with a sense of accomplishment. He secured a commendable third overall result in his class at the Celso Scribante Raceway this past weekend. Competing at Round 3 of the National ROK Cup Kart Championships, Mikel's prowess was evident as he recorded three podium finishes across three heats, culminating in a podium finish on Saturday afternoon.

While the OKN class is only in its second season after being introduced to the karting world in 2023, it is the most senior Vortex-powered class in South Africa and is still set to grow in competitor numbers. Using Friday's official practice sessions to set up his kart, Mikel qualified his MTN Cosmo-Net / Vivo Mobile South Africa Tony Kart in fourth on Saturday morning, a mere two-hundredths of a second off the pole.

Heat 1 saw the Johannesburg driver make up a position to finish third and score the first of his podium finishes. In a race of attrition, the second heat only had two finishers, one of whom was Mikel, who crossed the finish line in second. The third and final heat was somewhat uneventful, with the teenager taking third again to cap off a solid national weekend.

"We head to the last round of the championship with confidence following a solid outing this weekend. The team have been exceptional in providing a well-setup kart, and most importantly, I was able to stay out of any trouble. With a single round still remaining I'm hopeful of that maiden victory and potentially a top three championship finish," said Mikel.

The final round of the national championship takes place on 9-10 August at Red Star Raceway.