Cape Town-based Manelisi Nkomo impressed in a rain-affected MSA Northern Regions Regional ROK Karting Championship on Saturday, 18 February, finishing in the top nine and claiming a race heat podium at Benoni’s Formula-K Kart Circuit.

Nkomo competing in his second Mini ROK season, qualified seventh in the morning session. Following a solid start to his opening heat, Nkomo moved up the order to run as high as fourth before losing two positions. Nkomo would eventually cross the finish line in eighth following a midpack battle. As a result,  he picked up a five-second penalty for a nose-cone infringement. Heat 2 would see the Lando Norris Kart driver start from sixth on the grid in the rain, where he would put in his best performance of the day. Making his way through the field into second, he maintained the position to take the chequered flag for his highest-placed finish in the Mini ROK class. Another nose-cone penalty would, however, see him drop a place to be classified third.

The final heat saw Nkomo pick up a third successive nose-cone penalty after starting in sixth again. In another closely-contested race, typical of the Mini ROK class, he gradually fell back through the midfield to finish in ninth, but after the penalty was applied, he ended his last heat in 13th. After the day’s results were tallied, Nkomo was awarded ninth overall.

“Not an easy day with far too many nose-cone penalties ruining my results,” said Nkomo. “It’s not always easy to avoid them as the class is a tough one with racing always very close. It was, however, rewarding to achieve a podium in the second heat in the rain. Conditions were tricky, but I managed to find some good lines. We will return home to Cape Town, where we will continue our preparations for the season.”

Nkomo extends his thanks to the team and to everyone that supported him throughout the weekend.