Four-class showdown marks thrilling return to racing at Champions Park |23 May 2025
Four-class showdown marks thrilling return to racing at Champions Park
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From rising stars to veteran racers, the engines came alive once again at Champions Park Raceway as the 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ Karting accelerated back into its 2025 season last Saturday.
Over two action-packed days, four categories took centre stage; from the youngest cadets to seasoned seniors, academy bambino learners, and new challengers preparing to enter the fray.
For fans and families, it was a spectacle of speed, skill, and strategy.
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Saturday Sparks – Honda Cadet battles and bambino breakthroughs
Saturday May 17 delivered fierce competition in the Honda Cadet category as drivers hit the track for round 3.
From the first green light, Joshua Cosgrow stamped his authority, dominating from qualifying through to the final flag.
But behind him, the drama was anything but predictable.
Loic Raoul, faced with a transponder issue during qualifiers, started at the back but carved his way up the field to finish third in the pre-final.
Dwayne Seth, meanwhile, suffered mechanical failure mid-race, but managed to bounce back for the final, while penalty dropped Nathan Nicette from second to third for the final grid start.
In the final, Nathan rocketed off the line to reclaim second, only for Raoul to shadow him relentlessly and strike with a bold move on the penultimate lap.
Raoul grabbed second, Nicette settled for third, and Seth stayed consistent in fourth.
Hailey Benoiton, battling mechanical gremlins, rounded out the top five.
Cosgrow’s commanding drive included the fastest lap of the day – 42.267 seconds – earning him the top spot in the championship standings, with Nicette and Raoul in pursuit.
Meanwhile, the SKA Academy bambinos continued their learning curve with their third official session. After observing the cadet race and learning the procedure of race starts and flag signals, the young drivers hit the track to practice the racing line and improve spatial awareness.
These developmental sessions are key to SKA’s grassroots vision to build strong local talent from the very first laps.
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Sunday Surge – Seniors and speed collide
Sunday May 18 brought even more excitement as the senior classes returned to the track for round 3, with an added bonus – KF2 round 2 – which had been postponed, and finally took place.
A merged grid saw the high-powered KF2 karts sharing track space with the 4T Clubman and 4T Extreme classes, demanding strategy and situational awareness from every driver.
In 4T Clubman, Lecxus Liu-Chit-Chon led the pre-final under constant pressure from Adam Ally, Keanu Teeroomooljee, and Marlon Talma, while navigating faster was the KF2 traffic.
In 4T Extreme, a fierce battle unfolded between Cedric Ah-Time and Mitra Labrosse, with Eric Maillet keeping them honest in third. A dense midfield scrap from fourth to ninth thrilled spectators, with Jean-David Melanie later promoted to ninth after a penalty demoted Darryl Gabriel.
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Finals – Tight racing, fast laps, and new leaders
In the KF2 round 3 final, Dave Rene reaffirmed his dominance, taking the win with Liza Rene-Cosgrow hot on his heels and Christian Bastienne in third.
Meanwhile, in 4T Clubman, Liu-Chit-Chon lost his early lead to Adam Ally on lap two, and could not recover.
The battle for the remaining podium spots was intense, with Teeroomooljee, Talma, and Leo Padayachy pushing hard to the line.
Liu Chit-Chon eventually slipped to fifth.
Later in the day, the KF2 round 2 unfolded alongside the 4T Extreme round 3 final.
Starting from pole, Rene made an uncharacteristic mistake on lap three, giving Rene-Cosgrow an opening she did not waste.
She took the lead and held it, under pressure, securing the win with Bastienne again in third.
Rene-Cosgrowrecorded the fastest KF2 lap of the day at 35.221 seconds, narrowly edging out Rene’s 35.284 seconds earlier.
In 4T Extreme, Ah-Time and Labrosse renewed their rivalry with another close duel.
Ah-Time fended off repeated attacks before pulling ahead to claim victory, while Terence Anderson led the chasing pack to finish third.
Labrosse posted the fastest 4T Extreme lap of the day – 45.484 seconds – proving her growing pace in the class.
The upcoming weekend (May 24-25) shifts focus back to development, with the Academy Juniors and SKA Girls on the track, returning for another training session.
Sunday will also debut two new initiatives, namely the SKA K-Legends, welcoming veteran racers back into competition, and the Arrive and Drive Racing Championship, designed for passionate hobbyists from the ‘Come Karting’ public sessions
Off the track, the SKA has reached an important milestone as the FIA Immersion Programme application has officially closed, and Leo Padayachy’s nomination has been formally submitted to the FIA Immersion Team.
Padayachy now awaits to hear if he has been selected for the prestigious, fully funded 10-day immersion at the FIA Headquarters in September – a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – to explore the heart of global motorsport governance.
Then, on May 31 and on June 1, round 4 of the championship resumes, bringing the calendar back on track and allowing SKA, as the ASN, to move forward under projects aligning it with the FIA goals of expanding motorsports in 91Ï㽶ÊÓƵ and growing the community.
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Contributed