Kaylim track master
Second title for youngster
UP-AND-coming young Karting talent Kaylim Padayachee’s star is on the rise after he was once again in top form this year to pick up his second Border karting title.
Padayachee retained the title he picked up in 2015 to add another trophy to his ever growing cabinet.
After only starting karting at the age of five in 2014, Padayachee claimed his first Border Karting Championship title in the 50cc Cadet Kart class in the final race of last year, before defending his title this year.
“Kaylim is a very consistent driver. I enjoy watching him and his hard work paid off as he won the championship this year,” said vice-chairman of Border Karting Garth Flusk.
“What stands out for me about the Padayachee family is that we like to promote karting as a family sport and at every race his dad, his mom and grandparents are at the track supporting him and I think that transfers into him doing well on the track as well.”
Padayachee then also sealed the EP Kart King Cadet Challenge Championship battled out between karters from EL and PE, finishing ahead of the hard charging Jordan van der Merwe who also finished as runner-up behind him in the Border champs.
“I was very happy with how Kaylim did this year,” said his father, sponsor and trainer Nathanael Padayachee.
“He does this for fun, but he also enjoys winning and doing well, so he pushes himself to succeed every time.”
Padayachee ended the year on 211 points, 35 ahead of Van der Merwe, while Dylan Stevens ended third just a further point back.
He claimed 11 heat wins in total over the season and finished the season as he started it in dominant fashion taking all three heat wins in the final race.
He will now look to move on to the next level and challenge himself against a bigger field in the 60cc mini-rok division.
“Next year he’s moving up a division. It is going to be tough but we are excited for the new challenge and looking forward to seeing how he progresses,” said Nathanael.
Flusk, however, believes that Padayachee will get to grips with the new division pretty quickly.
“It will be tougher. The cars will be faster, but I think with his hard work and consistency Kaylim will master the quicker kart in no time and it will just be about getting used to the new kart over the first few rounds of next year’s championship,” said Flusk.
In the EP Kart King Challenge Padayachee ended on 198 points, with Van der Merwe close behind on 187 points and Bryce Loenen in third on 182.
He won six heats in the division while a late charge from Van der Merwe, who won the final eight heats in a row in the final few rounds of the season, was not enough to unseat Padayachee.
Looking on to the future, Padayachee is a big fan of Formula One and supports Lewis Hamilton, and he hopes to one day reach that level.
“Kaylim wants to be a Formula One driver so this is his dream and he is going to keep working as hard as he can and keep improving every year,” said Nathanael.