Mapiro qualifies for World Karting Finals

WITH the final round of the 2023 ROK Cup Zimbabwe Championship now complete, 11-year-old Takunda Mapiro has firmly grasped the Mini ROK Class title with convincing performances throughout the year.

For this achievement Mapiro, or “TK” as he is more often known as, will head off to the Italian South Garda Kart Track in early October to compete in the ROK World Karting Finals against 72 other competitors selected from 40 countries around the world.

“TK” started kart racing less than two years ago after discovering karting at the Pole Position karts track in Eastlea, Harare, and the sport quickly became his passion.

After some promising results during 2022, he really started to shine. Working hard with well-known local kart champion Zac Dufty and his team Zacademy, Mapiro started proving the old saying that success breeds success with a string of wins during the season which gave him an unassailable lead in the championship before the final round.

Mapiro, an avid young scientist who loves science and physics, has won several awards for his science projects and loves understanding how things work.

He has spent many hours in the workshop with Dufty learning about all aspects of how a kart works and the preparation and set-up needed to be a front-runner in the competitive world of karting.

This month will see “TK” and Dufty hard at work practising, testing and preparing for their trip to Italy where he will compete in the Italian Tropheo Cup on October 7 followed by the ROK World Finals the following weekend.

ROK Cup Zimbabwe promoter, Kevin Dufty, said: “As promoters we are excited that after a break of nine years, we will finally have a driver representing Zimbabwe at the ROK World Finals.

“It has taken many years of hard work to get back into the ROK global fold and we are proud that “TK” will be flying the Zimbabwean flag high.”

Kevin Dufty added: “We have also managed to arrange for “TK” to race with CRG Holland, a top international kart team. This is the exact team that Formula 1 racing driver and current world champion Max Verstappen raced with during his karting career — we really can’t ask for more than that.” ROK Cup Zimbabwe’s parent series, ROK Cup Global, is an FIA Authorised International Series, operating in 40 countries around the world with their premier event, the ROK World Finals, taking place every year in Italy.

In 2022 the International ROK Cup final had over 400 drivers competing from countries across the globe.