Jacobs hails growth of Namibian karting at Swakop leg

Go-karting
  • 1 Day Ago 16 June 2025
The fourth leg of the Namibia National Karting Championship took place on Saturday at the R&R Race-track in Swakopmund, with high-speed action continuing into the evening despite challenging weather conditions.

The event formed part of a six-round national series sponsored by Momentum and featured over 30 karts competing across various age and experience categories.

Derek Jacobs, Secretary General of the Namibia Motorsport Federation, said go-karting remains the grassroots foundation of global motorsport.

“It’s one of the only disciplines that can actually lead you into Formula One – or close to it,” Jacobs said. “A go-kart behaves very similarly to a Formula One car in terms of grip and handling.”

Jacobs noted that the series has seen significant growth in recent years.

“When I came to Namibia, we had 13 karts. Now we have no fewer than 30, and sometimes up to 45. It’s growing, even though it competes with school programmes and other sports,” he said.

Namibia’s local talent pool includes several drivers with international experience.

“Cecil Koorts Jr. races in the Italian ROK Cup Final and is currently ranked 64th in the world,” Jacobs said.

Other Namibians, including Zain Beuthin and the Kaiyamo brothers – Nande and Mudumo – have competed in global events or joined elite training institutions such as the Gazoo Racing Academy in South Africa.

Namibia now supports both ROK and Rotax karting categories, with the national body receiving backing from the FIA.

“We’ve had Rotax for many years, and now we have both codes – that’s only been the case for the past three years,” Jacobs explained.

The sport also includes strong female and youth participation. Jacobs highlighted recent performances by Toni Rust, a graduate of the Girls on Track development programme, who won heats at a previous championship event in Windhoek.

“She’s holding her own against the men,” he said.

Go-karting in Namibia can begin as early as the age of five.

“It’s one of the few categories in the world where you can start so young, because the machines are specifically built for them,” said Jacobs.

Saturday’s event faced delays due to strong easterly winds and blowing sand, but racing resumed once conditions improved.

“Motorsport doesn’t stand back for the weather,” Jacobs remarked. “We waited, the wind dropped, the sand settled – and here we are.”