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Collin Matiza
WITH the final round of the 2024 ROK Cup Zimbabwe championship now complete, 11-year-old Seth Rukato firmly grasped the Mini Rok class title with convincing performances throughout the year against a field of exceptionally skilled drivers.
For this achievement, Rukato wins an entry to the ROK World Super-final at the Italian South Garda kart track set for mid-October, which includes free engine hire, hotel accommodation, lunch vouchers, race tyres, and US$300 prize money from ROK Cup Zimbabwe.
The ROK Cup Super-final stands out as a pinnacle event for ROK category drivers worldwide, serving as the ultimate international final within the ROK Cup series.
For competitors, the event is a formidable challenge that sees more than 400 drivers coming from over 35 countries on every continent and garners significant attention within the international karting community.
Rukato started his karting journey less than three years ago after discovering karting at the Pole Position Karts recreational track in Eastlea, Harare, and the sport quickly became his passion.
Some promising results in 2023 where he placed 3rd in the championship, spurred him on for the 2024 season to chase his dream of representing Zimbabwe on the international stage.
Together with his father, Tinashe Rukato, they committed themselves to the hard work necessary to be successful.
Hitting the track for practice two or three times a week for several hours at a time, cycling and swimming to keep fit, and balancing school work was difficult to manage but the results soon started coming in.
With 10 wins over the championship and consistent results, Rukato gave it his all and proved the adage that success breeds success. Racing against his good friends and fierce competitors, Yaseen Savania and Eli Pilossof, who finished a close second and third respectively in the championship, the trio gave a great display of amazing race craft and sportsmanship with some of the best racing of the year.
Rukato will head off to Italy in mid-October for 10 days where he will meet up with well-known Zimbabwean karter Zac Dufty who will be his mechanic/coach and prepare him for the experience of a lifetime competing against the best kart racers in the world.
Rok Cup Zimbabwe promoter, Kevin Dufty, said: “As promoters, we are excited that we have another driver representing Zimbabwe at the Rok World finals. “Seth is only the third Zimbabwean to compete in the finals after Takunda Mapiro in 2023 and Zac Dufty in 2013/2014. It has taken many years of hard work to get to this stage and we are very proud that Seth will be flying the Zimbabwean flag high”.
Dufty added: “We have also managed to arrange for Seth to race with CRG Holland, a top international kart team. This is the exact team that Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen raced with during his karting career — we really can’t ask for more than that!”ROK Cup Zimbabwe is an official affiliate of the international ROK Cup Global series which is an FIA (the world governing body for motorsport) authorized international competition operating around the world.
Online Reporter