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Ken Walker is a UK-based international kart commentator and journalist. A lawyer by profession, after many years as a freelance sports reporter for BBC Radio he turned his attention to kart commentaries. His first race call was for British Superkarts (250cc Shifters) at Silverstone in 1995 and his first international assignment was at Le Mans, France for European Superkarts in 2002.

Since retiring from his legal practice he has worked all around the world at kart events. In 2009 he was the English language commentator at the CIK World Championship in Macau, China, the Rotax World Finals in Egypt, and took up his regular series appointments with the Rotax Euro Challenge, the Florida Winter Tour and the Monaco Kart Cup.

This open letter to his South African karting friends was prompted by the brilliant South African 1-2 in Egypt in December 2009, when Caleb Williams won the Rotax Max Challenge World Finals, followed home by fellow South African Ralph Odendaal.

A few years ago I wrote an article in a Karting magazine under the title: “South Africans – why are they so good?”. It was prompted when South Africa made it four Rotax World Champions in a row at the January 2004 Grand Finals in Egypt won by Cristiano Morgado. That was my first ever commentary of a Rotax race and my first ever meeting of any South African karting people.

Indeed Wesleigh Orr made it five in a row a year later in Lanzarote, Canary Islands and the run was only broken when he was directed to race in the DD2 class at Langkawi, Malaysia the following year when the Senior Max class was reinstated as the class carrying the Rotax World Champion title. I always felt that decision had cheated South Africa out of a record that would probably never have been beaten.

Eighteen months ago I was reminded of my article by South African Arnold Neveling. He was racing at Assen in northern Holland in one of the car classes where European Superkarts were also competing. I remember being impressed that he could quote so accurately from that story I had written. Indeed I felt rather flattered.

Then last December during the 2009 Rotax Grand Finals, all those memories came flooding back to me. We were back at Ghibli Raceway, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt where it had all begun for me. Better still, Cristiano Morgado and hid dad Rui, by now big friends of mine, were there. It got even better. Several of my, by now many, South African karting friends, led by the doyen of them all, Ed Murray were there and it was great to chat with everyone and catch up on news from SA.

Then they all repaid me handsomely. For me one of the best features of the Grand Finals is the Drivers Parade. It’s always a happy occasion and so colourful. The South Africans have always been ready to respond to my calls to wave the flag and cheer on their team. This year was to be no different – except that I was to be introduced to another aspect of South African culture hitherto completely unknown to me. It was the Vuvuzela (have I spelt that right?)

My first introduction to it was a disaster. Ralph Odendaal’s teenage sister Gillian was superb getting a long powerful note out of it. It looked easy, but when I tried, I don’t know what was worse – the fact of my feeble failure or the disgusting noise I did achieve out of it!

But all of that was immaterial during the drivers parade. Some real expert players got a fantastic sound. It all added to the carnival atmosphere of the occasion. Later on I heard more examples from the cliff top overlooking the back straight even during the racing. It goes without saying that they were acknowledging yet more SA success in this competition.

I have written elsewhere in the world karting press that South Africa is by far the most successful nation in this competition. I think the tally stands at something like eight world champions and 15 podium places – an amazing record in just 10 years. Having been appointed an Honorary South African last year ( by Mr. Eric Mafuna), and with a photo including me waving my Proudly South African flag alongside some ‘real’ South Africans, I was perfectly happy to see yet more SA success in this competition.

I had spoken to a distraught Caleb Williams early in the event after a disaster in his Heats and encouraged him by pointing out the numerous instances over the years of people coming back from a seemingly impossible position. He went on to prove another example of exactly that. Yet whilst happy to acknowledge his success, I confess that, despite always seeking to be neutral in what I do in karting, I was desperately sorry for Ralph Odendaal.

I had watched him have a superb season in winning the Rotax Euro Challenge title, and then to be fastest in the World Finals in all practice sessions, qualify on pole, win all his Heats and the pre-final and only get headed for the last few laps of the Final, must have been sickening indeed. Nevertheless what a magnificent example he set in the subsequent podium ceremony and press conference when he never once bemoaned his fate but retained his dignity throughout. So, many congratulations to Caleb for his win, but the same for Ralph for his sporting behaviour on and off track from start to finish.

Writing all of this just makes me want even more to come again to one of your races, and whilst my diary does get very full very quickly, it may just prove possible one of these days to make it back to SA and catch up with you all again. Maybe a big event at Zwartkops, or maybe somewhere else. I have been told I can’t regard my world karting education as complete until I have made at least one visit to idube. Let’s see what happens, but in the meantime good karting to you all from this honorary South African

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