PRESS RELEASE — ROK ACADEMY LAUNCH!

Red Star Raceway | 17 May 2025

This past weekend saw something special at Red Star Raceway: the official debut of the ROK Academy, a new entry-level category introduced by ROK Cup South Africa to give young and beginner drivers their first proper taste of national-level karting.

The Academy isn’t just a class—it’s a stepping stone. It’s been designed as a space where new drivers can learn what a real race weekend feels like, without the pressure of chasing results or trying to master everything at once. It’s about learning the right habits, in the right environment, with the right support.

Seven young drivers lined up for the inaugural outing, all using identical OK-J karts powered by Vortex engines. The karts and mechanical support were made available by WORR Motorsport, who must be commended for their effort in bringing the first group of Academy competitors to the grid. Their involvement helped give these drivers a professional introduction to competitive racing—one we hope many more teams will join in growing.

Over the course of the day, competitors learned not just how to race, but how to be racers. From morning warm-up to post-race parc fermé, they experienced scrutineering, gridding, race starts, mechanical checks, and everything else that makes a race weekend what it is.

The standout performance came from Ngobeni Lulama, who took pole position in qualifying and followed it up with three commanding wins—his fastest lap in Race 3 stopping the clock at an impressive 54.848s.

Behind him, there was no shortage of talent on display:

• Siyabonga Cele delivered smooth, consistent drives to secure second overall, showing great composure throughout.
• Ditebogo Tlhapi picked up a hard-fought third and visibly improved race-by-race, particularly in traffic.
• Zehnya Bruckert, Karen Kaphale, Phineas Khoza, and Oatlehile Jonase each had moments of growth and challenge—exactly what the Academy is meant to provide.

Every driver had something to be proud of. Whether it was a better start, improved lap times, or simply the courage to be there in the first place, the day delivered exactly what we hoped it would.

The ROK Academy is open to any team or driver who wants to begin the journey into motorsport properly. It’s a place to learn without fear, to grow through experience, and to build the foundations for a future in racing—whatever that future looks like.

Our thanks again to WORR for helping get this first group on track, and we welcome any other teams who would like to run Academy drivers in future rounds.

This was only the beginning.

If you’d like to find out more or apply to join the Academy, please follow this link:
www.rokcup.co.za/academy