Thompson’s roller-coaster year
Benoni karting talent Delon Thompson (15) has had a year of ups and downs on the track.
The St Dunstan’s pupil dominated in the Gauteng Regional Championship, in the Rotax 125 class, by winning all the rounds and enshrining his name in karting history, by winning all the races in which he participated, bar two, where he placed second.
Thompson, a Farrarmere resident, came second in the South African National Championship after having a bad race in Cape Town, where he ended fifth overall after receiving a five-place penalty.
In Gauteng, he took fourth overall after getting another five-place penalty, but he finally, convincingly, won the round in KwaZulu-Natal, after all the issues.
He went into the last round, in Pretoria, with a two-point lead in the championship, but his cause was not helped by a poorly prepared kart by his now former team.
He could manage only a second place overall and lost the national title by a couple of points.
With it came losing out on a paid drive to the world finals, in Portugal, in November.
The youngster has also impressed in Europe in his first year in the class, by making the final in two events.
He, unfortunately, crashed out after being in pole position in the first lap in the third event.
In 2016, Thompson is hoping to compete in the South African Engen Volkswagen Polo Series.
He will be testing in the car at the end of the season, at Midvaal, and has also been asked by a team in the United Kingdom to participate in the 2016 Euro Rotax Karting Series.
