Thrills and comebacks as karting action resumes: A double-day weekend at Champions Park Raceway |09 April 2025
Thrills and comebacks as karting action resumes: A double-day weekend at Champions Park Raceway
The roar of engines and the thrill of wheel-to-wheel action returned to the Champions Park Raceway over the weekend of April 5 and 6 as the 2025 karting season resumed in full swing. Saturday saw the Honda Cadets take on round two of their championship, while Sunday marked the much-anticipated return of the seniors for their first round of the year – delivering racing at its finest across all classes.
Honda Cadets – Round two delivers close battles
With four drivers on the grid, the Honda Cadets set the tone for the weekend. Joshua Cosgrow made an early statement during qualifying, clocking in the fastest lap to secure pole position for the pre-final. Nathan Nicette slotted into second, with Loïc Raoul close behind. Hailey Benoiton, despite encountering early mechanical issues, managed to get her kart back on track and into the mix.
In the pre-final, drama unfolded when Loïc suffered a mechanical setback. Nevertheless, he displayed resilience by getting back on track to finish fourth. Cosgrow held his ground, taking the win and pole for the final.
The final was anything but easy. Nathan Nicette turned up the pressure in the closing laps, but Cosgrow's experience shone through as he defended cleanly and claimed victory. Nathan crossed the line just behind in second, having posted the fastest lap of the day with a time of 42.601 seconds. Loïc staged an impressive comeback to finish third, and Hailey overcame a mid-race spin to take fourth.
With two rounds completed, Joshua Cosgrow now leads the championship standings, with Nathan Nicette and Loïc Raoul rounding out the top three.
Academy Bambinos continue learning journey
The afternoon concluded with session two of the Academy Bambinos, where the youngest karters continued their training programme. The drivers, some as young as nine years old, showed great improvement since their debut session and focused on learning three new racing flags – vital elements for communication and safety on track.
The academy remains at the heart of SKA’s development plan, nurturing the next generation of Seychellois motorsport talent.
Senior championship launches with action-packed round one on Sunday
On Sunday April 6, it was the seniors' turn to light up the track – and they did not disappoint. From the grumble of 4-stroke engines to the piercing whine of the KF2 karts, the paddock was buzzing with anticipation.
The day's races included the 4T Clubman, 4T Extreme, and KF2 classes – each bringing a different flavour of excitement.
4T Clubman – Adam Ally sets the standard
Newly promoted to the senior category, Adam Ally dominated both the pre-final and final, leading every lap with remarkable composure.
His nearest rival, Lecxus Liu-Chit-Chon, showed consistency to claim second in both races as he continues adapting to the senior-level Biz Karts.
Keanu Teeroomooljee kept Lecxus honest throughout the day, applying pressure in both races but ultimately settling for third place. Newcomer Illa Savelov, who steadily improved throughout the day and after finishing behind Marlon Talma in the pre-final, overtook Talma in the final to secure an impressive fourth place. Adam also clocked the fastest lap in this category at 46.314 seconds.
KF2 – A family affair at the front
The KF2 class saw a familiar rivalry heat up as Dave Rene and Liza Rene-Cosgrow went head-to-head once again. Dave edged out Liza in both the pre-final and final, to secure a double victory.
Marc Delcy started strong but struggled to maintain pace in the second half of each race, while Christian Bastienne showed consistency by finishing fourth in both rounds. Dave set the fastest lap of the day in KF2 with a blistering 34.672 seconds – a reminder of the speed and skill required in the high-powered 2-stroke category.
4T Extreme – The race of the day
The highlight of the weekend was undoubtedly the 4T Extreme class, which featured a packed grid and non-stop action from flag to flag. The race was filled with overtakes, side-by-side racing – even three-wide battles that had spectators on their feet.
Eric Maillet put on a masterclass show, cruising to victory in both the pre-final and final with little opposition. He posted the fastest lap in the class with a time of 45.385 seconds.
The real drama unfolded behind him. After a few years away, Cedric Ah-Time returned in style, battling his way through the field to snatch second place from a very competitive group. Mitra Labrosse had to fight tooth and nail for her third-place finish, smartly outmanoeuvring Dean Maillet, who had started ahead but made costly errors that dropped him down the order.
Terence Anderson finished a strong fourth, with Dean settling for fifth. Jean-David Melanie had a quieter day, finishing sixth, while Darryl Gabriel rounded off the field in seventh.
Looking ahead: More racing on the horizon
The excitement doesn’t stop here. This coming weekend, the Academy Juniors and SKA Girls will hit the track for their second training session as from 2pm.
Meanwhile, the seniors will be back in action for round two of their championship – and if Sunday’s opener is anything to go by, fans are in for another spectacular weekend of motorsport.
Contributed