Benoni karting star Brodi Dowling is one step closer to realising his international ambitions after winning the Junior Max title at the Rotax Max Challenge (RMC) African Open Final at Zwartkops International Kart Raceway in Pretoria.

Dowling secured Team Africa’s Junior Max seat for the RMC Grand Finals in Portugal in November after beating Max Boshoff and Kenan du Plessis in the continental showpiece, held from July 2 to 4.

The victory capped another impressive outing for the St Dunstan’s College learner, who was joined by fellow Benonian Jamie Smith, as well as Kian Spies, Luhan de Wet and Michael O’Mahoney, all of whom won their respective African Open final heats to book places in Team Africa for the Grand Finals.

“I feel pure excitement, adrenaline and pride to have achieved this glory,” said Dowling.

The triumph follows another confidence-boosting performance at the second round of the South African RMC National Championship at Formula K Raceway last month, where he claimed victory in the junior max category after finishing sixth in the opening round.

Dowling is eager to fly the South African flag for the second time at the global showpiece and hopes to improve on last year’s performance in what is his first season racing in the Junior Max class.

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“I am over the moon to represent South Africa at the Grand Finals for the second time. My goal is to progress through the heats and achieve the best result possible as it is my rookie year in the junior category.”

The younger brother of karting sensation Emma Rose Dowling, who is making waves in the British Champions of the Future Academy (COFTA), believes staying mentally strong has been key to his success.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to stay positive and remain focused. Motorsport has many ups and downs that can influence a race, but I try not to overthink things because I know I am capable of producing a good result,” he said.

Dowling credited his parents and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Academy for their unwavering support and the countless hours of preparation behind his African Open triumph.

“We have all put in a lot of hard work and many hours of training to ensure we were ready for this race. It definitely would not have been possible without the Toyota Gazoo Racing Academy, Leeroy Poulter and Kyle Lawrence.”

He encouraged aspiring young drivers to persevere in chasing their dreams.

“Never give up, keep working hard, keep pushing yourself to be the best and always believe in yourself.”

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