The BHPetrol Racing Team had a team launch yesterday at the Saujana Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. On hand at the event were team drivers Tanapon Nokkaew and Daim Hishammudin, as well as Alex Yoong, Principal of Lotus Driver Development.
Mr Tan Kim Thiam, managing director of Boustead Petroleum Marketing answered questions relating directly to BHPetrol’s involvement in the kart racing team. He hopes that one day a driver from the BHPetrol program will make it all the way to F1.
Alex Yoong mentioned some of the challenges facing a driver aiming to make it to F1, pointing out that it takes somewhere in the region of 5 million Euro to go through the lower-level formula series’ in before making it to F1. Support from companies such as BHPetrol is what makes the early stages possible.
Other drivers in BHPetrol’s 2011 line-up include Tan Wei Ron, Gary Koh, and Ang Kok Wee. The drivers take part in a multitude of kart racing series’ including the Rotax Max Challenge Malaysia & Asia, AKOC, as well as select European events. Daim Hishammudin is currently leading the Rotax Challenge standings with one round to go, and the team will be heading to the Philippines this weekend for the 2nd round of the AKOC series.