Press Release:
MACAU, July 1, 2012: With yet more international exposure under their belts, Kartmaster Drakar Racing Team’s young drivers look to be right on track in their development towards becoming top-class race drivers.
Among the seven Kartmaster Drakar drivers who raced in Round One of the Asia Karting Open Championships in Macau’s Kartrodomo de Coloane yesterday, four earned podium finishes – no mean feat by the youngsters at one of Asia’s most prestigious karting competition.
In the Mini-ROK category, Kartmaster Drakar’s Indonesian driver Darryl Wenas came in a close second behind race winner Flynn Jackes. The 11-year-old youngster had the lead at one point and was coasting to victory, but a mistake saw him miss out on the title by a mere 0.721 seconds.
“I made a mistake when I had the lead,” said Darryl. “I didn’t shut my door on him and Flynn took the opportunity and overtook me.
“It is disappointing to lose the title, but I am looking at the positives. Afterall, apart from having a great race, I also clocked the fastest lap (56.905 seconds).”
In the Formula 125 Junior Open, Jason Lu (14:51.563) and Gabriella Teo (14:53.618) came in 4th and 5th respectively, securing two coveted places on the podium. Their Kartmaster Drakar teammates Jon Lee (14:56.405) and Santos Bala (14:42.288) finished a credible 6th and 8th respectively in a race won by Darma MH. This is Gabriella and Santo’s first time racing in Macau.
In the Formula 125 Senior Open, Singapore’s multiple karting champion Opai Naufal had a bad day in office. The 23-year-old finished 6th – a mere 10.995 seconds behind winner Aaron Chang Mun Shien. However, his Kartmaster Drakar teammate, Andersen Martono of Indonesia, came in 3rd – just 2.873s behind Gabriel Arcaradine.
Said Andersen: “I’m happy with my result, of course, but the most important thing is that the team worked really hard together to get the results. It was a good learning experience racing against some of the best kart drivers in the region, and I am looking forward to my next race.”
Although the team did not taste victory in Macau, Kartmaster Drakar co-team principal Roland Chong said the experience gained from Macau is invaluable to the development of his young racers.
“This was a good opportunity for us to see where we stand on the Asian stage,” he said. “They did their best and we are heartened that they gave their all and did the team proud.
“Their progress is on track and we will keep finding opportunities to provide such regional tournament exposure to aid their development.”
Kartmaster Drakar will race next in Round 2 of the AKOC inthe Philippines from July 28 – 29. They will resume the Round 2 of the Singapore Karting Championships from August 18 – 19.