Jeffrey Suresh, Chan Key Hong, and Ammirol Ahmad jumped up to the top step of the podiums at the Brunei Go Kart Prix 2008 last weekend.
Karting in Brunei is in exiting times with talk of possible extensions and race activity at the Jerudong karting circuit as well as the appointment of a Rotax authorised dealer which means a Rotax Max Challenge in 2009! The event last weekend might be one of the last to showcase the 100cc water as well as air-cooled engine. With parts availablity being limited and reliability being effected the popularity of 125cc electric start engines are on the rise, particularly now with Rotax having an official presence in the country.
Karting in Brunei has a respectable amount of active competitors for a country with little motorsports heritage. The worry at the moment is that all these karters are in the Senior, above 15 age category. There is no category for kids because no kids are racing. That will be one of the goals of karters in Brunei this and next year – to attract cadet and junior drivers to the sport to ensure a safe and talented pool of karters for the future.
While there will certainly still be events organised as they are now with a laid-back, club racing attitude with little control on regulations if plans go ahead with the Rotax Max Challenge for 2009 the karters in Brunei will get a feel for what the procedures are in International racing. Pre and post event scrutineering, control tyres, and more emphasis on safety procedures will be introduced and hopefully embraced by the local crowd.
Check out some pictures from the event in the gallery. Some pictures might bring back a blast from the past with rotary direct-drive 100cc engines and people on track while karts fly by. Enjoy the pictures.