Autoworld Team Takes Top Honours at Bridgestone Media Go-kart Race
Shah Alam, 10 December 2008 – The Autoworld ‘race team’ took top honours today at the Bridgestone Media Go-kart Endurance race. Organised by the Bridgestone Tyre Sales (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd as a ‘thank you’ gesture to the Malaysian motoring media for their continued support, the endurance race was run for an hour. Teams had to nominate three drivers for the race. A total of 19 teams from various publications took part in the exciting event.
Autoworld was represented by the three Khongs, Ian Khong, Ivan Khong, and YS Khong, all members of the Autoworld car evaluation team. Ivan and Ian are also motoring journalists, contributing to Autoworld and other motoring media.
It was a bright and sunny morning at the City Karting Centre, nestled in the shadows of the Shah Alam Stadium, a mere stone’s throw away from one of the main sites where the GRA (Grassracing Autosports) autocross events are organised on a regular basis. After a wholesome nasi lemak breakfast, the organizers gave a briefing to all participants on the rules and regulations of the race.
Mr. Takashi Aoki, the Managing Director of Bridgestone was on hand to welcome all the participants, and wished everybody a fun time; he also took part in the race in a Bridgestone team.
A fifteen minute practice time was allocated after teams drew lots for the karts. The practice session was also timed, to determine grid positions for the teams.
The Autoworld team decided to send Ian Khong out first onto the track to try to clock a fast time. As it turned out, our team were placed second on the grid. For Ivan and YS, it was a question of getting used to the track, as Ivan had never driven on it before, and YS had only driven on it once in 2005. The Team Autoworld kart was not in its prime condition, with the steering pulling to the left, caused by a slightly bent chassis, and brakes that did not work too well.
Sitting in that kart was like going on a ride on a Lambretta Scooter, and anyone who can remember that one will know that it vibrates like crazy and your hands get numb after a minute or so on one. The brakes would not stop the kart, but they were not so critical, as the karts were so slow that you could take almost all of the corners on the 1,100m course on full throttle.
The practice wasn’t without drama; one of the media teams was very quick, clocking FTD for the practice session, but clipped a tyre barrier and flipped his kart (just in front of YS), totally ruining the kart; the driver suffered some minor abrasions, but was otherwise unhurt, but that put their team short of a driver. The team carried on with the two surviving drivers, but a mistake at the first bend on the opening lap of the race, caused by cold tyres and brakes plus entering the bend too fast, caused the kart to spin and the engine to stall, putting paid to their title hopes.
Ian Khong took the lead at the end of the first corner, closely followed by Marcus Chye, another seasoned driver from Team Livin Cars, and Team Oriental Daily, with the others in hot pursuit. YS took the wheel after twenty minutes, and maintained third position after the pit stop, before Ivan Khong took over. In between pit stops, the Autoworld team dropped to third place, but as the others made their pit stops, the order remained the same after the final pit stop.
It was a dash to the finish line, and Ian Khong did not disappoint by winning from Team Livin Cars by a five second margin, followed by Team Oriental Daily another twenty seconds behind.
