SINGAPORE: It is by no means a cheap sport to pursue. But for proud father Norhizam Shah, it is a price worth paying as nothing beats seeing his 10-year-old son Danial Hakimi gradually improve his skills in go-kart racing.
Danial only picked up the sport competitively in April in the Mini Rok category, which sees him compete in an entry-level race kart, featuring a 125cc, 2-stroke engine that can go upwards of 80 kilometres per hour.
via GIPHY
Go-karts speeding by a fellow racer who crashed into a barrier. (Photos: Noor Farhan)
Among the events Cadet drivers can compete in is the five-round STC Rok Cup which is held at the KF1 Karting Circuit at the Singapore Turf Club. The third round of the 2016 edition was held earlier this month (Jul 16), where the best two drivers in Mini Rok qualified to race in the Rok Cup International Final in Italy. Despite missing out on the Italian trip, for Primary 5 student Danial, his 15th-placed finish was respectable, given his inexperience.
Said Danial's Team Principal Alan Kwek of Arini Racing: “He’s a talented kid who just started karting this year and he's already in the mid-pack for the races.”
“There are very few Singaporean cadet racers, as most in the field are expatriates.”
It was by chance that father-of-3 Norhizam stumbled upon the growing scene in Singapore: I was quite surprised to find that there was a big track for go-karting in the country.”
“I got interested when I saw a lot of racing karts there, so I asked Alan of Arini Racing if there was an avenue for my son to try out the sport. So that’s when Alan introduced me to one of the karting managers who explained to me the things I had to prepare for Danial, so from there it all started."
He added: “From then on, Danial went to practice, and the times he got surprised even me. To clock a good timing on the track, it takes around 58 seconds per lap. From there it just dropped down further as he improved progressively.”
“Eventually Alan and Arini Racing's Team Manager Asafiy, advised me to let Danial join the Rok Cup.”
Cadet go-kart racer Danial Hakimi (centre) with his father Norhizam (left) after Round 3 final of the 2016 STC Rok Cup. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
The Round 3 Final though, did not go as plan for the rookie, who could not build on his fourth place midway through the race. When asked how he managed to motivate his son through the setback, Norhizam, who works as an operations executive at ComfortDelgro Engineering said: “I try not to put too much pressure on him as he only just started in the sport. I just tell him to do his best so that he can progress further.”
THE F1 DREAM
As one of the least costly entry points into the world of motorsport, go-karting was where it all started for many Formula 1 drivers.
“If you look at all F1 drivers, you can name every single one of them from the late (Ayrton) Senna to (Lewis) Hamilton to (Michael) Schumacher or even (Rubens) Barichello, these guys started their roots from go-karting,” said 45-year old racer Jeremy Lee, who won Round 3 of the 2016 STC Rok Cup in the GP40 category.
“During their off-season breaks they’re still doing karting to train up their stamina and reflexes to keep in shape.”
Racers negotiating a bend at high-speed in their 125cc Mini Rok karts. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
Alex Kattoulas is one of the promising talents in the sport in Singapore. The 11-year-old also takes inspiration from Formula 1, which he sees as the pinnacle of racing: “I chose this sport while watching the Formula 1 stars in action. I was sitting in the couch in Japan at my grandparent’s house when I turned on the TV and saw an F1 race,”
“So that’s where the interest started for me.”
The Tanglin Trust School student added: “I like watching Lewis Hamilton race, but as a character I enjoy following Sebastian Vettel. I hope I can be like them in a few more years, but hopefully I can be at that level as soon as possible.”
It has been a whirlwind past three years for 2015 Rok Cup Singapore/Asia Cadet Champion Alex, who narrowly missed out on his chance to race in the Rok Cup Intenational Final in Italy this year. The Tokyo-born driver took part in a race for the first time back in November 2013.
In 2014, he competed in all five rounds of the Singapore Karting Championships in the Under-13s cadet category, to become 2nd overall in his rookie year.
SUPPORTIVE FATHERS THEIR MAIN FINANCIAL BACKERS
Much like Danial’s father Norhizam, Velisarios Kattoulas beamed with pride as he spoke of his son Alex’s potential in go-karting. Like many of the parents of the young Mini Rok racers, the Greek expatriate goes to great lengths to make sure his son succeeds, even if it means engaging the best coach: “Alex’s coach is Richard Bradley, who’s won Le Mans LMP2 racing with KCMG last year.”
“Richard approached us, and told me my son drives well. He saw something and wanted to work with us."
He added: "Alex has dreams of turning pro. He could even race Le Mans, but we’ll see how it goes. That’s very much his focus in life and I’m happy for him to pursue his dream.”
The path to the top is not so straightforward, as 38-year-old father Yohan David can attest to. His son Yevan David also races in the Mini Rok, and is aware of the challenges in someday reaching the F1 goal.
Race-dad Yohan David (left), seen here together with Velisarios (centre) and Alex Kattoulas (right). (Photo: Noor Farhan)
Said the Sri-Lankan born trader: “Every one of these kids want to make it to Formula 1, or GT racing, or IndyCar or NASCAR. Every one of these kids has those dreams.”
“The good thing is that in Asia, there is no formal driver’s program, but there is system that if you did well here in the International scene the next step will be Formula BMW, Formula Masters, Formula Renault and from them progress on to something more.”
He added: “Getting into Formula 1 is extremely difficult. It’s a one in a million chance, but there’s so many bits of racing outside Formula 1 that you can do as well, that you can make a career out of.”
FUNDING AND SUPPORT THE MAIN STUMBLING BLOCKS
Having to uproot his family from London to Singapore when his company’s office shifted to the Lion City, father-of-4 Yohan sought the familiar surroundings of go-karting to bond with his sons.
A former go-kart racer himself, Yohan is all too familiar with the financial issues that come with funding a motorsport passion: “Yes, money is an issue, and I think it’s important that you know, as a parent, that you are upfront with your kid as to what you can afford, and upfront with yourself as well.”
Fighting for position in mid-race, as the drivers negotiate a winding section of the KF1 track. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
“I think the best way to plan for funding is to set aside a lump sum for the year. If you go on a case by case basis, you might get into trouble, and you just do as much as you can allow it.“
His son Yevan is currently not a sponsored racer, but Yohan knows that he will have to someday seek external backers to further develop his 9-year-old son’s dream: “In go-kart, for sponsorships, how it works is if you have a friend who owns a company, he’ll do you a favour and sponsor your kid.”
“None of the big brands would really sponsor a go-kart kid unless there’s exposure.”
He added: “More of the sponsorships these days is lubricants, and you might get a bit of that but not a lot. As they progress, then it’s important to look for sponsorship. Your first layer of sponsorship though, is your friends.”
THE PRICE TO PAY FOR SUCCESS
A season of competitive go-kart racing can as much as S$80,000 per season, per car. There are race fees to contend with, in addition to paying for race day mechanics, kart storage, spare parts, tyres and fuel.
Former national champion Paul Lee has since hung up his racing suit and is now the Team Manager at AutoInc Racing. He said that for a typical driver to seriously fund his passion, investments inevitably have to made to finance a successful racing campaign: “If you are a hobby karter, most probably you’ll be spending about S$20,000.”
“If you're racing, you’ll need upwards of S$40,000 and if you are very serious about the sport and want the best equipment you will need double that amount.”
A go-kart mechanic tuning up the steering and accelerator pedal of a kart right before the main race. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
It all adds up, but for Bunty Bohra, father of 2016 Rok Cup Round 3 Winner Nikhil and his brother Akshay, the sport of go-karting represents a long-term investment in the character-development of his sons: “First and foremost, in school where children spend most of their time, you prepare for tests, you listen in class, follow instructions and work hard. It is in some ways, predictable.”
“But in the real world, life can be so unpredictable. There are so few things you can control relative to what you do control.”
He added: “You get in a go-kart you face technical issues, a change in weather and track conditions, you have no idea what the other drivers are going to do. You might have an off day, and we’ve got like fractions of a second you’re talking about here."
“What you learn is that you can’t guarantee success nor is it an indication that the failure is a totally yours. So you have a learning of going down and coming up, and building that resilence.”
Fierce rivals on track, friends off it. Mini Rok racers enjoying a light-hearted moment during lunchtime on Race Day. (Photo: Noor Farhan)
For the local scene to succeed and for more Singaporean drivers to emerge, veteran racer Jeremy Lee insists that more should be done to introduce the sport to kids at a young, formative age: “I would like to see more local drivers at a younger age picking up the sport. But I don’t think it’s in the CCA of any school in Singapore as of now, and it’s probably the best place to start.”
He added: “There is not enough exposure of the sport in Singapore, as you read about F1 and GT car racing which is quite irrelevant to any drivers here in the country. Karting is the cheapest and basic form of motorsport where everybody should start.”
While he acknowledged that the racing ecosystem in Asia can never match the established set-up in Europe, Jeremy said that the Asian scene is indeed rapidly flourishing: “ More can be done, but there’s definitely a big scene in Singapore."
“At the end of the year there’s a big race in Macau, where Singapore will probably send 20 drivers to race. There’s a great track, and you’ll probably see anywhere between 140 and 160 drivers in action from Asia just racing there.”