PH pins Asian Karting Open hopes on Tan

Paul Laurence Tan will represent the Philippines in the third leg of the Asian Karting Open Championship set in Kartodromo de Coloane Circuit in Macau on Oct. 11 and 12.

Touted as karting’s biggest discovery this season, Tan is coming off a  runner-up finish in the Formula SQ125 division of the Philippine leg of the 2014 Asian Karting Open Championship Series at Carmona Race Track last month. A previous AKOC leg was also  held in Kartodromo Macau while Round 4 will be staged at Kartright Circuit in Singapore.

The race tested Tan’s skills and determination as he  displayed  composure and focus despite various mechanical troubles.

Tan dominated the race’s first day as he led the time trial and qualifying heats. He lost the advantage in the Pre-Final starting grid the next day as electrical problems and a flat tire dropped him to third place.

He regained the top spot at the start of the Final race, built a wide margin and dictated the tempo in the first three laps.

However, another impending flat tire slowed him down in the next lap before Tan eventually salvaged the runner-up plum.

Despite the two flat tire incidents, he remains on top of the National Karting Series.

“I am happy with the results and my team did a great job,” said Tan.  “It was a good race indeed and a very valuable learning experience because I still managed to drive at a fast speed despite the flat tire and some technical problems.”

Tan also expressed gratitude to his sponsors, family and his karting team. “They visited me, provided words of wisdom and pushed me to do my best no matter,” Tan added.  Steve Silva, Contributor