Asian Karting under way

MANILA, Philippines - The Asian Karting Open Championship Series gets going today with the region’s leading karters, including Gabriel Arcaradine of Indonesia, Anderson Martono of Singapore and Thai Tanapon Nokkaew and local bets Vencer John Suba and Milo Rivera, clashing for top honors at the Carmona Racetrack in Cavite.

Carmona Mayor Dahlia Loyola will keynote the simple opening rites at 12 noon along with other officials of the sanctioning Automobile Association Philippines (AAP) led by AAP Steward Jun Espino, who will declare the races open.

A total of 83 karters from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Macau, Hong Kong and host Philippines will dispute the titles in the Formula 125 Open Senior, Formula 125 Open Junior, Mini-ROK, SQ Cadet Novice and Expert, SQ Novice, Expert and Veteran, and the Yamaha Cup Expert and Novice classes.

They will be presented in the traditional Parade of Nations just before the Pre-Final and Final Races set in the afternoon. The event is backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and sponsored by Yokohama, the official tires, Coca-Cola, Sparco, Vivere, the official home of Asian karters, Motorstar and Aeromed.

Focus will be on the Formula 125 Open Senior where 26 karters, headed by Arcaradine, Martono and Nokkaew, will slug it out for the coveted plum.

The troika made impressive finishes in the kickoff round of the event in Macau last month.

Arcaradine finished runner-up with a win expected to shove him past front-running Macau champion Aaron Chang Mun Shien of Malaysia, who begged off from this event.