Young Turks raring to strut wares in Asian Karting Open

MANILA, Philippines - Reigning local Mini-ROK champion Flynn Jackes heads the crack eight-man Philippine team vying for the crown in the Asian Karting Open Championships which fires off today at the Carmona Racetrack in Brgy. Bangkal, Carmona, Cavite.

Jackes came close to winning last year’s Asian Mini-ROK title when he took the early lead following his victory in the Macau kickoff and kept a slight edge despite the impressive feats of Indonesians Barichello Noor and Keanon Santoso in the two Philippine rounds.

But he struggled in the last two rounds in Indonesia and wound up third behind winner Barichello Noor and runner-up Keanon Santoso in the overall Asian Mini-ROK championship.

This season, the Indonesian bets will have their hands full against last year’s Cadet Karter of the Year winner Tai Zulberti of CityKart, Dylan Arambulo of Tough Gear and Jacob Ang of Eagle Cement Racing Team along with Wils Casequin of TRS Karting Kids, Mikey Jordan and Sean Draeco McLelland.

Dahlia Loyola will be the special guest-of-honor in tomorrow’s opening rites at 12 noon to be highlighted by the traditional parade of participating karters from member nations. AAP steward Jun Espino will declare the games open.

The event is part of the five-leg series sanctioned and approved by the world governing Commission Internationale de Karting- Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (CIK-FIA) with the Philippine leg duly sanctioned by the Automobile Association Philippines. It is sponsored by Coca-Cola, Yokohama the official tires, Sparco, Vivere Hotel, the official home of Asian karters, Motorstar and Aeromed.

The battle for the Cadet crown is also expected to be fierce with Jackes, Jose Luigi Lachica of One Racing, Bianca Denise Bustamante of Formula-E Racing, EJ Coseteng of Eagle Cement Racing, Mikey Jordan and Sean Draeco McLelland leading the hunt.

Larco Cortez of Formula-E Racing, TRS Racing Kids Julia delos Angeles and Jarred Kim, and Bobby Redpath of AUTSRacing are the top contenders for the Cadet Novice crown.