Pinoy karters bid to end Asian Open title spell

MANILA, Philippines - The Asian Karting Open Championships fires off today with the top local karters out to end a long slump as they slug it out the best in the region at the Carmona Racetrack in Brgy. Bangkal, Carmona, Cavite.

After Michelle Bumgarner’s reign as three-time Asian Karting Queen and Marlon Stockinger’s feat in 2006, no Filipino karter has ever come close to winning the prestigious Asian plum.

“It doesn’t matter who among us will win for as long as it’s a Filipino,” said Seaoil-DC karter Gabriel Tayao Cabrera, who bagged the Formula 125 Junior Open title in the Macau kickoff of the series.

Joining Cabrera in the hunt are Jacob Ang of Eagle Cement and Tai Zulberti and Joseph Tumambing, who will be up against Macau’s Leong Hon Chio of Solar Racing Team.

The three-day event ending Sunday is sanctioned and approved by the world governing Commission Internationale de Karting-Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (CIK-FIA) and local governing body Automobile Association Philippines, and sponsored by Petron, Yokohama the official tires, Motorstar and Vivere Hotel, the official home of Asian karters.

Bobby Domingo of Formula-E Racing will banner the country’s bid in the Formula 125 Open Senior class along with 2013 Karter of the Year Daniel Miranda, Michael Jordan and Lean Linao of Formula-E Racing, Brian Thorp and Carl Luig of AUTS Racing, Wayne Darvin of Total One Racing, Raymond Cudala of Tough Gear Racing, Julius Milla, Francis Cruz, Jerry Choi and Kart Plaza Motorsports Racing Team’s Vrei-AR Suba.

Leading the foreign cast are Singaporean Hong Yang of Kart Master Drakar Racing Team, Macau ace karter and Hong Kong’s Kevin Pu Jin Jun, who won the Formula 125 Open Senior plum in Macau.