Tan gears up for Phl leg of Asian Karting Open

MANILA, Philippines - Paul Laurence Tan primed up for next month’s Asian Karting Open as he turned in a runner-up finish in the Formula SQ125 in the Philippine leg of the AKO Championship Series at the Carmona racetrack in Cavite recently.

Tan dominated the first day and led the time trial and the qualifying heats but lost the lead in the pre-final starting grid the following day due to electrical problems and a flat tire to drop to third.

But the BRE-backed karter fought back, quickly grabbing the top spot at the start of the final race and kept the lead in the first three laps. 

He, however, slowed down with another flat tire but flashed superb driving skills to salvage runner-up honors.

Tan, backed by PTT Oil Philippines, True Blends Milk Tea, BRE, Route66 4x4 shop, Point Zero Project, MDU, Ninja Performance, Clear Vision Wipers, and MOTUL PH, has been the karter to beat in Formula SQ125 class and despite two flat tire incidents, remains on top of the national karting series.

“I am happy with the results and my team did a great job in this race. It was a very valuable learning experience because I still managed to drive at a fast speed despite the flat tire and some technical problems on my kart,” said Tan, who will represent the Philippines in the last leg of SKO Championship set Oct. 11-12 in Kartodromo de Coloane Circuit in Macau.