I know how to drive a car but haven't tried my hand at driving a racing kart until last Wednesday. In past media events, I let my sons take my slot so they could thoroughly enjoy real driving as boys tend to do, especially when you're too young to get a license.
So it was my first time to actually drive a kart at City Kart Racing (CKR) located in Circuit Makati. We were given suits, balaclava masks, and a helmet each. Needless to say, the getup itself can make one feel like a professional driver already! :)
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| costumes can be deceiving LOL |
We were given 12 minutes to do a practice run and I only did four laps, at around 2+ minutes each, around the 700m course designed with a bridge, tunnel, and sweeping corners by CRK chairman Jean-Marc Freihuber. I drove much slower than my male counterparts with safety on top of my mind as I wanted to still be able to get home intact to my kids that night hahaha. Surprisingly, despite the sharp turns I made, my kart never tipped over. Freihuber says they are unrivaled in the Philippines when it comes to safety and that they follow European standards.
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| Jean-Marc Freihuber |
After a light dinner, all media guests were divided into 6 teams. I was grouped with Brent Co of autoindustriya.com and Marco Subido of fhm.com.ph and called ourselves Team BRM. According to the rules, all team members have to go inside the track twice and make at least 2 laps per round in one hour. Our team strategy was to let Brent, the most experienced kart driver, to do longer runs.
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| ready to race! |
Brent went in for the first 15 minutes, I did 2 laps, Marco did 3, I went in again and did another 2, Marco did another 3, then Brent rode for the last 30 or so minutes. From 6th place, we slowly rose above the ranks. It's so fascinating to see the live stats on the TV screens strategically positioned around CKR. After 60 minutes, we ended up in first place, yey!
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| final tally |
Admittedly, if Team Eastwind didn't get engine malfunction, they'd probably have won because they have the fastest racer :) Overall, it was such a fun, fun, fun experience! I didn't think I'd be able to thoroughly enjoy driving around a race track like that but I did and I was very thankful to be given an opportunity to do so.
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| BRM's trophy |
Experience the thrill yourself and reserve a slot soon! Minimum height requirement for drivers is 120cm or 4ft. They have karts for both adults and kids and conduct regular karting classes for cadet and junior levels. You may also sign up with their racing team that travels around the world for the love of karting. So far, they've competed in Japan, Macau, Indonesia, Malaysia, France, and Italy. With its facilities and various function halls, CRK is also an ideal venue for team building activities and corporate events.
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| there goes the checkered flag! |
Better yet, join CKR's first major project for the year called Race to Boracay and vie for the "fastest driver" title. This competition involves several stages:
- In the Qualifying Round (from October 23 to November 14) all participants will be given 5 chances to come up with their best lap time using karts fitted with soft compound tiles. This lap time will determine their entry to …
- The Pre Finale Round (November 22) which will accommodate only 200 drivers. From there, 50 will be chosen to take part in …
- The Finale Round (November 23) where the top 10 will race for the title of the fastest driver
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| precise monitoring of lap times |
As I mentioned, CKR has a state-of-the-art timing system, which records lap times up to the thousandth of a second so precision is guaranteed. It was very fascinating to compare lap times with my fellow racers so I'm sure you'll enjoy comparing yours with other contenders to find out exactly where you rank.
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| sharp turns |
Also, you don't need to be at CKR to monitor stats. Just download their mobile application to keep tabs on the numbers even if you're not at the race track.
There will be two classes: Juniors (13 to 17 years old) and Adults (18 years old and above). Prizes for each class is a 3-day-2-night hotel certificate and round trip airfare for two to Boracay. Special treats are also in store for the two runners up. Other drivers will get a chance to win goodies in the raffle.
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| well-lighted tracks make for really safe driving |
Entry fee is reasonably priced at P3,900, which includes 5 qualifying rounds. Register before October 17 and get one free practice run!
City Kart Racing's Race to Boracay is supported by tsikot.com, autoindustriya.com, C! Magazine, ourawesomeplanet.com, and wheninmanila.com.
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| certified racer! :) |
CKR is open from Monday to Thursday, 3PM to 11PM, and Friday to Sunday 10AM to 12 MN. It is located at Circuit Makati, Barangay Carmona, Makati City. Reservation is a must. For more information, call 0917.4551060 or log on to www.citykartracing.com.
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