First Asia & GBA Racing Festival this weekend

The Asia & Greater Bay Area (GBA) Racing Festival will take place for the first time this weekend at the Coloane Karting Circuit, the Sports Bureau (ID) said yesterday afternoon.

The event, sponsored by the Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG), will include seven racing events from different categories, including two and four-wheel races.

According to the ID president, Pun Weng Kun, the idea is to both revitalize the Karting Circuit and, at the same time, allow more local youth to engage in motorsports, an activity deeply rooted in the local community.

At the ID’s press conference, Pun said the Coloane Karting Circuit is an important training ground where all local racers start. It also serves as the training for local Grand Prix staff members.

Among the seven races to take place between Friday, Dec. 15 and Sunday Dec. 17 are three karting races in the categories of ROK GP Junior, KZ, and X30 Senior 125 Class.

These join four motorcycle racing categories from Mini Bike, 150-190cc, 250cc and the GBA Motorcycle Cup 150cc, which runs as a single-make category using CFMOTO NK150 motorcycles.

The almost 100 participants includes racers from Macau, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan, as well as Singapore and the Philippines.

There are 41 racers listed for the three karting races.

The highlight is the ROK GP Junior category (for racers aged between 12 and 13 years old), which will include nine students from Pui Ching Middle School who have taken a training course to obtain a karting racing sports license.

The KZ category, the one most used for professional racers’ training, will see 15 drivers competing, 10 from Macau and 5 from Hong Kong.

The most international of all the races will be the X30 Senior 125, with 17 racers aged 14 and up participating, and with the higher group (6) coming from the Philippines. Macau and Hong Kong will have four representatives each while the last three karts will be in the hands of two mainland racers and one from Singapore.

The racing action starts Friday (Dec. 15 at 9:45 a.m. running until 5:25 p.m.) for the practice sessions with the races getting underway Saturday (Dec. 16 at 9:20 a.m. around 5:30 p.m.) and Sunday (Dec. 17 from 9:50 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.).

The public can attend all the racing action over the weekend with free entry into the Coloane Karting Circuit stands.