Text and photos by Cheryl Tay, www.cheryl-tay.com

 

 

 

Go-karting makes a good family bonding session, as evident in the Singapore Karting Championship (SKC) which holds plenty of family ties within. Exploring the various family links in the national kart racing series, there is the karting champion father-son duo Paul and Thaddeus Lee, the Chng family, siblings Manon and Lucas Maistre and more.

 

PAUL & THADDEUS LEE

 

Paul Lee, 44, the 2010 SKC Masters champion started out as a mechanic for his son first, before getting bitten by the racing bug and started racing too. At Round 3 of the 2011 SKC, both Paul and Thaddeus, 16, topped their categories respectively for the first time, fulfilling Paul's dream of achieving a father-son double victory in the same race weekend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the year-end school vacation and Thaddeus was bored. He was only 11 years only then, but was dying to get himself behind the wheel and start driving. After searching extensively on the internet, Thaddeus found a public karting track in Singapore (the now-defunct Kart World) and got his dad to take him there as go-karting was the only way he could start driving prior to attaining his licence.

 

From just a regular recreational weekend karter, Thaddeus has climbed the ranks and 2011 saw him clinching the Senior title in the SKC. It was his first year in Seniors and he missed the first round due to school examinations. He entered the second round and won it although he was suffering from a broken toe.

 

Paul and Thaddeus first went karting in December 2006 and Paul felt that his son had potential, thus bought Thaddeus his first kart in March 2007 – a second-hand 2-stroke Swiss Hutless Junior Rotax kart from Malaysia. In 2009, Paul got Thaddeus another kart – a second-hand Tony Kart Junior Rotax – to help him progress to competitive karting. Thaddeus' first official race was at the Rotax Max Challenge Malaysia and the Rotax Invitational Race that year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moving on to regional races in 2010, Thaddeus took part in the Asian Karting Open Championship with a brand new Tony Kart sponsored by his uncle who owns BMS Racing Team, a humble local karting outfit. He did very well, winning the ROK Junior class in the Philippines and the Formula 125 Junior Open class in Thailand – which was a new track unfamiliar to all competitors.

 

For 2012, both Paul and Thaddeus Lee are part of the newly-formed AutoInc Racing Team.

 

THE CHNG FAMILY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Chng boys are a regular feature in the local karting scene, with four active racers competing in the SKC. Rodrique, 10, and Javier Chng, 11, race in the Cadet category, Ryan Chng, 13, races in the Junior category and Roger Chng, 40, in the Masters category. Apart from the SKC, they have also competed in overseas races. Roger is father to Ryan and Rodrique, while Javier is Roger’s nephew.

 

Back in 2003, Roger and his brother Melvin (Javier’s dad) both owned karts at the now-defunct Kart World. They learned about karting through friends and never really liked the rental karts, hence bought second-hand race karts. When their sons were of age, they decided it was time to let them try karting. That was some time in 2010. The boys have not looked back since.

 

The Chngs are huge fans of the prancing horse, evident from their racing gear (the logos on their helmets and suits for example) and also the cars that Roger and Melvin drive (Roger drives a Ferrari F430 and Melvin drives a Ferrari 612). They also have a lot of helmets, each individually and exclusively customised by Aire Pro Designs – in less than a year, the Chngs had seven helmets done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other than karting, the boys also play RC cars as a hobby and Javier has even achieved numerous podium finishes in RC car races both locally and regional in 2010. Outside of motorsports, the boys play the electric guitar and Javier plays the drums too.

 

 

About Cheryl Tay
(www.cheryl-tay.com) Cheryl Tay is a strongly passionate lady about cars and motorsports. A familiar face in prominent local, regional as well as international automotive titles, Cheryl hopes to reach out to a greater like-minded audience to share her passion with. Through her website at www.cheryl-tay.com, she shares her adventures as well as her interviews with famous motorsports personalities including Formula 1 Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel and team principal Christian Horner.

 

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