(From left) Chin, Hashimoto and Siew at the press conference to announce Malaysia’s participation in the SWS International Finals. — Photos: RAJA FAISAL HISHAN/The Star
CHAMPIONS of the first leisure go-karting competition, the Sodi W Series (SWS) Sprint Cup Malaysia, will soon be travelling to the SWS International Finals 2023, to be held in Slovakia from July 5 to 8.
Organised by Sodikart, an international go-kart manufacturer, each year the SWS International Finals sees go-kart drivers from all over the world competing in four categories.
The categories are the Junior Cup - open to individual drivers from 11 to 14, Endurance Cup - open to teams of drivers over 15, Sprint Cup - for individual male drivers over 15 and Women Cup - for female sprint drivers.
This year is the first time Amprex Circuit Sdn Bhd will send the SWS Malaysia winners to the international finals.
At a press conference held at Morac Go Kart Track in 1 Utama mall in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia’s SWS Sprint Cup finalist Jason Siew said he hoped to make the country proud.
The Malaysian team at Morac Go Kart Track in 1 Utama mall.
“I’m very thankful to Morac and Amprex for giving me the opportunity to travel to Slovakia. I will try my best to return as world champion,” he said.
Malaysia’s SWS Women’s Cup finalist Leona Chin also expressed delight in taking on an international event catered specifically to female drivers.
“It’s a dream come true. Representing Malaysia is what I want to do and as a woman, it’s exciting to see 30 other women of all ages and from all over the world contesting.
“Staging a category just for women is a great chance for us to showcase our talents and establish a benchmark,” said Chin.
When asked about their training regimes, both drivers said practising regularly was critical.
“In Slovakia, the track and weather are completely different so participating in various races and tracks helps you get used to environments you’re not usually faced with,” Chin said.
Siew added that being familiar with one’s vehicle was just as important as driving itself.
“Before I go into any race, I have to study the kart.
“It’s like I’m not the one driving the kart but instead, the kart drives me, and in order to manoeuvre on track I first need to understand the technical aspects of my vehicle,” he said.
Amprex International founder and chief executive officer Genji Hashimoto said it would soon announce other programmes pertaining to the SWS races and looked forward to the involvement of younger drivers as well.
“Nearly every race we’re seeing a 30% to 35% increase in new drivers, so it’s definitely becoming more popular among the young,” said Amprex business development manager Imran Bagha.
“We don’t require you to have high budgets or professional training.
“You can simply walk in and we provide everything, from helmets to closed shoes.
“We really want to see the go-kart driver community grow here in Malaysia,” he said.
