Karting ambition
MF Global Singapore announces it’s sponsorship of the Singapore Racing Team
By Derryn Wong
SINGAPORE’S LOCAL AND regional motorsport presence just got another boost with the local branch of financial intermediary and brokering giant MF Global stating its intentions to sponsor the newly-minted Singapore Racing Team (SRT).
Mr Charles Villeneuve, the team’s founder, said it’s philosophy is to encourage and nurture not only driving talent but also to involve fans or enthusiasts and encourage the further development of a motorsport community here. The team will compete in the Asian Karting Open Championship, a multi-category regional championship which has attracted karting talent from around the globe since it’s inception in 2002.
The team also announced one of its drivers in the Junior category will be Christian Villeneuve (son of Charles, both of whom are related to 1996 F1 World Champ Jacques Villeneuve), who’s already been termed a racing prodigy.
SRT will field a total of six drivers in the Junior, Senior, Open and Veteran categories of the AKOC. Roland Chong, a major figure in motorsports here who has been involved in karting since the 1980s has been appointed the team’s technical director.
Singaporean teams have competed in go-kart championships in the past, but this latest initiative is perhaps among the first to involve major commercial entities like MF Global.
By sponsoring the Singapore Team, we hope to invigorate the sport by providing the much needed support for these members as well as foster an appreciation for the go-kart racing sport,” said Mr Daniel Yeo, MF Global Singapore’s Chief Executive Officer.
Karting is the grassroots of motorsport but it’s certainly not cheap: a professional racing kart costs anywhere between $10-15,000, not counting maintenance and regular part replacement.
Benjamin Goh, Team Director rated the team’s chance of success in the AKOC very high thanks to the strong support but that it also spelt good things for motorsport here in general. He said, “Go-kart racing has come a long way in Singapore since its early beginnings. MF Global Singapore’s involvement and recognition of talent in this sport will accelerate go-kart racing to the next level in Singapore.”