Rough Shoe-Marker

My first experience with a so called Go Kart was back in Genting Highlands Theme Park. It was like a standard issue Kart but with an engine of a lawn-mower. Really, that Kart would have made Adam Sandler in Waterboy look like race track hero! To top it off not all Karts were made the same. If you're lucky you're a big sized guy in a good Kart and can manage to cover a few laps before the 5 minute driving time is up.....

If you're unlucky, you're a skinny fella in one of those Karts that fatboy managed to lap you TWICE!!

Suffice to say it was a looonnnnggg time before the interest of Go Karting resurfaced. In between it was hampered by the high cost of such a sport/hobby. Not to say it is cheap now, but it is more erm....affordable.

One fine day, I met a Mr Bob, who happened to cross path with me during the course of my work. Turns out, Bob here managed a Go kart circuit in Sepang. Bla bla bla......empty promises of going for a trial by me.... Bla bla bla......more enticement by Bob each time we meet........Finally about 2 weeks ago, everything materialised. The time and place was set and the inaugural department challenge began.

I guess the enthusiasm really caught on.....I mean....WHO IN THE WORLD would come to work wearing racing shoes instead of the usual leather work shoes???? And to top it off....RED!!!! Come on....it was like a sore-thumb sticking out, but heck.....I wouldn't have traded that sight for anything....... haha.

Fur-RAR-ee shuz..... but to work???!! WTF!

After work, we made our way to the race track. A good 45 minute drive (it would have been just 30 mins if we left on time and didn't get caught in the rush hour traffic).

Location: Sepang International Go Kart Circuit, which is the baby neighbour to the world renowned Sepang International Circuit for F1 races.

While the illustrated overview of the track has been labelled by default at clock-wise, in actual race they made us go anti-clockwise. So much for trying to be smart to memorise all the corners. Didn't really pay to study the track before hand, haha..... Some elements of "kiasu-ism" started to kick in a day before the race.

Long story short, RM 120 bought us the track and Kart rental for an hour, which included 10 mins of practice and 2 rounds of 10 lap races. The summary is as below
- Race track - EXCELLENT, although a timing board would have made it better
- Toilets - Need work....I thought it was haunted....
- Karts - No complaint. Big size guy needs to lose weight, don't have to push the cart.
- Watching friend do a Ralph Schumacher spin out - CLASSIC!
- Friend did an Alex Yoong and came in 4th but 1 lap short - PRICELESS
- Me finishing 1st on both races - EPIC! (Sorry guys....bragging rights to the winner till the rematch)

Special gear to marinate your head in sweat

Calm before the storm

Some people win, some people lose a tyre