A mere fraction of a second dashed Ryan Sy’s hopes for a top 3 finish at the recent Infinity IAME Series Asia in Bira International Karting Circuit, Thailand. It, however, marks Sy’s best place finish in the international series to date, fresh from his 321 Perform training stint in France last month. 321 Perform is a favored ground of notable F1 drivers who train at the elite training center in between formula races.
Under the banner of SIMON Racing and mentorship of Formula E Racing Management team coach Elson Carpio, Sy clocked an impressive 6th in the time trials with a best lap just 0.381 secs off pole. Sy managed to regain places up the ladder after losing several places at the start. The 14-year-old Filipino landed an impressive 5th out of a field of 12 karters in both heats.
Starting from P5 under the scorching heat, the lone Filipino was able to gain a place early in the 18-lap grid before landing on 4th at the chequered flag. Sy, however, got squeezed at the start of the all-important Finals and ended up in P6.
The opportunity eventually opened up when a number of karters made contact and allowed Sy to take P4. He then got his head down to hunt for a top 3 spot on the podium, gradually closing the gap to Rafael Kamal from Indonesia in P3. Ryan was able to get within 0.943 secs of Kamal, but ran out of laps to secure 4th place across the finish line.
Ryan Sy: “Good to have made a lot of progress on my second race at Bira and finish ahead of more experienced karters. I fought hard all weekend, pushed through the intense heat, consistently got faster and better at every session. Still, I feel some regret for not making it onto the top 3 podium in the Finals, but it’s something I’ll be looking forward to at the next race.”
Ryan Sy is also supported by PCRC, Motul Philippine Distributor – Infiniteserv Int’l, BELL, Domuschola International School, Max888, and Wraptech. He is expected to continue kart racing in Asia and Europe before transitioning to formula cars later this year.
