Interview by Yuki Lei
As the 71st Macau Grand Prix gets underway on November 14, drivers from all over the world will gather in Macau to test their skills as part of an elite group of drivers and riders looking to make an unforgettable impression on the city – with just over half a month to go before the annual race, a group of young drivers under the age of 10 were the first to leave their mark on the circuit of the Coloane Karting Track yesterday – students from the AAMC Karting Academy!
Is becoming a racer in Macau a distant dream? In order to pass on the tradition and train new motor-racing talents, the Automobile General Association of Macao-China (AAMC) officially set up a karting academy last year, organising a raft of driving courses at different levels to further nurture children and young people interested in karting and to create a good future for motor racing in Macau.
Davina Chu Miu Lai, principal of the academy, told the Post yesterday that in the past, due to safety considerations, AAMC only issued licences to youngsters aged at least 13 to 14, but nowadays, all over the world, including the mainland and Europe, quite a few children have started to get in touch with car racing at a tender age: “We want to lower the age group a little bit and see if there are any youngsters who can represent Macau in the future, from karting to Grand Prix”.
Completed in 1996 and renovated in 2003, the 50,000-square-metre, 1.2-kilometre-long, 10-metre-wide and 10-turn kart track in Coloane is one of the most exciting kart tracks in Southeast Asia and the only kart track in Hong Kong and Macau, according to Chu, who pointed out that having hosted a number of international races, the circuit is also the starting point for many racing drivers’ motorsport careers, local racer Andy Chang Wing Chung being one of them.
Chang, 28, started racing at the age of five. Recalling his youthful participation in racing training, he said: “Almost no one of my age was there with me’, adding that as motor racing was not so popular in Macau at that time, he could only train and participate in races in the mainland: “I could only rely on myself and my family members to explore the sport alone”.
From figuring out racing on his own to travelling from the mainland to elsewhere in Asia and then even Europe, Chang was invited back to Macau in 2013 to compete in the 60th Macau Grand Prix Formula Junior Championship. In the grand finale of the 69th Macau Grand Prix in 2022, Chang got a boost to his racing career by winning the Formula 4 championship.
Is it the end of Chang’s racing career given that he has never raced in a Grand Prix race again? The answer is no…in fact, he just switched to a different track from being a racing driver to becoming a karting instructor, giving lessons to children at the local karting academy, promoting Macau’s racing culture and motorsports, as well as organising a special training programme to identify children showing great potential.
When asked about the difference between teaching students and being a racing driver, Chang said that “as a driver, we know what we need to improve after communication with the team”. As a mentor, he was quick to add, “we hope that our children can represent Macau to compete in international races in the future”.
Meanwhile, according to Chu, the academy has seven instructors, one of whom is Chang, all former racing drivers. The age range of the students is from five to 14, and the academy provides different levels of basic training for different age groups. The young drivers have to complete theoretical courses and technical training as well as pass examinations for them to obtain a motor-racing licence before they can take part in Grand Prix races.
Davina Chu Miu Lai, principal of the Automobile General Association of Macao-China (AAMC) Karting Academy, poses after yesterday’s interview at the Coloane Karting Track. – Photo: Yuki Lei
This photo provided by Andy Chang Wing Chung yesterday shows him celebrating his F4 victory on the podium during the 69th Macau Grand Prix in 2022.
A young karting driver drives during his lesson at the Coloane kart circuit yesterday.
