KF1 to host karting’s Rok Cup

SINGAPORE — He was recently handed a six-figure sum for a two-day corporate event at Singapore’s first international-class karting track at Woodlands.

Yesterday, businessman Richard Tan announced a major coup for his new S$3 million KF1 Karting Circuit on the grounds of the Singapore Turf Club. The Kranji facility will host the local series of the Rok Cup from April next year.

Sanctioned by world governing body CIK-FIA, the Rok Cup was created by premier kart engine maker Vortex, which runs localised events around the world, culminating in an international race in Lonato, Italy.

Singapore is the fourth country in Asia — after Japan, the Philippines and Iran — to host the Italian franchise and is a feather in the cap for Tan’s month-old facility.

Apart from the Rok Cup, which is a big international brand-name catch, Tan’s Herman Tilke-designed KF1 track will also stage three of six rounds of the Singapore Karting Championship next year.

In terms of bookings, it is already popular with serious and casual kart racers here as well as the lucrative corporate clientele. But despite what seems like financial success so early in the track’s life, it will be some years before the facility breaks even, said Tan.

“It costs about S$250,000 a year to maintain the track,” he said. “But I did not build this kart track with a commercial objective. There are two sports I am fond of, one is badminton and the other is motor racing.

Tan, who is also managing director of Arina International Holding (AIH), which built the KF1 track, said the facility showcased what the company was capable of. AIH installs temporary facilities for major events around the world, including the night lighting and corporate suites for the Singapore Grand Prix as well as facilities for golf tournaments the HSBC Women’s Champions and the former Barclays Singapore Open.

Yesterday, karting’s 2012 world champion Flavio Camponeschi drove several laps at the KF1 circuit, and he rated it highly. “Compared with the best kart tracks I’ve driven on, this is very technical and I rate it eight on a scale of (one to) 10,” said the 22-year-old Italian.

The lease on the Singapore Turf Club land is for only three years, with an option for another three, but Tan is sparing no effort to keep standards high, given the growing interest in karting, especially among companies that organise staff events.

Said the entrepreneur: “There are still things we are thinking of adding to the facility to make it even better. But in a way, KF1 advertises Arina’s expertise. Instead of ... producing lengthy presentations and advertisements, top executives who come here to drive our karts can immediately see for themselves what my company can do for their events.

“So even if I am not making a profit at the moment, I consider the expense as part of my advertising and promotions budget, and it is less costly.”

Tan also built the S$1.5 million, state-of-the-art Singapore Badminton Hall in Geylang in 2011, after original facility nearby closed down three years earlier. But it is unlikely that he will build anything beyond badminton and motor racing.

“When I know a sport, I know what needs to be built to get a positive response from people who use the facility. If not, they may not patronise it,” he said.