Ryan Sy flew the Philippine flag high as he took on the world’s best karters at the ROK Cup Superfinal 2025 held at South Garda Karting in Lonato, Italy. The 16-year-old faced a fiercely competitive 60-kart Senior ROK grid where only half would advance to the Finals. Not only did he make the cut, he established himself as a consistent front-runner throughout the weekend.
It was Ryan’s third consecutive appearance at the ROK Cup Superfinal, having previously raced in the Junior ROK Class in 2023 and 2024. But this year brought an entirely new challenge in Senior ROK—the most competitive category in the event. He had just five days to learn the track, adapt to the Kart Republic chassis, and discover the best overtaking opportunities. The high-grip surface made every lap physically demanding, and straying even slightly off the racing line punished the smallest mistakes.
Fortunately, Zanchi Motorsport provided a strong and reliable package, giving Ryan the confidence to push hard from the very first session.
Ryan was quick straight out of the box. In Qualifying Practice, he set the 6th-fastest time in his group and ranked 12th overall—an impressive performance that put him within reach of the front runners.
Holding his ground among the front runners in the Heats, he finished 5th in Heat 1 after a clean and composed drive. Ryan then crossed the line 8th in Heat 2 before being handed a 5 secs drop-bumper penalty that relegated him to 13th. In Heat 3, he made another strong start from P5 on the grid, briefly climbing to P3 before being shuffled back to P5, where he held steady to the finish. Heat 4 followed a similar pattern—quick off the line that briefly moved him up to P4, and a strategic drive to secure another 5th place finish.
Ryan described the Heats as some of the toughest races he’s ever done, where keeping pace with the leaders left no margin for error. His consistent results placed him 14th overall after the combined Qualifying Heats—a strong position heading into the Pre-Final.
Starting P7 in the Pre-Final, Ryan looked poised to carry his momentum forward. But disaster struck on the opening lap when contact with another driver forced him off track. He managed to rejoin safely but fell all the way to P17. Refusing to give up, Ryan fought hard to recover and made up two places to finish 15th. Despite the setback, his combined results from the Heats and Pre-Final placed him P18 overall—good enough to qualify for the Finals.
It was a breakthrough moment for the young Filipino. After two previous attempts in the Junior ROK where he narrowly missed the cut, Ryan had finally earned a place in the Finals of the ROK Cup Superfinal.
Lining up from P18 on the grid, Ryan found himself in the thick of the action. The opening laps were chaotic, with drivers jostling for position in the crowded mid-pack. He dropped to P24 at one stage but dug deep to climb back through the order, eventually crossing the line in P20. Post-race penalties later promoted him to 19th overall—a result that capped off an exceptional debut season in Senior ROK.
Ryan Sy: “It wasn’t the finish I dreamed of, but making it to the Final itself was a huge achievement, especially for my first year in Senior ROK. Crossing the finish line, I felt a mix of exhaustion and pride. Of course, part of me wished I could’ve done better, but racing is about progress.
I’m truly grateful to Dino Chiesa of Kart Republic and Matteo Zanchi of Zanchi Motorsport for providing me with a great package, and to my race engineer Pablo Duarte for his coaching and kart setup. My thanks also to Angela and her team from Bengio and Bell for the protective gear and its cool design this season.
I’d like to acknowledge Sir Rikki Dy-Liacco, Jhon Carlo Quillain, and the team at AAP for their continued support, as well as Johnny Tan, Ms. Rose, and everyone at Kilton for their encouragement and recognition. I would also like to thank Carmona Racing Track for being the place where I refined my skills and continued to grow as a driver. I’m also deeply thankful to Sir Gino Luayon, Head of School at Domuschola International School, for supporting both my racing and academics.
Finally, a special thank you to Uncle Ron Hu from PCRC for his guidance and encouragement.”
Ryan Sy is supported by Bell Helmets and Bell Racing Design, CW Motorsports, PCRC Racing Club, KR Global Motor Sport, WrapTech, and Domuschola International School.
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