Presented annually by the Golden Wheel Awards Foundation, the “Junior Karter of the Year” is a perpetual trophy given to a young individual for his (or her) achievements in the Junior karting category over the past season. Reaching farther strides in his skill and experience last 2023 was 13-year-old Ryan Sy, who was the recipient of the esteemed award.
The Junior Karter of the Year trophy was a culmination of Ryan’s growth both as a karter and as an individual at a young age. After all, his 2023 season boasts Junior Overall Championships in the Rok GP Cup Philippines and Rotax Max Challenge Philippines.
Ryan was dominant in both series. He swept through 5 out of the 6 rounds in the Rok GP Cup, with only an unfortunate DNF in Round 5 holding him back from a perfect run. However, he was pushed beyond his limits in the Rotax Max Challenge. After a strong start to the season with a 1st and 3rd place finishes, Ryan suffered a slight setback midway through the season with a 6th in Round 3. But the Formula E Racing Management karter bounced back in a big way to nab 3rd in the succeeding event followed by back-to-back wins to secure the 2023 title.
With his championship victories, Ryan was then invited to compete in the ROK Cup Superfinal at Lonato, Italy and the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Bahrain later in the year. There, he went up against some of the best karters in the world with entry lists reaching up to the hundreds, allowing him to gain valuable experience.
Adding to this, the 13-year-old karter also entered the Asian Karting Open Championship (AKOC) in 2023. He secured a 1st and 2nd during the season opener at Macau and another pair of podiums during the next event held at the Clark International Speedway Kart Track.
Ryan is looking forward to an even bigger 2024 campaign as he prepares to make his plans known in the coming weeks.
Ryan Sy: ”After all the setbacks and hardships in the 2023 season, I still pushed through to win the Rok GP Cup Philippines and Rotax Max Challenge Philippines. Receiving the Junior Karter of the Year trophy at the Golden Wheel Awards makes it all worth the effort and makes me feel ecstatic. My achievements prove to myself that if I have the determination and confidence to achieve my goals and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my parents, coach Elson, and all my friends. ”
Ryan Sy is supported by Formula E Racing Management in collaboration with PCRC, Motul Philippine Distributor – Infiniteserv Int’l, BELL, Domuschola International School, Max888, and Wraptech. For more info and updates, Like the Ryan Sy Racing page on Facebook and follow @ryan_sy_racing on Instagram.
[Photos by Matt Romualdez Photography]
