Hard to believe that Von Viray only got into karting over a year ago and he already won the Rok GP Senior Clubman Championship on his first attempt. Now, the 17-year-old is taking things up a notch by accepting the call to race at the ROK Cup Superfinal 2023 at South Garda Karting in Lonato, Italy.
The ROK Cup Superfinal is the grandest stage of 2023 where the best of the best will be flying from different continents in the world to settle the score on track. Over 400 international karters are expected to compete across 6 different categories with Von going up against 108 other hopefuls in Senior ROK.
The opportunity is a dream come true for Von as he only started to compete seriously around August of last year. He first tried karting back in June 2022 driving fun karts at the Clark International Speedway – Kart Track. From then on, he was hooked. Von joined the Petron Motorsports Karting Academy, where he ended up 2nd fastest in class, and entered his very first official event only a few months later.
Under the tutelage of coach Elson Carpio and Formula E-Resultado Racing Management, Von made his karting debut at the Petron Intermediate Club Race’s season finale. There he would score an impressive class podium, which was a good indication of what’s to come from the young rookie.
He then returned for a full season in the 2023 Rok GP Super Karting Series, winning an impressive 4 out of 6 races in Senior Clubman. Von went on to take the class title with a dominant 99 point lead along with an invite to the ROK Cup Superfinal.
From driving fun karts with friends just over a year ago to now representing the Philippines at a world finals event, Von’s journey up the motorsports ladder has truly been fast-tracked through his hard work, dedication, and raw talent. He will take on the world’s best this coming October 11/14 with fellow Filipino karters Jesse Garcia and Ryan Sy.
[Photos courtesy of Jon Gonzales and CAPTURE 360]
