Despite being classified as a ‘Novice’, Yuan Gavin Bugayong delivered a clean sweep in Formula Cadets during the first-ever Night Race at the Clark International Speedway Kart Track. The 11-year-old not only won EVERY SINGLE SESSION against more experienced karters, but also crossed the finish line with a considerable lead en route to a perfect weekend.
However, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for young Yuan as he had his fair share of challenges along the way. He figured into an accident during an early practice run when another karter spun in front of him. The collision was strong enough to bend his chassis and thus requiring DRIFT MOTOR Racing Team to setup a brand new kart from scratch. Yuan, on the other hand, walked away limping but was fortunately cleared by the track doctor of any injuries.
Remarkably, this didn’t dent his confidence as he expressed, “I was more relaxed, calm, and not too nervous as I knew that I was the fastest driver on track.”
He proved this true right from the get-go in Round 5 on Saturday. Yuan set pole during Qualifying, which gave him an early advantage for the upcoming Heats. Held under fading daylight, he then converted both starts into 1st place finishes in Heat 1 and Heat 2.
The first-ever night race later got the green light at 7 o’clock in the evening for the 10-lap Finals. Yuan capitalized on his pole position start and was practically unchallenged ’til the chequered flag dropped. Not only did he secure 1st place finish overall, but also won by a massive 6.613 secs advantage. Truly, it was a milestone effort from the DRIFT MOTOR Racing Team karter as he set his sights on Round 6 the next day.
Yuan carried his strong momentum into Sunday and once again dominated the competition. After he Qualified on pole, the 11-year-old practically left everyone behind in Heat 1 and Heat 2, finishing miles ahead of everyone. Driving the #07 kart under the night sky, Yuan had no trouble navigating through the artificially lit kart track towards another lights-to-flag victory. He did not give an inch against the opposition and secured 1st place in the Finals for DRIFT MOTOR Racing Team.
Joyful about his performance during the first-ever night race double header, Yuan gave much praise to God saying, “I thank God that I won all of the races. My dad and I haven’t stopped putting our faith in God and believing in Him and if you put your faith in God and believe in Him especially when times are tough, everything will go very well soon.”
With perfect results from the weekend, Yuan currently sits atop of the Formula Cadet Novice Class with 498 points and 141 point clear over his nearest rival. There’s only 2 more events left in the 2023 calendar where he looks to finish the series with a championship title to his name. The races resumes on September 9/10 at the Carmona Race Track (CRT) followed by the season finale on November 4/5 on the same circuit.
Yuan Bugayong is supported by AmsOil Philippines, Motolite Quick Delivery, SEC Motosupply, DRIFT XAUST, K&N Filters Philippines, RaceChip Philippines, and Mercedes Young Driver Development Philippines.
[Photos by Bong Boado]
