If you have been reading Beyond The Horizon, you probably know by now that I love coffee, books, long drives and sometimes just sitting somewhere doing absolutely nothing.
Very peaceful, right?
Then give me a helmet and a go-kart.
Different Thana. 😂
My love for go-karting started back in 2014.
My former company organised a go-kart outing. I went there without knowing that this would become something I would still love more than ten years later.
I remember getting into the kart for the first time.
The speed. The bumps. The corners.
I loved it.
Of course, the first few times were not exactly Formula One material. 😂
There were spins. A few crashes. Probably some very bad cornering too.
But I kept going back.
Today I’ve tried a few tracks around PJ and Selangor, but Sepang is probably where I go most often.
And funny enough, most of the time I go alone.
I don’t really go there to beat somebody else.
I like competing with myself.
If I know my previous lap time, I’ll try to beat it.
Even half a second matters to me. 😂
First Lap
Whenever I’m on a track, my first lap is normally about understanding it.
Where can I push?
Where should I brake?
Which corner can I take faster?
Where can I overtake?
I don’t rush it.
I learn the track first.
Then comes the second lap.
Hammer time. 😊
That’s when the other Thana appears.
The Race I Still Remember
One of my favourite races happened when I went karting with my colleagues.
And of all days…
It was raining.
We were ready. Race started. Everyone moved.
My kart didn’t. 😂
It wouldn’t start.
So by the time I finally got moving, everyone was already ahead and I started from the back.
I could have tried to chase immediately, but with a wet track, that probably wouldn’t have ended very well. 😂
So I took some time to see where I had grip and where I could push.
Then I started catching them.
One by one.
I don’t remember every overtake now.
But I definitely remember how it ended.
P1. 🏆
From starting last because my kart wouldn’t start…
to finishing first.
And I had the fastest lap too.
Okay, this one I was proud of. 😂
I even have the timing screen and podium photo as evidence.
Maybe F1 Is to Blame
I’ve loved Formula One for years.
Michael Schumacher was my hero growing up.
Now I enjoy watching Max Verstappen.
Maybe that’s why putting on a helmet does something to me.
For those few minutes, I’m not thinking about work.
I’m not thinking about tomorrow.
I’m not thinking about anything else.
Just the kart in front of me, the next corner and whether I can go a little faster.
And when the race ends and I take off the helmet?
There’s always that feeling.
Can I go one more round? 😂
That’s probably the easiest way to explain why I love go-karting.
I’m myself when I’m behind the wheel.
I learn the car.
I learn the track.
And once I understand both…
I just want to fly. 🏎️
Coffee-and-book Thana will eventually come back.
But not yet.
Helmet on.
Just here.
— Thana
Beyond The Horizon 🌅
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