Macau’s Karting History – a new book that tracks the long history of kart racing in the city – was launched during an event at the Macao Grand Prix Museum yesterday, according to a statement from the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO).
Written by Pedro Dá Mesquita and Carlos Barrreto, the book delves into the evolution of karting in Macao from the first race in 1965 up to the present day. Each of the book’s chapters is written in Chinese, Portuguese and English, and the volume contains more than 140 photos.
In an interview with local media, Barreto said that the book was the result of a great deal of work, which involved sourcing documents and information, speaking with numerous racers, as well as putting pen to paper. “It took us a bit of time,” he noted. “But what is most important is we managed to collect the history of karting from the stories of many people.”
Ricardo Pinto, the head of the book’s publisher, PraiaGrande Edições, said he believes the book will benefit the development of racing in Macao, as “history can help us explain how to shape the future.”
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Mesquita told the Macau Daily Post that the sport was “homeless” for two to three decades, as “it had six different urban circuits.” However, it was eventually able to find a permanent base following the opening of the nearly 43,000-square-metre karting track in Coloane.
Barreto, meanwhile, highlighted that “in the last three decades, the development of karting has been tremendous in terms of infrastructure, technology, safety and communication.”
Macau’s Karting History will be sold at the Portuguese Bookshop, the Grand Prix Museum store, as well as other supporting retailers. In addition, Galaxy Entertainment Group, which helped to sponsor the work, has pledged to donate copies to all the public libraries and middle and primary schools across the city.
Kart racing is a juvenile stepping stone for individuals who are looking to develop a professional career in formula racing. Racing legends such as Michael Schumacher, as well as Macao drivers including André Couto and Charles Hong Chio, held their earliest races on karting tracks.
