Steve started his Karting career in Thailand on 4 September 2005. His new 4-stroke Kart was waiting for him at Go Kart Hua Hin. Joe Smith (RIP) had arranged everything so Steve's Kart was ready and waiting. He could not wait to start to race with it, and so he did almost everyday until December 2005 when Joe and Steve decided that there were no more challenges for him in his 4-stroke Kart and the time was right to step higher by letting him drive a 2-stroke Kart.

On a 700m track like the one in Hua Hin, the lap record is around 31 seconds. Steve got his first new 2-stroke kart on the 2nd of January 2006, and on the 15th of that same month he started his first real racing career for the 2006 season in The Thai National Championship.

In the beginning, it was hard to catch up with experienced racers, but quite soon Steve managed to keep a steady position in the top 5. He ended the last race of the 2006 season in third place! However, later he heard he was disqualified because he was underweight by 200 grams. Regulations state that after a race the Kart and driver should weigh 145 kg.

Last year Steve joined a race in Japan, which was sponsored by Rotax (Kart engines), and although he did not win, he managed to set the fastest Lap time during a race in the wet. This year Steve will race in Macau, Japan, and if he holds 1st position after the fifth race he will go to Dubai. This will be difficult to achieve, because there are a lot of good drivers in the top 5.

Steve has already competed in 4 races of the 2007 Kart season, and currently holds second position. A lot of his free time is spent on the track in Hua Hin or the track at Birah, near Pattaya, which has a length of 1200 metres; on both tracks he practises with a 2-stroke Kart. In Pattaya he is a member of the Prosport Karting Team, managed by Mike Rod, who has a lifetime of experience and who knows all the ins and outs of Karting. Mike teaches Steve a lot about Karting and how to control his emotions, which run very high if other drivers crash into him!

Steve still holds second position with his total points in the Thai National Championship, but he is at a point where you he has to make a very expensive decision; is he Karting for fun, and doing it as a big hobby, or take everything very seriously and gain a chance to compete with the best racers in Thailand.

We decided to go for the second option, and that’s why he now has a brand new Kart, a Birel Kart R31 2007 Model and CIK-FIA approved, which means he can race all over the world in it. It’s a huge investment, but we are sure off his skills to be number 1 or 2 in Thailand, and if you want to stay at the top you can only do so by having the best material available. Steve tested different new Karts, but the Birel was the fastest and the one that he could handle the best.

Steve is looking for more sponsors now, because it’s getting more and more expensive, the sponsors will have their name on Steve’s Kart as well as his Kart suit. Steves races are broadcast live throughout Asia, twice a month - For potential sponsors this is an opportunity to get more exposure. Steve is training hard now for the fourth race, which will be held in the first week of July, and then we will also know if the investment we made was worth it.

Steve is fully equipped, and now it’s his skills that have to prove who will be the best.