Founded by Sameed Ali, 27, and Amir Tan, 19, A3RT aims to elevate the motorsport experience in Malaysia. First thing on the agenda was the recently concluded A3RT Apex Clash GP, a thrilling spectacle which saw 20 teams vying for glory.
“The event was a great success! We are happy at how everything turned out and all our racers had fun,” said Sameed, an international business management student from Pakistan.
“We are excited to see how everything goes for all of the upcoming karting races. A community was formed today,” Amir, a Malaysian business foundation graduate, added.
A3RT was born out of a desire to offer more than just a race. The pair wanted to create an event that catered to both on-track and off-track experiences, akin to the grandeur of Formula 1.
“We wanted to give our participants the full experience,” said Sameed. “From media coverage to interviews with drivers and their families, we aim to treat our racers like celebrities.”
The A3RT Apex Clash GP, which took place at Pinnacle Kart in Subang Jaya on Aug 4, featured a 50-lap endurance race, a significant departure from the standard short-duration races typically seen in the country.
This format is designed to challenge the drivers and promote team bonding, with two drivers per team sharing a single kart.
“It’s a team-based race that emphasises strategy and quick driver swaps,” Amir explained. “They would have to switch strategically very fast and not waste any time and get back into the race.”
The event attracted a diverse group of participants, from seasoned racers to enthusiastic newcomers, from the Klang Valley, Penang, Johor, and even Singapore. The youngest entry was a 13-year-old boy, and there was even a father-son duo.
Sameed and Amir’s friendship began at a local race earlier this year, where they met as fierce competitors. Their aggressive racing styles and intense rivalry on the track quickly turned into a mutual respect for each other.
Amir recalled: “We were racing at quite an aggressive place, and all videos, pictures, everything was taken of us beefing on the track.”
This chance encounter laid the foundation for a friendship built on a shared love for motorsports. Despite their different backgrounds, their entrepreneurial spirits aligned.
“We initially started this as a racing team because we signed up for tournaments. We were going to races but we were not getting what we wanted in the race. We didn’t find any events up to that standard. So, we made one,” Sameed shared.
Sameed, who has dabbled in various start-ups in the past, deferred his studies to focus on building A3RT. Amir, on the other hand, always had a knack for business, even though his parents initially envisioned a different path for him.
“Typical Asian parents, right?” he quipped, highlighting the challenge of diverging from family’s expectations.
Looking ahead, Sameed and Amir have ambitious plans. They’re planning to introduce a year-long karting championship with a prize pool of RM40,000, giving drivers a platform to showcase their skills and potentially move on to larger stages like Sepang.
They’re also exploring partnerships with other universities to further expand their reach. But in the end, A3RT is not only business for the duo; it’s a passion project aimed at fostering a community.
They’ve involved university students as volunteers, offering them valuable experience in event management.
“Our aim is not only for the drivers to make a community; we want to make a motorsports community where people who are passionate about cars and motorsports can be there,” said Sameed.
With a unique format, a diverse roster of participants, and a commitment to elevating the motorsport experience, Sameed and Amir are racing towards a bright future, both on and off the track.