Khazart William Hisoler Romoff (second from left) shows off his championship trophy from the 2016 Asian Karting Open Championships. With him are (from left) his mother Maria Arlyne, older brother Keondrei, younger sister Kyaniah Marie and father Santiago Clarence. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)
Another Cebuano is starting to make some noise in the country’s karting scene.
Ten-year-old Khazart William Romoff has become one of the hottest names in local motorsports when he ruled the Formula Cadet of the 2016 Asian Karting Open Championship (AKOC) Series last December at the Kartodromo de Coloane Circuit in Macau, China.
That victory by the Paref Springdale student capped off a stellar year, where he also won all three rounds of the Petron Tri-Activ 2016 Karting Series X30 Challenge in both the Honda Cadet Novice and Cebu Club Races. He added two more titles by topping the 2016 National Series Championships’ Palawan and Clark.
In the AKOC, he won the first and fourth rounds en route to topping the Formula Cadet division.
And there’s no slowing down for the speedster who was first into martial arts.
According to his supportive mother Maria Arlyne, who is from Bogo City, Khazart, also known as Khaz, will have a busy year ahead under a new racing team, the Empire Racing Management.
Khaz’s first major race this year is the final leg of the 2016 National Championships in Manila on Jan. 21 and 22.
Maria Arlyne said her son currently has a commanding lead in his division.
After that race, Maria Arlyne said Khaz wants to shift into higher gear.
“He is planning to move into a higher category, which is the ROK and X30, after he completes the final leg in Manila,” she said in a press conference at the Casino Español last Saturday.
And the future looks brighter for the kid after a racing team in Italy already asked the Romoff family to let Khaz train there.
“We will plan these things ahead of time for his future,” added Maria Arlyne.
Joining Khaz in the press conference were his father Siantiago Clarence Romoff and his siblings, Keondrei Clarence and Kyaniah Marie, both karters too.
Khaz started to show his potential when he finished second runner-up in the 2014 Kartzone Superkart Series. He continued to improve until he won his first title in the Honda Cadet Novice and MiniROK divisions of the 2015 Kartzone Superkart Open Championships. He was later named the champion for Cebu Club Races in the 13th Annual Golden Wheel Awards Night in 2015.
When asked what pushes him in races, Khaz said, “When I set out to do something, I give it a hundred percent focus and attention. I put in a hundred percent effort in my learning, training and understanding. You have to be all that and more, especially with all the talented and skilled racers I am up against.”
As successful as he is in racing, Khaz also excels in his studies. Maria Arlyne credits his school, Paref Springdale, for this.
“They are very understanding and they always recognize my son’s achievement. That’s why he is always inspired to do better in both studies and in racing,” Maria Arlyne said.