Introduction
As a child addicted to R/C racing and building Porsche starter sets, it was only a matter of time before Kevin Chen began racing actual cars in order to feed his ever-growing need for speed. The racing bug finally won him over at the age of 14 when he entered his first motorcycle race where he excelled at racing scooters and the Honda RS125 at the Asian Cup. By 1995, Kevin had set the bar higher for himself and vowed to become a force to reckon with in the car racing circuit.
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Car racing required a new set of training demands from Kevin for he knew that although cars and motorcycles ran and won on speed, the dangers of car racing were double the threat. One single mistake on the track could cost him his life. So he trained extensively at the BMW Performance Training School, Maserati Driving School, Ferrari Driving School, and Japan Mazda Speed Racing school. These big-name schools are responsible for producing some of the best and brightest racing drivers in the world and, are also responsible for the rise to fame of Kevin. From them, he learned about the proper mix of safety and need for speed on the track.
Kevin’s first-ever amateur race was in 2002, the car of his choice? The Honda S2000. The newcomer began catching the eye of car racing enthusiasts when in the same year, landed in the top 5 of the SCCA Snow Bird National Race in California. This bump-up saw him racing at the SCCA T1 using a Subaru WRX STI where he consistently finished in the top 4. By the year 2004, his driving skills were so highly honed and polished that he was able to move up to National Pro Status. His driving skills were reaching such unbelievable levels that he amazed the other racers in his driving class when he bagged the championship title in the Touring 1 Class and eventually, the Regional Championship Title in the Touring 2 Class.
In 2005, Kevin began racing in the Showroom Stock B class. His car partner this time was a Mazda Miata and the BMW Z4. The combination of Kevin’s incomparable driving skills and fantastic engine qualities of his cars saw him set the fastest course record in his class, allowing him to take the pole position in 3 races. Kevin was on a roll. But a starting problem beset him at the 2005 Mid Ohio National Runoff, causing him to fall to 7th place overall. Still, Kevin capped the year by finishing 2nd at the South Pacific Regional National Class allowing him to snag an overall classification within the top 9 drivers in the Pro-Spec Miata series. In 2008, he began a partnership with Champ Motosport that he hopes will take him to the next level of his racing ambitions. In an interview announcing his partnership with Champ Motosport for the Formula V6 Series, he revealed that, ” I’m very excited to work with Champ Motorsport this season based on their winning history from the past years. Hopefully this new season gives me an opportunity to showcase my talents in front of some very influential motorsport people and I hope that it will bring me to the attention of the F3 Macau Grand Prix.” He also recently signed a sponsorship deal with Franz Collection, a fine arts ceramic dealer with headquarters in San Francisco and offices in various parts of Europe and Asia. With Franz Collections over
6000 selling locations across the globe, Kevin is intent on working closely with the company as a way of promoting the Asian roots and heritage that he has long been proud of. After all, Kevin has always been very vocal about how his Asian heritage has helped him become one of the emerging top race car drivers of his time.
He is set to once again raise the bar for himself and the members of his racing team by concentrating his sights on becoming the first-ever Asian American to race in the highly intricate and demanding Macau Grand Prix Series this year. Held in November of every year, this is the only street circuit racing event for both cars and motorcycles. With over 300 drivers vying for a position at the race every year, Kevin has high hopes that his recent racing successes will help him become part of the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix where notable racing luminaries such as Michael Schumacher, David Coulthard, Takuma Sato, and Riccardo Patrese got their starts. Kevin Chen hopes to add his name to this prestigious roster, as the first-ever Asian American to participate in, complete, and win the circuit race.
Summary
The Macau Grand Prix covers fast straights, tight corners, and death-defying crash barriers. In 2005, the Guia race was unveiled wherein various international car makers list their cars for competitions and prizes for the winning team. The Macau Grand Prix and the Guia Race compose the final 2 races within the FIA World Touring Car Championship.