It’s full speed ahead for Cebuano Karter William John Riley Go as he continues to achieve his dream and drive toward karting superstardom.
After winning three different Asian karting championships in 2019, the 14-year-old karting prodigy became the first Filipino to bag a podium finish in three European competitions with the latest being a championship in the 2022 ROK Super Finals in Lonato, Italy last October 18 to 22, 2022.
Go finished the 20-lap competition with a time of 16 minutes and 12.687 seconds, besting about 36 racers from more than 10 countries in the Super ROK category. He was also awarded the Pole Position and Fastest Lap under the same category.
“There was a surreal amount of joy from myself and everyone who supported me. This one-of-a-kind milestone would not have been possible without my family, my team…” he shared on Facebook. “[It was] truly a one of a kind experience that motivates me to keep moving forward to reach my dreams despite how ambitious it may seem!”
He also became the first Filipino to win a podium finish in the 2022 FIA Karting Academy in Genk, Belgium where he finished in second place, and the WSK Euro Series in Lombardia, Italy where he finished in third place.
Go has been competing in both local and Asian karting races since he was seven years old, and he considered racing in Europe, “the home of the best of the best in karting”, as one of the items on top of his bucket list.
“I knew becoming victorious in the continent was extremely challenging due to the amount of talent and experience in the grid. Nevertheless, I decided to keep dreaming of that championship win since there was no harm in doing so anyways,” he said.
The championship is Go’s latest addition to his roster of wins, and it also marks his first European championship after months-long racing campaign in the continent.
Future plans
After finishing 2022 strong, Go is set to kick off the new year joining various international competitions such as the FIA European World Championship, WSK Euroseries, and Super Master Series, all set in Europe.
“For 2023, I want to capitalize on what I did last year. From the win in the Rok Cup Superfinal race, to the WSK and FIA academy podiums, I want to do better so I can hopefully bring pride to the Philippines in the world of motorsports,” Go said.
Eventually his main goal is to transition to Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport which will entail honing his skills in karting and proceeding to the next level which is Formula 4, Formula 3, Formula 2, and so on.
As he pursues his racing career, Go also aims to become an engineer while continuing on in his racing journey.
For more information and updates, follow and support William John Riley Go on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram at @williamgo.23.
Karting Prodigy
Born and raised in Cebu, Go’s love for racing began after a family friend brought him to local races.
“I was finally able to join a karting clinic when I was 6 years old. I have been begging my parents to try karting since I was a little boy and I was happy that I was finally able to do it. My dad’s friend influenced me as he would invite me to tag along and watch karting and car races in Cebu. It was then that I realized I enjoyed watching the races and wanted to follow in their footsteps and become a racer too,” Go recalled.
He joined the professional racing industry in September 2015. “Back then, my parents and I only knew so little about racing. With some helping hands and hard work during only a few days of practice, I still managed to come home with a trophy. Although it was not the best outcome, I was delighted and grateful, considering it was my first race. From then on, I was already hoping to join more races in the future,” he said.
He won his first national competition in 2017. Since then, he has competed in various karting competitions in the Philippines and Asia.
In 2019, he became the first Filipino to win three overall Karting Championships in the continent for one season: the IAME Asia, ROK Cup Singapore, and Asian Open Karting Championship.
Last December 29, Go received a plaque of appreciation during the 19th and 20th Golden Wheel Awards held in Manila for his “invaluable support to the development of Motor Sport in the Philippines.”
The annual awards ceremony is organized by The Golden Wheel Award Foundation and recognizes top motorsport talents in the Philippines.