Award Ceremony Held for Winner of Korea's First Electric Kart Racing Competition

On the 6th, held at Chuncheon 'Speed Zone,' the nation's only dedicated stadium
Lee Haewon ranks 1st with a 44.140-second lap on the 655m track featuring 10 turns

Speedzone (CEO Lee Yong-yeop), the only operator of an electric vehicle (EV) kart-exclusive racing track in Korea, announced on the 7th that it held an awards ceremony on the 6th for the first-ever racing competition in Korea conducted exclusively with EV karts at Speedzone in Gangchon, Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. Speedzone features a course with a total length of 655 meters and 10 turns, and it is equipped with a kart track that can automatically measure lap times (1 Lap Time) to the nearest 1/1000th of a second. The facility opened in June this year.

A scene of riding an electric kart at 'Speed Zone,' the only electric kart-exclusive racetrack in Korea, located in Namsan-myeon (Gangchon), Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do.

This racing challenge competition was held throughout September, divided into a general mode with a top speed of 40 km/h and a pro mode with a top speed of 60 km/h. Prizes totaling 24.8 million KRW were awarded to the top 10 men and top 10 women in each mode, making a total of 40 winners. To expand the karting population, the organizers excluded duplicate awards and used a race record management system that measures times to 1/1000th of a second, allowing participants to check their records in real-time on on-site screens and apps and continuously challenge themselves during the competition.

A total of 282 participants competed in the pro mode. The male first-place winner was Lee Haewon, who recorded a time of 44.140 seconds. The female first-place winner was Heo Sujeong (Peace Sujeong), with a time of 45.286 seconds. In the general mode, 768 participants competed. The male first-place winner was Ahn Dohyun (55.258 seconds), and the female first-place winner was Chae Songhwa (55.705 seconds).

Lee Haewon, who won first place in the men's Pro Mode category at the racing competition held throughout September at 'Speed Zone,' the only electric kart exclusive racing track in Korea located in Namsan-myeon (Gangchon), Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do.

Due to the nature of kart racing, which became popular overseas before Korea, there were many foreign participants. Amateur racers from more than 10 countries, including China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, the United States, and Vietnam, drove on the Speedzone kart course. Among the foreign participants, who accounted for about 20% of total users, two Chinese participants won prizes in this competition.

Heo Su-jeong, who won first place in the women's Pro Mod category at the racing competition held for a month last September at 'Speed Zone,' the only electric kart exclusive racetrack in Korea, located in Namsan-myeon (Gangchon), Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do.

Speedzone operates 30 eco-friendly high-performance EV karts capable of running at speeds of 40 km/h (general mode) and 60 km/h (pro mode). According to Seung-ik Hwang, Executive Director of Speedzone, all karts are eco-friendly high-performance electric karts that offer a thrilling drifting experience with low noise and the high torque characteristic of electric motors, providing a driving experience that is on a completely different level from traditional engine-powered karts. Speed modes are automatically controlled for beginners and juniors to safely experience kart racing.

Kart racing is safer than car racing and can be enjoyed by anyone, which is why it has become established overseas as an introductory course for becoming a racing driver, starting from junior levels. It is a popular leisure sport so widespread that famous racing drivers also practice and hone their driving skills through karting.

Speedzone CEO Lee Yong-yeop said, “To popularize kart racing, we held a competition where participants can enjoy thrilling speeds on the racing track and win prize money,” adding, “We are preparing regularly held events, so please look forward to them.”

Meanwhile, Speedzone, the first in Korea to apply a record management system via an app along with automatic speed control and safety management systems, operates as a comprehensive leisure town equipped not only with a kart track but also water leisure activities and ATVs.