Name Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Born 11 April 1995
Nat. Norwegian/Thai
Started 2000 (at age 4)
First Race 2002
- Sandy Pre 2008 Info
- Sandy in the Media
- Sandy Gallery
RACE HISTORY:
2002 10th in Nat'nl Championship
2003 7th in Nat'nl Championship
2004 3rd in Nat'nl Championship
2005 5th in Nat'nl Championship
2006 Champion Bang Saen GP
2006 2nd in Nat'nl Championship
2007 Champion True Vision Jr
2007 2nd in SuperKart
2007 3rd in Nat'nl Championship
2008 Champion AKOC Max Jr
2008 2nd Thailand Rotax Max Jr
2008 2nd Thailand Rok Jr
LINKS:

Pizza Company Race Team:
Sandy N. Stuvik
Tony Percy
Paul Kenny
Thomas Raldorf

SPONSORS:
Pizza Company
Sizzler
Swensens
PTT

Jotun

Jotun

Dacon Inspection Services Co., Ltd.

Dacon Inspection Services

DSL

Deborah Services (Thailand)

Mermaid Offshore Services Ltd

Mermaid Offshore Services

Xanita

Xanita

 

The Pizza Company

ORDER PIZZA

 

 
18 Dec. 08 2008 Season

Sandy in 2008

Wow, what a season, Sandy's toughest yet, but one where he showed dominating form and his true aspiration for motorsport and for winning. The season saw Sandy getting into international karting, racing in Macao, Philippines, Indonesia and Italy. Sandy also qualified to represent Thailand in 2 World Championships. The merit list for 2008:

- 17 races, 4 wins and 13 podiums. 96 days in the kart (races and practice)
- Champion Asian Karting Open Championship (Rotax Max Junior)
- 2nd Thailand Rotax Max Junior Challenge
- 2nd Thailand Rok Junior Championship
- 38th Rok Junior World Final
- 48th Rotax Max Junior World Final

Sandy would like to thank all those who have helped him so much through the year in his kart racing endeavors. Thank you to San the team mechanic, Thomas Raldorf his mentor and The Pizza Company, Swensens, Sizzler and Dacon Inspection Services, Sandy's sponsors.

THANK YOU :

30 Nov. 08 La Conca, Day 6, Quali Heats 3 and Second Chance
Sandy at La Conca 2008
Day 6 - Sandy was overnight placed 41st going into qualifying heat 3. As faith would have it the opposing heat saw almost the entire front field wiped out in first corner mayhem, so if Sandy could just hold station he would have a good chance of getting into the top end of the Second Chance race. Knowing that the top 6 drivers then proceed into the final, we knew there was a chance. The morning's warm up session had been on a wet track, but again the weather eluded us and Sandy's quali heat went on a dry track. Unfortunately it was again first corner mayhem and Sandy was crashed and spun off the track, only able to rejoin after he had been lapped. So much for our hopes of getting up high in the Second Chance race. He then had to start from 24th in the Second Chance and yet again, he was crashed out and spun 360 degrees in the first corner. Rejoining at the back of the field he charged like mad back up the field and managed to get up from virtually last up to 14th place. With a few more laps it might have worked. At least we did manage to find a reasonable set up in the end... Wow, that was that, still this has been an awesome event and one we will work hard to join again next year. We still have much to learn to race competitively in Europe, but we are getting there and we will get it in the end, just you wait and see !
Start of Junior Qualifying Heat 3
Chaos in first corner of Junior Heat 3, Sandy in the middle of it...
Chaos again at the start of Second chance race, Sandy in the middle of it again...
Sandy eventually back on track again and charging hard
Start of DD2 Second Chance race
Many saw their race exit this way today...
Khun Kanit working his way up the field in the Second Chance race
The newer version of the Fiat 500, sorry but all the old charm seems lost on us...
Khun Tisanu placed 30th in the 3rd qualifying heat and did unfortunately not qualify for the Second Chance race. Khun Kanit got in on the Second Chance, but had a rough start and had to start chasing the heat from behind. He was clearly fast on track and got back up past several karts to finish the race in 21st position. So, sadly none of the Thai drivers made it into the final this year either, but much has been learnt and we are determined to come back fighting next year !
Start of DD2 Heat 3

All times and results at www.kart-data.com and www.maxchallenge-rotax.com.

29 Nov. 08 La Conca, Day 5, Quali Heats 1 & 2
Rotax Sr Heat 1 start - in wet conditions
Day 5 - Race time, finally ! The morning came with wet and gray weather - great, just what we hoped for ! In the morning warm up on wet tires Sandy was 9th fastest in his group and starting from the back drove trough almost the entire field. Then for qualifying heat #1, the juniors were first out and immediately virtually the entire field got caught up in first corner mayhem on the wet track. The heat was red flagged and karts and drivers collected off the track. Sandy unfortunately bent both his steering column and steering arm and had to take the restart with his right wheel pointing at a weird angle. He fought on and managed to finish the heat in 25th place. Then the track dried and for Heat 2 it was back to full dry setting and slicks. Sandy drove himself up from 24th to 16th and saw a very good race, only 2 tenths slower then the race winner now, so we are improving (see wide picture below with Sandy (63) caught in the middle).
Khun Kanit on the morning wet track
Rotax Max Junior group C+ D heat 1 start, so far so good
Sandy hard charging in 16th place, Quali Heat 2
The car with the most personality in the world, the Fiat Nuevo 500 - just awesome !
Khun Tisanu also looked to thrive in the wet and was more confident in his setup today. He finished his first heat in 26th and second heat in 34th, while Khun Kanit finished 34th and a strong 19th in the rain. The weather forecast for tomorrow is for dry and sunny and if that holds true, the team will have a tough job to make it into the finals. With rain there might be a small chance so we will keep our hopes up...
Chaos for the Junior Heat 1 start, Sandy in the middle. Heat was red flagged.

All racing times and results should now be available live at www.kart-data.com and at www.maxchallenge-rotax.com.

28 Nov. 08 La Conca, Day 4, Qualifying...
Sandy pushing his hardest at La Conca for the qualifying...
Day 4 - Today saw the final two practice sessions and then qualifying after lunch. Although the times are incredibly even for so many karts, it is getting clearer to differentiate the front runners. 2-3 tenths is all it takes to go from 25th place up to top ten, so a pinch more - or less air or a millimeter in - or out somewhere, is all it takes to make or spoil your session. In the Junior grid the top 60 karts are all within 1 second of one another - can you get it much more level then that ? All credit to Rotax Max for creating such an awesome and evenly matched competition. The 2008 Rotax Max World Finals is now being proclaimed as the biggest karting event in the world with 57 nations and 216 racers present. Superbly well organized, fair and fun for all. The very articulate commentator have a good thing and comment about everyone on the grid, not just the front runners or their personal favorites - everyone feels welcome here ! Irrespective of how we leave this place, we will feel we really took part in this world championship and we competed and contributed - we were not just the extras !!!
La Conca Rotax Max Junior grid
Khun Kanit putting his DD2 through the slowest section of the track
Khun Tisanu exiting the final corner for the La Conca straight-away
Sandy at La Conca
Team Thailand is enjoying themselves and has steadily been improving on track under the supervision and assistance of supremissimo Khun Shine, which is doing a very good job in looking after and supporting his racers. A big thank you to Khun Shine so far. Khun Kanit found himself in close contact with the La Conca wall this morning after pushing his DD2 slightly past the limit, but was soon repaired and back out on track. Khun Tisanu opted to lower the ride height of his Maranello frame to reduce the grip levels and kart-bouncing somewhat and was confident with his set up going into qualifying.
Sandy at our modest hotel outside Minervino de Lecce La Conca race circuit in birds eye view Khun Shine our guiding consultant and advisor Laila in front of our stone wall hotel room

All racing times and results should now be available live at www.kart-data.com and at www.maxchallenge-rotax.com there are more news, pictures and updates. Sandy qualified 47th today, his time was 51.417 which put him 4 tenths outside top-ten and 8 tenths behind P1 (50.697). Sandy feel confident though the latest set up changes can elevate him further up the grid for tomorrow's 2 qualifying heats and look forward to finally be racing again. Khun Tisanu qualified 69th and Khun Kanit qualified 57th.

27 Nov. 08 La Conca, Day 3, first practice - wow, fast track !
Sandy in first outing at La Conca
Day 3 came with worries about what was happening at home in Thailand and the morning was spent trying to find out as much as possible of what was going on. Not the best of setting for a world championship preparation, but as they say; the show must go on. Wednesday was the first day on track and Sandy described his first meeting with the Zanardi kart as "it wasn't too bad..., quite similar to the Birel actually and easy to get used to and drive". This was also reflected in Sandy's lap times, where he was only a couple of tenths off the fastest times. The first practice session was in the morning on a damp track, while the second in the afternoon was on dry. The team is still working on set up changes, but realize that track time and driver improvement is probably where the biggest gain can be had. Tomorrow will see another 2 practice sessions and then the qualifying. The first objective is obviously to qualify for the final...
Sandy hard charging in his Zarnardi Junior kart
Khun Tisanu in Rotax Max Senior testing his early set-up
Khun Kanit in his DD2 in Wednesday first practise
Sandy and San braving the cold winds for Parc Ferme
Khun Tisanu and Khun Kanit both had 2 sessions each as well and were reasonably content with their outings. Khun Tisanu decided to make a major seat position change, while Khun Kanit worked on general kart setting for the DD2. In both Junior and Senior category the Rotax Max engines have been fitted with a new clutch (see picture below) and new balancing gear assembly. So far both have been working perfectly.
New clutch assy for Rotax Max engines Junior Traffic at La Conca More junior traffic... Beautiful girls in Italy...

We are now starting to get familiar with this Italian neighborhood and drive around the Olive tree scattered landscape to fascinating places like Minervino, Cocumola, Giuggianello and Palmariggi. The roads here are really small, but fascinating to drive. Very tempting to go faster then one should though...

26 Nov. 08 La Conca, Day 2, preparations...
220 karts neatly lined up early in the morning dew...
Khun Kanit and Khun Leng ensuring the DD2 is getting ready
Khun Tisanu with his Rotax Max Senior
Some people are too late...
Team Pizza Company finsihed off the Zanardi Junior kart early...

Day 2 and the temperature slowly went up to 20 degrees today, but a strong wind kept the winter jackets we ran out and bought yesterday close at hand. The very long lines of brand new karts lining the La Conca straightaway were impressive to say the least. A lot of credit to Rotax Max so far, they really have put on a very nicely organized event. Very-very professional !

This day started with a lottery draw for the karts (Sandy drew Zanardi kart # 1 - we take that as good omen), then we waited in a long line to get seats, bars and seat stay's. Then it was seat fitting, before we snuck off for our favorite ham and cheese Panini at the track snack bar. Then back again for weigh in and scruteneering. The track is now truly international, with racers from 5 continents sharing pits and everything else. Some teams are clearly much more accustomed to such events than others though.

Tonight will be the official welcoming party on the track and we will be starting a bit later tomorrow morning. Tomorrow though will see our first and very much anticipated track practice. Things are getting serious again, but in the meantime we are on our way down to Otranto for a harbor walk around and a visit to our favorite Gelateria. Some ice cream and hot chocolate to be had - Italian style !

25 Nov. 08 Finally at La Conca, Day 1
Sandy at La Conca
Laila checking out the local Gelatteria
Sandy in hot pursuit at La Conca in a rental kart
Sightseeing neaby Otranto harbour

The temperature became the biggest shock as the mercury dropped down to 7 degrees on our first visit to this famous track. Slight rain, cloudy and very cold on the first day, but what a facility. This is easiest the best track we have ever seen. The whole area is surrounded by tall pine trees and the track area is more like a park the anything else. A gourmet restaurant at the entrance and excellent parking and support area. Already hundreds of visitors and racers have arrived and there were long lines for the drivers registration.

There are 3 classes (DD2, Rotax Sr and Rotax Jr) with 72 karts in each category coming from over 50 countries and so far the event seems very professional in its organization and arrangements. As we did our track walk today the Rotax people were lining up well over 200 brand new karts track side for their famous overview picture. The Juniors will be in Zanardi karts and they do look good...

Tomorrow will see kart raffles, scruteneering and orientations, as well as the grand opening party at the track in the evening. Then Wednesday morning should see the first track activity with non qualifying practice. We cant wait...

22 Nov. 08 Off to Italy....
La Conca

2008 Rotax Max World Finals

Today is departure day and the routing is Ban Chang-Bangkok-Rome-Brindisi-La Conca and finally the long anticipated trip to the Rotax Max World Finals. Latest news was for rain the whole week and that put a smile on Sandy's face, so we will see...

We shall try to update daily on this website starting from November 25 or so and also try to cover the activities of the whole Thai squad and their progress in Italy.

More news about the World Finals can be found on the official website here.

6 Nov. 08 Asian Karting Championship - Sandy is Champion !

Sandy wins the Asian Championship - with only 3 wheels left...

Sandy is 2008 Asian Champion

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik is the 2008 Jr. Max Asian Karting Champion

Going into the 4th round of the Junior Max Asian Kart Open Championship (AKOC) Sandy already had a commanding lead and only needed a few more points to ensure his Asian Champion title for 2008. The Thailand leg of the AKOC was held at Saraburi, a track where Sandy always goes well.

The race weekend would see both dry, intermediate and wet conditions and Sandy pushed as hard as he could to keep the lead in his class and also fight in the Open Championship against the KF3s.

Sandy set the fastest times of all with his Rotax Max on the rain drenched track, thoroughly enjoying the fast track in the wet. In the prefinal he was up to 6th overall and with a significant lead in the Rotax max Junior class. The points from the prefinal already was enough to clinch the championship provided his closest rival would not finish higher then 3rd in the final (even if Sandy got no points).

As faith would have it Sandy gained several positions in the final and was collecting one KF3 after the other, when his left rear wheeled came off (shredded threads on the wheel studs) and Sandy went flying off the track in the fast sweeper corner in front of the grandstand. Initially distraught at another mechanical DNF, Sandy soon caught on to the fact that his rival was trailing in third position and Sandy eventually clinched the Asian Karting Open Championship after only 4 out of 5 rounds.

Sandy thoroughly enjoyed the 2008 season's international AKOC races and is looking very much forward to the 2009 season where he hopes to compete in the faster KF3 class.

23 Oct. 08 Rok Cup International Final, South Garda, Italy

Sandy doing track walk at South Garda

Back again for yet another pilgrimage... Sandy and San preping the kart
Finally on track in Italy The Pizza Company logo drew some comments in Italy... Sandy leding the Bridgestone Final to start
Interview with Thai media following the team   Sandy in the Italian autumn forest before departure

Sandy broadens his experience with first race in Europe

After a couple of days of sightseeing, track walks and visit to Maranello, the first day's driving on track became quite a shock. The grip was so high that everything from kart set up to driving style had to be revised. The kart was literally bouncing off the track in the corners. By the second practice day though, Sandy had both kart and set up under control and could start to concentrate on improving his times. During the race weekend he would improve his times every day and the difference in time to the fastest karts eventually got down to 0.4 seconds. An impossible difference in a race setting, but quite an achievement considering this was Sandy's first ever race in europe, in a rented kart and engine.

The first qualifying heat saw Sandy hit from behind and spun around on the first lap. He had to catch up to the field again from last and eventually finished the race in 24th place. His second qualifying heat went better and he finished 19th. The third and final qualifying heat also brought him into a 19 place. All in all that spelled 35th place overall and Sandy would start first in the Bridgestone final. Here he was overtaken even before the start and had to push hard to keep up as his engine lacked top end and Sandy had to relinquish 2 more positions along the straights. In the end he finished 4th in the group.

Now much wiser and certainly better prepared, Sandy is looking forward to next months Rotax Max Grand Finals in La Conca. In the meantime though, he will do the Thailand leg of the AKOC series in Saraburi.

22 Sep. 08 Season Status

 

Sandy to represent Thailand in

ROK Cup International Finals, South Garda, Italy

&

Rotax Max Grand Finals, La Conca, Italy

 
 

Going for the World Champion title !

After a season that has seen Sandy chasing for the lead in virtually every race he has entered, the reward has come for the 13 year old in being qualified to represent Thailand in both the Rok Cup International Finals and the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals. Sandy also qualified last year for the Rok Finals, but was at that time to young to be allowed to compete. This year he is old enough and is as ready as ever to fight for the World Champion title.

The Rok Cup International Final will be held in South Garda, Italy during October 13 to 20, 2008 and Sandy is preparing through both extra kart practicing and a rigorous fitness program, to be as ready as he can be for his Italian adventure. An expected 280 kart racers from all over the world is expected at this beautiful northern Italian village for this event. The Thai team will be bringing 3 TV teams along to document the event and hopefully we will be able to report the progress on a daily basis back to Thailand. Hopefully a pilgrimage back to nearby Maranello and the Auditorium Ferrari should be on the agenda as well in October.

The Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals 2008 will be held at the La Conca circuit in Muro Leccese, Italy on November 25 to 30 and like the South Garda promises to be a huge event with 216 racers qualified from 55 countries and 5 continents. After years of graduating up through MiniMax to now Junior Max, Sandy is exited to finally making it to the premium event of this presumably largest kart class in the world. Sandy certainly will give it his all !

 

9 Sep. 08 SuperKart Round 5 at Bira Circuit

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik see's engine failure after leading the races

The 5th and final SuperKart race of the year was off to a good start when Sandy clinched P1 almost half a second ahead of the second placed kart. The grid was combined with the faster Rok class, so the full grid counted some 22 karts. Sandy got off to a good start in the first heat and soon was up to 2nd place chasing after the first placed Rok kart of Guykoh. The first heat was in sunny and dry conditions.

The second heat turned into a duel with rival Kittitat and the two of them lead the entire field around the track in torrentially wet conditions. The normally faster Rok powered engines were struggling to keep up with the two Junior drivers. Sandy had not realized that the leading kart had jump started and at the end of the race he decided to drop himself from 2nd to third in order to secure the much better inside starting line for the final. Bad decision, as when the jump starter was penalized, Sandy again found himself starting from second and the outside line instead of P1...

By the final the team was very optimistic as they new they had the right set up to realistically fight for the overall win, but it was not to be. During the rolling lap for the final, Sandy's engine was sputtering and refusing to run properly. By the time the start went Sandy could only spurt for the pit line to try to rectify the problem. Two pit stops later it was clear the problem could not be quickly solved and Sandy had to cruise around the track at reduced speed to finish the race in 11th place.

The only consolation was that Sandy nevertheless already have qualified for the Rok World Finals in Italy and he did at least walk away with the trophy for fastest lap of the day...

19 Aug. 08 AKOC Round 3, Sentul Indonesia

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik takes third place in Indonesia

The 3rd round of the Asian Championship was held at the newly refurbished Sentul International Kart circuit outside Jakarta. The track itself was a very pleasant surprise, as this surely now will be one of the best circuits in Asia. The track sports brand new facilities, a race track with very banked corners and a real challenge to get to terms with.

The containers unfortunately arrived late from the Philippines and the team lost a lot of valuable time for practice and set up on Thursday. Thanks to mechanic San's hard night shift the kart would though be ready for the practice sessions on Friday. Kart set-up would consequently be all but a gamble for these banked corners.

Saturday qualifying saw Sandy in 7th overall position (3rd in Rotax max Junior) and through the qualifying heats he would finish up and down the order after racing from 10th to 3rd position through the day. He would be starting 6th for Sunday's Pre-Final.

The Pre-Final saw Sandy having a great start, straight up to third position and in front of a herd of hard chasing KF3 karts. Sandy had a tough match and 3 laps into the race was forced to concede his place and in the process lost 5 positions to drop down to 8th. He eventually finished the heat in 7th place. In the final Sandy had the opposite start and was bundled down to 11th by the first 2 corners and then clawed himself back up to 8th overall and 3rd in class.

The Sentul track was quite a new experience with its banked corners, but one that Sandy enjoyed tremendously. The next race in the AKOC will be on home ground with Saraburi Circuit hosting the event in Thailand.

4 Aug. 08 SuperKart Thailand Race 4 at Bira

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik wins the 4th round and qualifies for World Championship

It was all to go for this weekend as Sandy again was very fast in early practice and the kart set up was perfected for both wet, intermediate and dry conditions. The newly renovated Bira Circuit would though be sunny and perfect for intense racing all of Sunday.

In qualifying Sandy secured pole position with a margin of almost 3 tenths to the second placed kart and the team knew that the driver and kart set up was as strong as ever. In the first heat Sandy immediately pulled out a lead and pushed hard the first few laps to break away from the chasing field. He took the checkered flag a good 6 seconds ahead. The second heat was much like the first again, but a mechanical drive problem saw Sandy struggling out of the corners, but he still managed to open a lead and take the checkered flag in first place.

With The Pizza Company Motorsport supremo, Paul Kenny at the track as well, the motivation was high for a good race finish in the final and deciding race. Sandy therefore launched hard from the second the lights went out and never looked back. He soon opened up a huge lead and could control the race with a nice "cushion" between himself and the chasing karts.

This race win means that Sandy now is guaranteed to be amongst the top 2 drivers in the Rok Junior Class and thereby will be going to South Garda, Italy for the World Finals later this year.

29 July 08 AKOC Round 2 at the Carmona Circuit in the Philippines

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik again sees strong race weekend in the Philippines

Fresh out from winning the last Rotax Max round in Thailand, Sandy was eager to again race in the exiting Asian Open Championship. Visiting the Philippines and the very professional Carmona Circuit sure enough added to the excitement. As a Typhoon already was heading for the northern Philippines, the team had stocked well up on wet race tires.

Sandy races in the Rotax Max Junior category, but is also registered in the 125 Junior Open category against the much faster KF3 engines. Sandy knew that if the conditions were wet, he would stand a good chance even in the 125 Open category, so the build up of dark clouds was not at all a bad sign...

Race qualifying went on intermediate conditions and Sandy qualified in 5th place and first in Rotax Max Junior. Then in the first heat he went straight up to 3rd place and held this until he eventually had to relent to take a forth. Then heat 2 repeat of the same, but while racing in third he lost his chain and had to watch the entire field pass by before he could get started again. He finished last. In the third heat the track had dried out and with not the best of set ups Sandy could only struggle in for a 7th place.

In the prefinal Sandy made a mistake going though the fast first corner and lost several positions, chasing hard to get back up the field again he went a little to wide and found himself out on the grass. Again he chased after the entire field and just managed to catch up to the last kart by the checkered flag.

Then came the final and the skies just opened up with heavy winds and a torrential downpour - Sandy's favorite racing conditions. He set out in the final from absolutely last, made sure to keep out of trouble in the first corner and reeled them in one by one. By the time of checkered flag Sandy was first in the Rotax Max Junior category and 4th on the 125 Open Junior category. All in all a very enjoyable weekend in a very hospitable and friendly environment. Sandy is eager to come back for more races at Carmona, but next time it will be with a KF3 engine...

Sandy now leads the 2008 Asian Karting Championship in the Rotax Max Junior category and is second in the Formula 125 Junior Open class.

22 July 08 Sandy wins Round 4 and Round 5 in Rotax Max Championship

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik wins it all, but...

The race weekend started of with some heavy rains on Saturday and Sandy was again blisteringly fast in the wet conditions, posting lap times several seconds faster then the competition. Come Sunday morning it was again dry, but a defective starter assembly had to be replaced in a few minutes between warm-up and qualifying, not enough time for the other set up changes. Sandy got back on track just in time to post some laps and secured P3.

In the first heat he went straight up to second in the start and within 3 laps he took the lead - never to relinquish it again. Clearly not the fastest kart in the first heat, he managed to keep his kart wide enough to stay in the lead. In heat 2 he started from pole position and controlled the race throughout to again secure heat victory.

The prefinal went much like the previous heat and although still struggling for top end speed, Sandy was much faster in the twisty sections and could open up enough lead to stay in front by the end of the long straight each lap.

By the time of the final the team had found the front left wheel to be way off correct camber and toe setting and had this corrected. Sandy set off in a blistering pace and within 3 leaps had distanced all opposition. From there on he just kept up the pressure and finished the race a good 100 meters ahead of the second placed kart.

When Sandy won the last race, everyone also thought he had won the championship and he was congratulated by all around. Unfortunately it turned out that the wrong method for accumulating the points had been used and when the correct method was applied, Sandy actually ended up losing the championship and place in the world finals in Italy by just 1 point...

Sandy is though looking back at a championship where he won 3 out of 5 rounds and only due to a puncture in Round 3 would he loose out with the smallest of margins. He now has a good understanding of how Lewis Hamilton must have felt after losing the 2007 F1 Championship by the same margin. Sandy is very happy with the race season and the good and fair competition and would like to congratulate his rival and friend Tanin Paisarnsrisin with the championship and wishes him the best of luck for the World Finals in La Conca Italy later this year.

8 July 08 Sandy tests in saloon car at Bira

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik drives saloon car at Bira Circuit

In preparations for the Formula BMW test later this year Sandy is now practicing with a saloon car around Bira Circuit. This is to improve his clutching and gearing skills, something which normally is not used too often in a kart. The car used was the "civilian" version of a Yaris raced in the 2007 Toyota series. Sandy thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and is keen to start practicing with sequential gearing and a winged car...

2 July 08 Sandy races in Asian Open Championships in Macao

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik takes second place in AKOC Round 1 in Macao

Arriving the day after a major Typhoon had slammed ashore, rain and rain again would be inevitable on this famous race track. Sandy came here for the first time and had to master both the track and the weather fast to stand a chance. The competition was tough with some of Asia's best junior racers to compete with. Only 3 practice sessions was offered and all on full wet conditions before Saturday mornings qualifying heats. The track is very fast and has pleasant elevation changes. Both the track and organizers displayed very high standards and made this a very enjoyable race.

Only one qualifying heat could be completed because of the heavy rains, but Sandy managed to storm through the weather with second fastest time overall and first in the Rotax Max Junior class.

The 3 first heats then saw Sandy moving up and down between race lead to 5th position, as he gradually learnt the varying wet conditions on the track. This eventually gave him a pre-final starting position of 4th overall place.

The pre-final which went on wet tires as well as the Final race which was the first on slick tires became nail bitters, as there were numerous overtaking's and very good and clean racing. In the end Sandy took the checkered flag as second in the Rotax Max Junior class and 4th overall. Considering the engine disadvantage towards the KF3 engines on this fast track, Sandy was very pleased with his position. He now is in a clear position to challenge for the Championship lead going into the next round in the Philippines in the end of July.

16 June 08 SuperKart Thailand Round 3 - Sandy wins !

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas StuvikSandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik wins at Saraburi Circuit

Good preparations is half the race and prior to the third round of the 2008 SuperKart Thailand event Sandy had got his kart set up down to fine art. The circuit is 1300 meter long with very fast and demanding corners and has always been a favorite circuit to Sandy. Again in Friday and Saturday practice he was untouchably fast, showing his Birel's full capability. The weekend finally saw new exhaust pipe regulations and a lottery draw for the exhaust. After receiving his allotted exhaust Sandy did one final test session after more then 120 set up laps and posted his fastest time of the day, only barely beaten by the normally much faster KF2 karts.

In qualifying, which was cut down to only 5 minutes due to the live TV coverage and tight timing schedules, Sandy went out and secured Pole Position.

Heat 1 was 3 fast laps and a huge gap to the rest of the field had been created, with Sandy posting similar lap times to the KF2 class. A lonely race in cruise control.

Heat 2, same recipe as the first and Sandy again secured a large and controlled lead. The team had though noticed that arch rival Kittitat had been matching Sandy's times, although stuck inside the 12 kart chasing field.

The Final and what a showdown that became ! Sandy set of in his usual style, only this time he had a shadow - only millimeters behind Kittitat was charging hard after Sandy. Clearly one of the highlights of this race event, as every single spectator was on his or her feet. Lap 3 and Kittitat made his move after slip streaming Sandy down the long straight and got past. Sandy slotted in 2-3 millimeters behind Kittitat again and sure enough, at the U-turn corner in the middle of the track Sandy found space inside Kittitat and took the lead back. Now it was Kittitat's turn to chase and chase he did, no less the 6 lead changes in the final, but in the end Sandy managed to hold on to the lead and take the win. In the process finishing the 14 lap race in 13:57:499 minutes, even faster then the KF2 class !

With live TV coverage, several interviews, new and improved regulations, the third round of the SuperKart Thailand series became a blast and Sandy would like to thank the race organizer, Khun Kitti for an excellent event - again ! Further a big thank you to Sandy's sponsors, The Pizza Company, Sizzler and Swensens for their fantastic support.

3 June 08 Rotax Max Junior Challenge - Round 3

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy shows brilliance at the Saraburi Circuit

It was hot as always in Saraburi, but Sandy was untouchably fast in the lead up to the 3rd Rotax Max Junior Challenge and thoroughly enjoyed this very long and fast race track. During Friday and Saturday practice he was consistently fastest on track and felt confident in his Birel R31 for Sunday’s race.

Qualifying was a blast, with Sandy consistently setting new fastest laps, eventually taking P1 with a margin of 0.362 seconds to P2 and a full 0.595 seconds down to P3.

Brimming with confidence in his solid Birel, Sandy immediately open a good lead in Heat 1 and maintained a steady distance down to the following karts. He finished the heat a good 150 meters ahead of the next kart.

Heat 2 became a copy of the first heat and again Sandy started with some blistering laps and opened up a nice cushion to the following karts. Another solid heat victory well ahead of the chasing field.

Then came the Pre-final and lady luck turned her back. A bungled start saw Sandy overtaken into the first corner. He charged down on the leader, overtaking him to reclaim the lead. Then things got a notch more exiting as Sandy got himself overtaken back two corners later. Sandy then got back in behind the leader, slip-streaming him down the long straight and overtook in the long sweeper after the straight. He then was banged hard in the side and immediately lost all air in the outside front wheel, as the rim valve was torn out of the rim. Sandy could only coast around the track on his flat front wheel and only due to other DNF’s could he secure 10th.

Come the Final race Sandy started from 10th place, by the end of the first lap he was already up 3 places. Then another lap – another place. After 5 laps, Sandy had gotten up to 4th place and charged as hard as he could to catch up to the runaway 3 karts in the front. Their 150 meter lead was cut down to zero meter in 5 laps and Sandy set about to get past this lead trio. Although he was all over the karts in front, finding a way past proved too tricky in the few laps that was left, he eventually had to settle for the 4th position.

All in all, a flat tire considered, Sandy was content with his performance of the day. Motorsport does have a tendency of making ones game ever more challenging…

Sandy is still well and fully in the chase for the elusive World Finals position and will give it all for the final 2 rounds of the Rotax Max Challenge.

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

 

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

5 May 08 SuperKart Thailand Round 2

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

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Sandy Nicholas Stuvik takes 5th in the SKT 2

The team prepared especially hard for this race and felt with very fast practicing times through Thursday, Friday and Saturday that the kart and engine was optimal. Sandy also felt and looked very strong on track.

It was not to be though, as come qualifying Sandy could just not come close to the 2 fastest karts. During the heats he would close in through the tight sections, but on the long straights he did not stand any chance. The race then only became a fight to try to set up the kart and engine for an impossible task and this became clear in the final after setting the engine ignition timing much higher then normal in a faint hope that this would help. It instead went the other way and although Sandy briefly went up and took the second position in the start and traded the position a couple of times, as soon as the race settled in he could not keep up at all and instead lost several positions, finally ending the day in a disappointing 5th.

The team will now focus its energy on the AKOC series as well as Rotax Max races and are looking forward to its next international event in the end of June for the Macau season opening race.

5 May 08 Sandy shows of his new helmet
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik Sandy Nicholas Stuvik Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Finally a painted helmet ! Sandy's new Arai SK5 was professionally made up in the Pizza Company Motorsport colors by Thailand based british helmet artists Simon. Thai Airbrush spent only 3 weeks completing the helmet in Candy Red, Pearl White and Green and Sandy was very happy with the result.

1 May 08 Sandy offered Formula BMW test drive
Peter Thompson

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik offered test drive for Meritus Formula BMW Team

During the 2008 Fast Forward Faster Press Conference Sandy and his team were surprised by Meritus Formula BMW Team Manager Peter Thompson announcing on the stage to a media packed crowd, that they were offering Sandy a free Formula BMW test with their team at Sepang F1 Circuit in Malaysia at the end of the 2008 season.

Sandy is thrilled with the offer and this has further added to his motivation for the ongoing racing season. Although probably still too young to race in the series at least for a year or two, it has for a long time been Sandy's dream and intention to progress from kart racing into Formula BMW when the time is right. A test with Team Meritus in the middle of December 2008 will further this ambition. Sandy and his team is very grateful to Peter Thompson for this opportunity.

It has been through the help of his incredibly good and enthusiastic sponsors that Sandy has managed to get this far and Sandy gracefully acknowledges the assistance from all his sponsor and especially the main sponsor The Pizza Company and its CEO Paul Kenny.

30 Apr. 08 2008 Fast Forward Faster - Press Conference

 

Sandy Nicholas and Rattapark at the "2008 Fast Forward Faster" Presentation

The 2008 Pizza Company Racing Campaign has been called the "2008 Fast Forward Faster" and clearly indicates the Pizza Company's resolve towards motorsport racing and its brand development world wide. With the resent signing of famous Thai 250cc World Championship motorbike racer Ratthapark Wilairot, the Pizza Company team is now represented in kart, touring car, Formula and motorbike racing world wide.

Sandy is pushing hard this year to reach both of his potential World Championships in addition to the Asia Championship and Thomas will join some of the Asia Touring Car Championship races, including the world famous Macau race. James will be racing the Asia Formula V6 series this year, one of the fastest race series in all of asia and now Ratthapark will be showing the Pizza Company to a world wide audience through the Moto250 races.

The Pizza Company racing team and resolve has come a very long way from a just a few years back when the team consisted of a few kart drivers from Thailand....

21 Apr. 08 2008 Rotax Max Challenge, Round 2

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

 

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik wins the Rotax Max Race

Sandy wins at Bira

The layout at Bira this time was just over 1200 meter long and a little more technical than usual, all to Sandy’s liking. During early practice on Friday he was very fast and consistently setting the fastest's laps as the Mojo rubber went down. Then Saturday would be the same and the team tried working around temperatures over 40º C and to optimize the set up for the very hot track surface.

Qualifying went well and Sandy took Pole position with a time of 54.13 seconds, his fastest ever on this layout and a good 2 tenths off the second placed kart. It is worth noting that only one DD2 gear kart was able to better Sandy’s time of the whole event.

The first heat was a run away and Sandy could cruise to victory taking the checkered flag a long way in front. The second heat became a copy of the first and again Sandy had the whole straight between himself and the second placed kart by the end of the race.

Then came the Pre-Final and again Sandy’s Birel proved to have the best set up in the scorching heat. Sandy won by the largest distance of the day.

In the Final the team had noticed that Thanapol had worked his way up the field and would be starting 3rd. Already aware that he had posted similar times to Sandy in the pre-final it was clear he would be giving Sandy a run. As expected, Thanapol went straight up to second place in the start and from there on it was a nail biter as Sandy was really hard pushed to hold his position. The two provided an intense but fair race throughout and left the rest of the field a long way behind, but in the end Sandy held on to his lead to score an excellent victory.

This now places Sandy in second place in the Championship, only 1 point behind Round 1 winner Alex and well in contention for that elusive World Finals seat.

14 Apr. 08 Sandy featured in Vroom International Magazine

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik in Vroom Magazine

Sandy's excellent overtaking move at the very end of the final in the opening round of the SuperKart 2008 found it's way to the world through the Vroom International Magazine.

Thank you to racing photographer Michel Petrotchenko for the very good photo's.

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik in Vroom Magazine

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9 Apr. 08 National Championship Round 2 at Bira

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy Nicholas StuvikSandy Nicholas Stuvik

Character building for the second National...

If the second national round was an exercise in character building and weathering adverse conditions, then Sandy passed his test with flying colors. Saturday morning saw 3 laps before the freshly overhauled engine came to an abrupt halt. A loose internal cylinder bolt meant that the cooling water went straight into the cylinder. After a quick repair by the service center, the engine was fired up and sounded worse then ever. Another check revealed a loose object had been in the cylinder head and by now damaged piston and cylinder top. A change over to the spare engine was needed and by now half the set up day was gone.

Come Sunday morning and the engine was fine for the warm up session and Sandy posted very fast times. Then minutes before qualifying the skies opened up and the team hurriedly changed to wet set up. But, what to do, an electrical problem saw Sandy's engine sputtering around in the poring rain and he could only qualify 6th. Full chaos in the camp to replace Sandy's electrical system and improve set up for the next heat. Then came heat one and Sandy drove well through the virtual non-visibility and got him self up to 4th. Then.... DQ for being underweight. Somehow the team got the weighting wrong and in all the stress with the electrical system ran out of time to recheck the karts weight. Oh well, Sandy then started heat 2 from 13th and last. He drove himself up to 7th position.

Then came the final, starting from 10th, Sandy was careful in the start to avoid any first corner pile up as the rain was coming down heavily. Unfortunately the Marshal's had decided to reduce the race by almost half the laps due to lost time with all the rain. So, Sandy fought his way back up the order, but at the end had to settle for an eight place.

Now Sandy is looking forward to his next race, which will be the second Rotax Max race on April 20. The team has now also decided to compete in the Asian Kart Open Championship this year and will have its first race in Macau on June 21-22.

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17 Mar. 08 SuperKart Thailand Round 1

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

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Sandy Nicholas Stuvik takes Second Place in SKT1

Having only ever driven with rented ROK Junior engines the team was hard pressed running in and finding optimal settings for the brand new engine on Friday's practice. By Saturday the team was confident the set up was good, as times lap times seemed to be very competitive. Come Sunday morning qualifying, Sandy could only qualify 3rd, a half a second a drift on the 2 front runners. Again the team scrambled to find the deficit and soon realized the engine set up was far from what it needed to be. In the first heat a half way solution was tried and Sandy was fast enough to keep up with the front runners and although he could get up to second in the tight infield, he was out powered down Saraburi Circuit's long straight and ended the heat in third. In the second heat the settings were tweaked a bit more, but still far from the edge and this time Sandy could challenge a bit more. It was several overtaking's up and down the heat and although he was in second by the end, Sandy dropped himself to third on the finish line to opt for the better 3rd place starting position in the final. The final became a nail biter, with many excellent overtaking's by both Sandy and his opponents and in the end Sandy secured second place. The team left Saraburi happy with another solid performance and will now learn the new engine to know better for the following races in this exiting and very challenging series.

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4 Mar. 08 Rotax Max Challenge Round 1
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Another strong race for Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

The first of the 2008 Thailand Rotax Max Challenge saw Sandy setting a scorching pace to secure P2 on this very competitive grid. The race was held a Bira Circuit on March 2nd. In early practice Sandy had a huge crash, his first in over a year. While trying to avoid another slowing kart Sandy was forced onto the outside line which was covered in sand from all the track works and could only hang on to the kart as he smashed through the barriers and ended up in the pit lane.

The very same dusty conditions on the track would come back to haunt Sandy in the heats, as he again found himself on the non grippy outside line through the double left hander's on the track. Each heat start would see him dropping down several places and through the heat he would claw his way back up again. In the end Sandy got himself on the podium in 5th position, a position he would have to be content with all things considered.

So, a good start to the Rotax Max series for 2008 and Sandy will continue to fight for this championship through the year. The next race now on Sandy's calendar will be the first SuperKart race of the season, this time at the Saraburi Circuit in 2 weeks time.

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18 Feb. 08 National Round 1

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Strong season debut for Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

Sandy was off to a very good start to the season, confidently qualifying P1 in the weekends first round of the National Championship. In Heat 1, he instantly opened up a gap to the rest of the field and went ahead to secure a good heat win. In the second heat, Sandy again managed to loose the rest of the grid and could concentrate on his own race to finish with half the Bira straight ahead of the second placed kart.

All heats went in hot and dry conditions. Just a few minutes prior to the final race, dark clouds accumulated over the track and the temperature dropped rapidly - showing rain was imminent. The team unfortunately reacted too slow and sent Sandy on track with the same jetting he earlier had used. He started off the final and tried to make a run away push, but only managed to open up a few meters. Not enough to build a gap and the field had soon caught back up to him. As the temperatures dropped further and the first drops or rain started falling, he could no longer hold on and had to relent two positions. Then the rain started coming down heavily and the team was hoping Sandy's rain skills could bring him back up the grid again. But, it was not to be, the opposition did drive very well in the wet conditions and Sandy had to settle for third place in this season opener.

The Thailand Rotax Max Challenge Junior at Bira circuit is now the next race in another 2 weeks and Sandy is already preparing for this very exiting race series.

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14 Feb. 08 Sandy to drive Birel for the 2008 season

Sandy running the new R31

Sandy testing the R31 at Saraburi Circuit

Last weekend was Sandy's first trial and run-in with the brand new Birel R31 frame after years of running the very successful ItalKart chassis. The R31 turned out to be a blast to drive and Sandy instantly improved on his lap times in the new kart. The kart is now being prepared with the full sponsorship livery. The Pizza Company Racing Team has again been confirmed to be sponsored by :

DSL PTT Dacon Inspection Services Jotun

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22 Jan. 08 Sandy is the 2007 True Vision Junior Kart Champion of Thailand
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik
Check out the True Vision Promotion (on the right) which was run on True TV in 2007
Sandy Nicholas Stuvik, True Vision Promo

2007 became Sandy's best season so far, securing podium in 13 out of 17 races and always chasing for the race lead. The rewards of the year became as follows:
- True Vision Junior Kart Championship - Champion
- SuperKart Thailand – Runner Up
- National Championship – Vice Runner Up
Sandy is full of optimism and eager to achieve even higher goals for the 2008 season, one which he hopes to also start racing internationally.

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Sandy Nicholas Stuvik above during his pilgrimage to Maranello and the holy grail of Ferrari. After the visit it was off to the Auditorium Ferrari to watch the San Marino GP with a group of slightly sided Maranellan's. In the words of the gubernator: I'll be back !

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Sandy Nicholas Stuvik

...on the road to F1

Sandy Nicholas Stuvik preping for 2008 SKT 5Sandy Nicholas StuvikSandy Nicholas Stuvik at the 2008 Nationals at Bira - Wet race!Sandy Nicholas Stuvik at 2007 SKT Round 3Sandy Stuvik racing at Khorat April 2007After 2nd place in 2007 Rok Junior ClassSandy Nicholas StuvikSandy Nicholas StuvikSandy in new helmetSandy's new Italkart Nov 2006Sandy racing BiraSandy at Bira, Round 5, National Championship 20062006 Second National Championship Race, another win for SandyMax Challenge 2005, Sandy lead the whole day!The long walk back from a broken kartSandy's helmet and mascot in 20042004 National Championship in Yamaha Class2004 National race in Khon Kaen, Sandy secured 2nd placeAn empty Vega tyre box is almost like a F1 cockpit....2003 practicing at KR2003 Wet weather practice at KR2003 practice at KR, early days in the Yamaha class2002 practice with a de tuned ICA enginePracticing into the night...2000 at age 4, already racing against the clock !2000 very early days in Sandy's racing career