On track, sisterhood is off for twins in Asia Pacific Karting C’ship debut
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SINGAPORE – Twin sisters Sujana and Sanjana Dandu do everything together – from reading books to going to the same school. They also share a love for karting.
But when it comes to racing, sisterhood is off the table for the 12-year-olds. Their competitiveness was evident when asked who is faster, with both quick to raise their hands, saying: “Me!”
The two Australian speedsters who race under the Singapore flag will be making their Asia Pacific Karting Championship debut from July 5 to 7 at the KF1 Karting Circuit at Kranji, where they will compete against 13 others in the Junior Rok category.
They had picked up the sport at KF1 where they raced on fun karts in 2020, after relocating to Singapore for their studies at United World College of South East Asia.
About two months later, they jumped into race karts for the first time on the suggestion of someone they met at the circuit.
While they train almost every other week at KF1, they also have racing simulators at home to help them hone their manoeuvring skills.
Since their maiden karting experience, they have participated in over 20 competitions together, with their best finishes coming at the IAME Series Asia in Malaysia in 2023 – Sujana was second in the cadet category in round 2 at Shah Alam, while Sanjana finished second in the junior category in round 7 at Subang Jaya.
This weekend, they are looking for a one-two finish, but both quipped that they want to be the first across the line.
While simulation racing is safer, the twins prefer the feeling of a physical go-kart. “It’s more realistic in a go-kart, you can feel the track and everything. In a sim racing rig, you can’t really feel the exact same thing,” said Sujana.
They admitted that they push the limits more in the consequence-free virtual world, with Sujana no stranger to Sanjana’s potentially black-flag-worthy acts.
“I’ve crashed into her a billion times,” said Sanjana.
Sujana also finds it useful that statistics are displayed on her simulator’s screen, something not available when speeding around in real life.
Their karting coach Melvin Moh, himself a racing driver, had introduced simulators to them to help them better prepare for their races.
The 35-year-old said: “They only started competitively last year and they just moved to Junior Rok, a bit earlier due to their height even though they just turned 12. So there’s a lot to learn and they’re fighting with a lot of experienced drivers.”
Sujana Dandu (right) pulled off an overtake on her twin sister Sanjana Dandu during a practice session at the KF1 Karting Circuit on July 4.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Sujana (1.61m) and Sanjana (1.58m) are also competing in the Australian Kart Championships and the Champions of the Future Academy programme. The latter runs races in Europe and the Middle East, which offers them valuable exposure to different tracks and competitors.
While the twins are aiming for the top of the podium, Moh wants this weekend’s race to be a learning experience for them.
“There’s a lot of very strong drivers, they want to win. I also want to win, but we also need to be realistic. As long as they keep learning and progressing, and if we could get a top-five finish, I think it’d be a big bonus for us.”
They are also hoping to make it to the F1 Academy – a female-only junior-level racing championship featuring the likes of rally driver Lia Block and McLaren driver development programme member Bianca Bustamante.
If they do, it would give them a shot at possibly being the first twins to race in Formula 1.
