Stephan Sookram
Guyanese Stanley Ming has successfully started along a path that will put Guyana on the world map with regard to motor racing.

Hi son, Calvin, made history when he competed on November 1 at the Inaugural NACAM (Norteamérica,Centroamérica, Caribe y Norte de Sudamérica) Championships in Mexico. But it’s safe to say that it’s Stanley Ming who has been the driving force behind his son’s accomplishment.
So, let’s throw it in reverse here and backpedal a bit, to the young days of Calvin – the days before driving school and college; before testing in the United States or even before becoming the local National Shifter Kart Champion, to when he just started.
From the age of six, Stanley Ming realized that his son had talents…natural racing talents, something you can’t buy, borrow or breed, but rather a champion has to be gifted like the Lewis Hamiltons and the Valentino Rossis of this world.
“I spent a lot of time with him just trying to see what he is capable of,” the senior Ming told Chronicle Sport, adding that “we would sometimes use the streets in front of my house and I’d set up obstacles for him to drive around and plot courses.”
After a while, he outgrew that and I had to find new challenges. I had to set up some cones in the National Park (Tarmac) and set out a course for him to drive and he kept getting better until we had to take him to the race track (South Dakota).”

“He joined as a junior and after just one year there, he was beating all of the senior guys, including me, and that’s when I knew he was going to need a bigger challenge,” continued the former motor cycle competitor.
Calvin, during a sit down with us, said, “I started my racing career between the ages of six and seven at the kart level and it just grew from there. I became a national kart champion here”
Studies abroad forced him off the local scene but that did not dampen his love for the sport as the track continued to call his name.
An overseas friend of the Senior Ming, who had a Shifter Kart and a facility heard of Calvin’s talent and offered him a test run in a Kart and after a couple of laps, Calvin was able to match the course record, opening the door for the return of a Champion.
He moved on from there to compete in several carting challenges around America, taking podium spots wherever he went and racking up a name for himself.
Stanley, after learning of the FIA’s plan to bridge the gap between Shifter Kart racing and its more tedious and technical Formula Car sisters, decided to purchase a Mygale designed Ford EcoBoost powered machine for his son to begin testing.
“Wow, that first drive was amazing! It felt like a video game somewhat, but it was a live Video game! I couldn’t believe that I was doing it, driving an open wheel car and it’s just a feeling that is unmatched to me. It was a rush.”
He also attended the Skip Barber Racing School Programme where he emerged the top student out of his 21 classmates.
In July of this year, the junior Ming did some testing in a F4 car belonging to Team Pelfrey, a top team in the United States and after evaluation, had been invited to drive for the team.
He had some valuable lessons in F1600 series, another open wheel, single seater, open cockpit set up similar to the F4 series in which he would be participating.
The F1600 class featured the same basic design and driving style of the F4 cars, and as such, Ming quickly picked up a podium finish during the second of the three race day, valuable points that aided his team to constructors’ glory.
All the while, testing continued at the Gingerman Raceway in Michigan, Putnam Park Road Course in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the New Jersey Motorsports Park where he completed over 500 laps and covered a distance of approximately 800 miles during the six days of intense testing in the U.S., all in preparation for the launch of the F4 Championship in this part of the world, a precursor to the Mexican Formula 1 Grand Prix set for Mexico City’s revamped Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Calvin qualified a decent 7th on the grid after some late issues on qualifying day, but that did not dampen his spirit but worked as a motivation which fired him to do better come race day.
Making a bit of a ‘bobble’ (as he describes it) at the start of the race cost him a quick two spots after just the first lap, but the Guyanese was intent on flying the Golden Arrowhead high.
Reverting to his game plan and putting his shoulder to the wheel, he moved up to fourth spot, much like his racing number before the safety car was called onto the track in the dying minutes after another competitor spun.
He used his reflexes to dart to third quickly on the restart of the race, but was overtaken on the last lap , owing to the fact that he did not block because his team radio had incurred problems and he could not hear that it was the last lap.
Nonetheless, the Guyanese took the optimistic approach, saying, “The race was pretty intense and I was able to learn a lot more being the first time I’m in a winged open-seated car race. I will definitely keep up the momentum and keep pushing for more and hopefully next race be on the podium.”
However, one of his most important things is social life.
He explained that he loves to spend time with his family and friends because the racing life can be so stressful, that the fun going, easy life of any young 17-year-old makes for the perfect balancing factor.
When he’s not on track testing or racing, or not nose deep in an engineering book- yes, he is currently pursuing studies in that field- he says he just loves to hit the movies or hang out with his friends.
” I don’t feel any more different than the average teenager,” he said, with a wide effervescent smile.