Stop asking this dad if he's fine with his daughter racing

Kuldeep Singh stopped me mid-question as soon as he knew what I was getting at. 

The 44-year-old father has been the wonder of many lately, since reports of his eldest daughter Kareen Kaur’s fledgling career as a go-kart racer. 

Kareen, 14, a 29R Racing Development team driver and one of the few female karters in Singapore, made headlines recently after placing fourth – and as the top female driver – at the ROK Cup Singapore 2024 Championship which ended last month. 

Spurred by her family’s support, Kareen has made no secret of her dreams of representing Singapore and winning in Formula racing one day. She has already started racing in Europe, in races organised by the all-female championship F1 Academy in Spain and Italy.

“How many times people have asked me about allowing my daughter to race? Many times,” says Kuldeep with a laugh. 

“They’ll ask me: ‘Are you okay? Are you sure you want your daughter to do this? You know she’s going so fast, she’s going to crash.’ I just tell them it’s okay, don’t worry.”

The businessman says he’s convinced of the decision to allow Kareen to race every time he witnesses her passion for the sport.

“I’ve seen a lot of improvements over the years, with her discipline especially, and it’s because of racing. When it comes to training every day, she never says no. I’ve seen some kids say things like ‘I’m tired’ after a while – but not her.”

Kareen’s obsession with motor sports and cars began at a young age. As a child, she would accompany her father, a sports car enthusiast and F1 fan, to test drives at car showrooms, and was drawn to the sounds of the different engines.

Her karting journey began at nine, when she was having lunch at Turf City in Bukit Timah and the karting track caught her eye.

“When the instructor was telling her about the kart, she was like ‘I know, I know.’ No one taught her where the brakes and accelerator are, how did she know all that, I thought,” Kuldeep says. 

Kareen, who is a fan of Red Bull’s F1 world champion Max Verstappen, finished first in her first ever casual race. And then again when she was brought to another karting track in Jurong. Eventually, she was spotted and picked up by a racing team. 

At this point, the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Secondary 2 student was hooked.

“I love the adrenaline rush,” she says. “Whenever my dad used to go fast while driving, I used to enjoy that, and I get that feeling wherever I’m in the kart as well.”

Her young career hasn’t been without thrills and spills. 

During a race in Dubai earlier this month, a fellow driver crashed into her and Kareen injured her hand. Despite this, she hopped back into her kart and raced on, surprising even her father who had advised her to sit out the rest of the race.

“Yes, accidents will happen but they are learning experiences,” says Kareen. “In this sport, you have to be brave.”

Kareen also cites her mother as a pillar of support. Though she doesn’t accompany her for overseas competitions, Kiranjit, a 45-year-old teacher, watches her race via live streams and calls Kareen right after.

Admittedly not a sports fan, Kiran says she’s surprised to this day that things have come along so far. 

“I didn’t expect it to go this big, honestly,” Kiran says, adding that Kareen’s grandparents are also supportive of her racing ambitions.

“When she started off, I was just like, ‘Okay’. And somehow or rather, it never stopped. So I’m still riding the wave and saying to myself ‘Is it over? No? It’s still going and it’s getting bigger and bigger.

“But I see how much it matters to her. Of course, it worries me because I see the accidents happening sometimes. It can be overwhelming – but it’s her passion.” 

As Kareen harbours hopes of entering the F1 Academy soon – the family intends to relocate Kareen to Italy once she completes her O levels in 2026 – the expenses involved inevitably weigh on her family’s mind.

“I’ve lost count,” Kuldeep says when I ask how much it has cost him so far. “There’s costs involved in entering a race, in maintaining the kart, travelling – so honestly, I’ve stopped keeping tab.”

The family has three daughters, and Kuldeep informs me that his second girl Kushvin, 12 has won numerous medals in wrestling while his youngest Kavneet, six, is an aspiring track and field athlete.

Why is it so important for a parent to believe in their child’s dream, I ask him.

“It creates a bond between you and your child; you get close to your kid in the process and you understand them better,” he says.

“Instead of just emphasising on education, you have to have a balance – because sports is also important for character-building.

“When you see all that coming together, education and sports hand in hand, it paints a beautiful picture.”