Formula Drift Singapore Series 2009

More cars in new format

THE US-based Formula Drift Pro Championship series return to Singapore this year with a new format and a new name.

With the name changed to Formula Drift ProAm Series 2009, this year's competition will be a fairer one for regional drivers as there will not be any professional competitors from the US, said Marcus Lim, 31, the general manager of Binter & Co.

Lim, 31, who founded Binter's motorsports arm - Binter Drifter - holds the rights to Formula Drift in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia until 2010.

Lim revealed that this year's course will be more technical with four clipping points (scoring points).

Tighter course

'The course will be much narrower, down from 18m to 13m wide. With a tighter course, drivers will have to manoeuvre their cars much closer to one another,' explained Lim.

More concrete barricades have also been put up to get your adrenaline pumping when the cars try to kiss the wall.

The two-day event will see 37 drivers, coming from Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, battling it out with our local drivers at Changi Exhibition Centre.

Ten drivers will be competing under the sponsorship of Goodyear.

Goodyear, a major sponsor of motorsports in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and India, is preparing to burn at least 100 of its ultra high performance tyres on event day.

Said Tommy Fok, 27, sales manager of Goodyear Singapore Tyres: 'We have seen a growing interest in motorsports since last year's Formula Drift.

'The series have been very professionally organised with TV coverage. Such events will help to raise the standard of motorsports in the region.'

Added Lim: 'Some of the drivers, who competed last year, are returning to the competition with new cars.

'These drivers saw the high standard set last year and have since invested in new cars for this year's event.

'There will be a wide variety of cars, ranging from the Nissan Silvia, Nissan Skyline, Toyota AE86, Toyota Chaser, Toyota Soarer, Mazda MX5 to even Lexus.

'The pits will be open to the public throughout the event so that they can get closer to check out the cars.'

Goodyear's Ford GT will also be displayed at its booth for the public to take photos.

SHE DARES TO DRIFT

This week, The New Paper speaks to the only female participant in this weekend's Formula Drift ProAm Series

TWO DAYS before Formula Drift Singapore last year, Jane Cheah gave birth to her first child, Johanna Ariff Johanis.

UNFAZED: Despite being the only female participant, Jane Cheah is confident of giving a good account of herself in the Formula Drift ProAm Series. PICTURES COURTESY OF JANE CHEAH

Her husband, Ariff Johanis Ahmad, was not by her side as he had left their home in Kuala Lumpur to take part in the inaugural Formula Drift championship here.

And to make this year even more special, Cheah, decided to team up with her husband for this weekend's competition which has been renamed Formula Drift ProAm Series.

Said Cheah, 32: 'I've taken part in drifting competitions in Malaysia, but never on an international level like this.

'The US-based series here will have a more difficult course layout and I was told that the speed will be much faster. It will be a good experience for me.'

Cheah and her husband, both Malaysians who run a family business selling broadcast equipment, will be the only husband-and-wife team competing under the banner of Team Syncoptima in this weekend's event held at Changi Exhibition Centre.

Sponsored by Goodyear, Cheah will be drifting in a Nissan 180SX which has its front converted to look like a Nissan Silvia S15, while her 39-year-old husband will be drifting in a Nissan Silvia S13 coupe.

Asked how she feels about being the only female participant in this year's event, Cheah replied: 'I am honoured to be invited by the organisers to compete.

'This will be my first big competition after giving birth to my daughter last year. I am glad to still be in good shape to drift.

'I don't really know who my competitors are and I think I am the one with the least experience.

'But I am confident that I have a 50 per cent chance in qualifying for the tandem battles.'

After all, her husband made it through the qualifying rounds despite a blown engine last year.

Recalled Cheah: 'After I delivered, my husband called me at the hospital and told me that he had blown his car engine during practice.

'He felt bad for not being with me when our daughter was born. But I insisted that he stayed on in Singapore to compete.

'He made it through the qualifying rounds and got into the top-16 positions despite his blown engine. But he soon got knocked out in the tandem battles.'

Cheah revealed that it was her husband who taught her how to drift. No wonder she looks up to him as a role model.

And for someone who has been drifting for barely two years (she stopped for almost a year as she was expecting her daughter), Cheah's achievements are quite impressive for a woman drift driver.

First competition

When she first started drifting in 2006, she took part in the D1 Grand Prix in Malaysia that year and managed to finish the competition in the middle of the pack.

In the same year, Cheah also finished third in the Merdeka Drift Challenge.

With her first podium finish, she was upgraded from the Novice to Expert category in competitions in Malaysia.

Back then, Cheah had drifted in a Nissan Laurel.

She said: 'I would get people laughing at me and my car. It was a very old, family-looking car.

'My car was in bad shape and I didn't look as professional as the others on the circuit.

'Drifting is about coordinating your hands and legs. It's very challenging and it's my passion.

'To be able to handle a car and drive it sideways at a high speed gives me a high.

'I don't care how people look at me or my car. I just want to drift and make my point.

'To me, anyone can learn to drift. The men do not have an advantage over women in drifting.'