Interview with Blogger Cheryl Tay

“Not one to hanker after the latest handbag from Chanel or the newest lipstick colour from Bobbi Brown, Cheryl Tay instead spends her time checking out the hottest cars and keeping up with motorsports like Formula 1. The best way to express this automotive passion of hers is through words, as seen on www.cheryltay.wordpress.com. Said to ‘have fuel in her blood’ and ‘a mind full of nothing but cars and motorsports’, Cheryl hopes to share this passion with more like-minded people.”

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?
My site is actually primarily a blog that features some of my published writings. I use it to share with readers what I’ve written about and I hope to generate more interest in cars and motorsports amongst my readers.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?
Yes, the more I write, the more I discover about myself. Sometimes I think I can even express myself better through writing, instead of speaking. I’ve been writing in a diary since I was 7 so writing has been quite a significant part of my life. It is important that I continue to progress and grow in my writing.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?
The most memorable experiences would be of readers leaving positive comments and their encouragement. It makes me feel good to know that people are responding to my entries and that it benefits them in some way or another.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?
Some of my friends who blog regularly have me as a link on their site to my blog.

If you had to describe life as a blogger in a Twitter message (140 characters) what would you say?
Life as a blogger is using the power of words to reach out to a massive audience.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?
Blogs these days have been strongly associated with politics. For example, former US presidential candidate Howard Dean used blogs to rally supporters.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?
Yes definitely. Social media like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter tend to develop a community of people who will return regularly and hence create a following. These new technologies make it easier and faster for netizens to make their views known and along with this increase in responsiveness come the power to make a person rise or fall very quickly.

What do you think sets your site apart from others?
My site is primarily a personal blog that reports mostly on motorsports and automotive stuff, which only cater to a select group of enthusiasts. It’s different from other sites in the sense that the content published on my blog (in terms of my published writings) is unique to this group.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?
My workaholic nature fuelled strongly by passion – I’ve learnt that it is important to love what you do and do what you love. Because once you achieve that, you will find that life is very meaningful.

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?
Each time my byline is published in print is a happy moment for me. The gloomiest would be when I lost my maternal grandmother three years ago.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for – what would your top 3 choices be?
My top three choices will be Moscow, the Maldives and Santa Claus Island in the North Pole.

What is your favourite book and why?
I don’t particularly have any favourite book, but some of my all-time favourite reads are “The Tao of Pooh” and “The Te of Piglet” by Benjamin Hoff, “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom, “Magic Faraway Tree” by Enid Blyton, “Matilda” and “The Twits” by Roald Dahl.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?
Their body language.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?
Yes. In fact, I used to fail my General Paper (GCE AO level) compositions during my junior college days and I had to go back for remedial classes! To be honest, I never expected to engage in published writing (ie. Be paid to write).

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?
I’m not benefiting financially from my blog, just in case you are wondering. But I think blogs potentially have that money-making aspect to it, simply because of the traffic it draws. An interesting blog that attracts lots of readers will mean having good advertising space as these people will keep returning to read the blog.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?
Not necessarily. A successful blog would be one that can consistently increase its readership (for the right reasons of course), which means having valid content that is of use and of interest to readers. Making money out of it is a bonus as a blog is primarily a platform to express one’s thoughts and happenings in life. However, a considerable amount of time and commitment is needed to maintain the blog, ie. Constantly post new entries and photos.

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?
One of the greatest things about the Worldwide Web is its ability to transcend geographical barriers and connect people from all over the world instantly. Bloggers of the world can make this world friendlier and less hostile by creating genuine friendships and overcoming all differences.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?
(in no particular order)
· http://www.jamesallenonf1.com
· http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors
· http://girlwithaonetrackmind.blogspot.com
· http://www.mrbrown.com
· http://www.chubbyhubby.net/blog

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?
There have been posts where some readers leave negative comments and remarks. I feel sad when I come across such things because it means that I wasn’t able to reach out to these readers through my writing. Some of them misunderstood the context of my story and took actual offence, leaving me feeling miserable, but I guess you can’t please everybody right?

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?
I believe Pakistan is a country of modest and sensible people. I don’t know of any Pakistanis personally, but I would like to think that the people of Pakistan do not want their country to be as such. I would like to think that the people of Pakistan are just like anyone of us, wishing for peace, harmony and tranquillity.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?
I must say that I have been surprised at the boldness of some bloggers. I think the beauty of blogs is how you can choose to remain anonymous yet create an identity for yourself. But of course, one has to work hard at remaining anonymous because the curiosity of some people will stop at nothing to reveal that identity.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?
The most striking difference is the level of affluence. A developed country is typically defined as one with a high per capita income and has technological advancements and good infrastructure in place. Healthcare, education and other basic needs of the citizens are fulfilled too. On the other hand, a developing country is typically defined as one with low per capita income and is still in the process of achieving that of a developed country.

What is the future of blogging?
The growth rate of blogs has been very impressive. Blogs are essentially online diaries, but have since evolved into a method of sharing ideas and disseminating information fast. Blogs have become a marketing strategy for companies and bloggers are making money from just posting up their thoughts.

I would also like to think that blogs can never replace traditional media but instead support and substantiate traditional media. Most people still prefer to pick up the papers to read. But blogs will continue to be popular as we see many sites start to incorporate blogging features and all. I think blogs will continue to evolve and the future for blogging is huge.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?
It doesn’t affect my personal or professional life, it instead complements.

What are your future plans?
I hope to develop my blog further – instead of just putting up my published writings, I have started to put up press releases and news updates. My aim is to create a one-stop comprehensive and informative website about cars and motorsports where readers can just come and visit for the latest news. I also want to start incorporating videos too. On a separate note, I hope to be able to publish a book to my name one day.

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?
The pen is always mightier than the sword.

This article can be found at http://www.pakspectator.com/interview-with-blogger-cheryl-tay/.

 

Hot Babes, Hot Wheels

The New Paper
Va-Va-Vroom
14 October 2009

CAR SHOW girls donning sexy race queen outfits are a must at any car show.

At the race track where a race queen originally belongs, she has to work under the sun as her main role is to ensure that the drivers of the team she is representing are sheltered at all times.

But we all know that the real reason for having race queens is their ability to pull crowds.

Never failing to be a main attraction, car show girls must be able to endure extended hours in their micro minis and knee-high boots, pose well with cars and put on a smile at all times.

Encountering lecherous photographers and over-eager fans are some of the drawbacks of the job, but perks like travelling out of their country for shows make up for it.

Said Eva Liu of Shanghai who was at the recent Asia AutoSalon 2009 as a car show girl for Chinese car brand Geely: ‘This is my first time in Singapore, although this isn’t my first time working for a car show. It is tough as I have to look good at all times as you never know when or where there is a camera, but I enjoy the attention.’

Despite being more of a trade event, automotive exhibition Asia AutoSalon 2009 had more than 40 car show girls over the four-day event two weekends ago.

Hailing from countries such as Japan, Australia, Thailand and China, most of the girls were hired and brought in by the regional manufacturers themselves.

Hence, these girls had a larger sense of responsibility as they were also ambassadors to the brand they represented.

For Japanese race queens Minami and Nozomi from APP, they had their work cut out for them as they accompanied professional D1GP drift driver Tsutomu Fujio around and sheltered him whenever he was out in the open.

These girls were even part of Fujio-san’s drift demonstration as he performed figure-of-eights and donuts around them.

Not cheap

Of course, these girls don’t come cheap.

The 1.75-metre tall Chinese models Eva Liu and Annie Chang from Geely were paid a four-figure sum for each day of the four-day event.

This excludes flights, meals and accommodation.

Kevin Kwee, executive director of Exklusiv Group which owns the distribution rights for Geely in Singapore, was responsible for hiring the models.

He said: ‘We had a strict selection process where I held castings over three days in China to screen about 30 girls before finally deciding on these two.

‘Both of them are top models in their regions, hence I was willing to pay a premium for their services. You get what you pay for.’

This story was first published in The New Paper.

 

Fast and Curious

The New Paper
Va-Va-Vroom
14 October 2009

THIS car show is much more than a flesh parade of sexy race queens.

The inaugural Asia AutoSalon – a four-day automotive trade and exhibition event at Singapore Expo over the weekend – is indicative of how Singapore’s motorsport industry has progressed in recent years.

With the hosting of the inaugural Formula One night race last year – the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix – and the upcoming Changi Motorsports Hub, the interest in the local automotive market has heightened over the last two years.

Instead of local distributors or agents, the Asia AutoSalon featured more than 70 regional factories and manufacturers from major markets in Asia-Pacific such as Australia, Japan, Taiwan, China and Malaysia.

The exhibition, which cost about $1 million to organise, attracted about 78,000 visitors, who were treated to competitive factory prices and first-hand expertise of imported car tuning products and services.

‘Asia AutoSalon provides opportunities for overseas race drivers or teams to promote their branding to the region,’ Koh Aik Leong, the managing director of MPT Motor Trading – the organisers of Asia AutoSalon – told The New Paper.

‘Also, the direct presence of manufacturers in Singapore opens up the possibility of potential sponsorships for our local motorsport industry.

‘We chose Singapore as the venue because it is geographically well-located in the Asia-Pacific region and hence serves as a one-stop platform for businesses to gain access to other parts of the region.

‘As more people become interested in car tuning, local businesses will benefit. This is where Asia AutoSalon can help by establishing a local presence from overseas manufacturers directly.’

Some of these manufacturers have identified Singapore as a key market for international expansion.

Liberty Walk Co. Ltd is one of them.

The Japanese company, which specialises in Lamborghini parts and accessories under its house brand LB Performance, is keen to set up branch offices in Singapore instead of appointing a local representative.

Excellent place

‘We specialise in Lamborghini parts and accessories under our house brand LB Performance,’ said Naoyasu Kato, president of Liberty Walk.

‘I participated in Asia AutoSalon because Singapore is an excellent place to create awareness for my LB Performance brand,’ Naoyasu Kato, president of Liberty Walk, told The New Paper.

‘I can promote my products to not just one country, but also many countries across the region.’

The first-time participation of the regional manufacturers shows their confidence in the potential of the motorsport industry in Singapore.

Desmond Soh, director of local garage ST Powered Pte Ltd, feels that events such as Asia AutoSalon, which will return in 2011, will complement the Changi Motorsports Hub when it opens in the same year.

‘When the Changi Motorsports Hub opens in 2011, workshops like mine can take our cars there to test instead of going all the way to Malaysia,’ said Soh.

‘I believe this convenience will attract a lot more auto-tuning enthusiasts so events such as Asia AutoSalon are essential.’

Besides the exhibition, the organisers also entertained the crowds by inviting professional drift drivers from Japan, Australia and Malaysia, as well as a group of local drift drivers from local drift forum Drift Garage, to give daily drifting demonstrations.

Oh yes, there were race queens hailing from Japan and China too, who staged performances for the crowds.

Overall, the inaugural Asia AutoSalon was a huge hit with local motoring fans, who posted glowing reviews on Internet forums.

One fan said: ‘Went down with my friends today, it is a good show! Lots of discounts and booths from Chinese and Taiwanese brands.

‘I thought the drifters were good as well, much more entertaining than usual.’

Bernie Leung, a 23-year-old undergraduate, is looking forward to the next Asia AutoSalon in two years’ time.

He said: ‘The prices of the products were about 30 per cent cheaper than those sold in Singapore.

‘But this show came hot on the heels of the Super Imports Night, which features local distributors and agents, so people may not be able to tell the difference.

‘The Asia AutoSalon is really value for money and I’m sure there will be more real car enthusiasts who will go to the show in two years’ time.’

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A REGULAR SIDESHOW

THIS IS not the first time that drifting demonstrations featured at a local car show in Singapore.

But the fact that it is becoming a regular sideshow at car shows is a shot in the arm for the local drifting scene.

Local drift drivers from local drift forum Drift Garage Singapore – entrepreneur Jason Tan, 33, IT specialist Vincent Ng, 30, student Reg Teo, 25, and engineer Gene Ong, 31 – were invited to perform drifting displays at last weekend’s Asia AutoSalon.

It was a rare opportunity to raise awareness of formula drifting in Singapore.

‘We are very glad that Asia AutoSalon has given us a chance to showcase and promote our club,’ said business manager Marcus Loon, 37, who is the moderator of the forum.

Inspire

Established in 2006 with just three members, Drift Garage Singapore has more than 400 registered members today.

Made up of amateur drifters and drift enthusiasts, Drift Garage Singapore hopes to inspire more enthusiasts to join them.

Loon said: ‘We are a group of like-minded people with the same passion.

‘Within the club, there are lecturers, teachers, dentists, engineers and all sorts of other professions.

‘We hope to locate more drift fans and create more awareness for the club by participating in events such as Asia AutoSalon.’

The club organises regular drift sessions, where members drive up to Malaysia to practise and exchange tips on drift techniques.

‘Someday, we hope to have a proper drift track here in Singapore so that we can promote drifting to the masses,’ said Loon.

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Cute attraction

THE CUTE LamborMini All-Terrain-Vehicle (ATV) from Japanese tuning company Liberty Walk Co. Ltd made its debut at the 2009 Tokyo Auto Salon this year.

The 4×4 buggy made its first public appearance out of Japan at the Asia AutoSalon last weekend.

Ten units have been sold in Japan since it went on sale in April. The LamborMini cannot be driven on public roads but you can always keep it at home.

In Singapore, orders have to be placed through local distributor ST Powered Pte Ltd. It costs $29,980 (excluding shipping ) and another $6,600 for an in-built audio system.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 2,470mm
Weight: 187kg
Height: 1,050mm
50cc 2-stroke engine
Front: Double wishbone suspension lowdown coilover
Rear: Long swing arm mono suspension lowdown coilover
Tyres: 215/35 ZR 18 (front), 225/35 ZR18 (rear)
Body colours available: Green, black, red, white, yellow, blue
Various Lamborghini parts like LB Performance ver. 1 style wing and LB 640 style taillight airbrush paint

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This story was first published in The New Paper.

 

She wants to be faster than ‘Uncle Mark’

The New Paper
Va-Va-Vroom
7 October 2009

SHE IS only four years old, but Kwee Kayli already has lofty racing ambitions.

‘My favourite Formula One driver is Uncle Mark. One day I want to be faster than him!’ Kayli told The New Paper sheepishly.

‘Uncle Mark’ is none other than Red Bull Racing’s Australian driver Mark Webber, whom Kayli met at the recent SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

Kayli will take her first step to emulating her favourite driver when she zips around the track at KartRight Speedway – Singapore’s newest karting outfit – in her customised go-kart in a few weeks’ time.

Many Formula One and professional motor racing drivers honed their driving skills by karting at a young age.

Kayli was introduced to go-karting by her father Kevin Kwee, who is the executive director of Group Exklusiv.

Kwee, 39, was involved in securing the Canon sponsorship for the Brawn GP team at this year’s Singapore Grand Prix.

It was through his connections that his daughter got to meet Webber in person, as well as Renault’s Fernando Alonso.

Kwee took Kayli to watch her first Formula One race at last year’s inaugural race and she fell in love with the sport.

Kwee, who is into competitive karting and racing, is hoping that his daughter will follow in his footsteps.

Competitive

‘I started karting in my teenage years and later went on to competitive karting and motor racing. I hope to develop the racing instincts in my daughter,’ said Kwee, who participated in races like the Honda Michelin series in Canada and Formula Campus in Taiwan in the 1990s.

He also raced in a Ferrari F40 at tarmac rallies in Australia and the Ferrari 355 Challenge in the mid-1990s.

Kwee took his daughter to his last race at the Merdeka Millenium Endurance race at the Sepang International Circuit last year.

‘I helped daddy to suit up before his race and I like to watch him race,’ said Kayli.

To date, Kwee has invested about $8,000 on his daughter’s foray into go-karting.

That includes a customised go-kart, a personalised pink helmet that is airbrushed with hearts, princesses and crowns and a tailor-made racing suit.

‘To ensure her safety, the kart that I specially ordered for her has an electronic override function for the throttle and brakes,’ said Kwee. ‘That will allow her to manage the kart and drive freely.

‘Safety is the main priority, so I’m willing to spend on advanced technology.’

It is a well-known fact that go-karting provides a good foundation for those who want to go into competitive racing.

Starting from an early age will help one to develop the racing instincts and hone his driving skills.

However, most parents are not willing to let their children try their hand at karting from a young age because of the perceived pitfalls that are associated with the sport.

‘Like all parents, I worry for the safety of my daughter too,’ said Kwee who has another daughter, Kay-le, who is barely a month old.

‘In order for parents to accept that motorsport is not dangerous, they must first realise that racing is not done recklessly. There is a lot of high-speed action, but it is done within a controlled environment.

‘Also, there are actually a lot of safety measures and discipline in motorsport.

‘I’m allowing my daughter to start karting from young because it benefited me when I was a kid.

‘Karting helped me to grow stronger mentally and physically.’

When asked if he will allow Kayli go into competitive motor racing when she grows up, Kwee said: ‘If she is keen and she shows the potential, I won’t stop her and I will fully support her.’

This story was first published in The New Paper.

 

10 Things To Improve For Next Year

What do local drivers and others say about the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix? CHERYL TAY gets their views and recommendations

The New Paper
29 September 2009

1 NO MORE DUST
Many Formula One drivers, like Singapore race winner Lewis Hamilton, and even Formula BMW Pacific Championship leader Rio Haryanto and Singaporean Aston Martin Asia Cup driver Greg Teo had the same complaint – the track was very dusty and slippery, causing a significant lack of grip.

While some attributed it to the nearby Integrated Resorts’ construction work, Melvin Choo, Singapore’s only full-time race driver, had another reason.

He said: ‘Last year, there was IR construction work too but we didn’t experience so much dust. I feel it’s because of the shortened road closure period.

‘While the circuit was closed for 12 days last year, this year it was closed for much less; hence, less time to clean up the track, resulting in more dust.’
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2 SMOOTHER RIDE
The track may have been resurfaced at Turns Five and Seven, but many drivers still complained of a bumpy ride.

Hamilton, in particular, was critical.

He complained of how his McLaren was ‘bumping and bouncing and sliding’.

Said Teo: ‘We, in the Aston Martin cars, don’t feel the bumps as badly as the F1 drivers do because they are lower.

Certain sections are better, but the track is still slightly bumpy.’
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3 WIDER ON THE EXIT
The pit exit has been realigned to join the track after the first corner and the pit entry now has cars leaving the track before Turn 22.

Yet, Williams’ Nico Rosberg made an error on his exit and earned a drive-through penalty that pretty much sealed his chance on the podium.

‘The pit lane exit is still quite tight. See how easily Rosberg was caught unaware and went over the line?’ Teo said.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4 TURN 10
This was where Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen crashed last year.

Despite being redesigned to reduce the risk of a car being damaged upon contact, the ‘Singapore Sling’ kerbs still pose a problem to drivers as they have to slow down tremendously in their approach to avoid riding over them.
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5 COLOURED CIRCUIT WALLS
A local race driver, who chose to remain anonymous, said painting the circuit walls in different colours might help to perk up the drivers.

Right now drivers are enclosed by running grey walls that make it so gloomy.
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6 NOTHING IS PERFECT
During an interview, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia driver Tim Sugden mentioned that the Marina Bay street circuit is a very unforgiving one.

‘One mistake and that’s it, you’ll be punished for the rest of the race,’ he said.

True enough, Sugden engaged the wrong gear accidentally during his aggressive pursuit of pole-sitter Christian Menzel and spun.

He said: ‘But that’s just how street circuits are. They’re not purpose-built and hence, not perfect for racing. We shouldn’t try so hard to make it perfect; as long as all the safety concerns are addressed, the track should be accepted as it is.’
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7 MORE SUPPORT FOR SUPPORT RACERS
The support race paddock was shifted to ground level of the Singapore Flyer multi-storey car park this year.

Cramming all garages of the three support races into one floor, drivers, mechanics, team crew and visitors alike complained of severe lack of space.
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8 SHUTTLE BUS SERVICES
This request was carried over from last year, when many complained of the amount of walking that had to be done within the circuit.

The shuttle bus schedules were revised this year and were apparently more convenient. However, shuttle buses ceased services at 1am and only catered to limited gates.

Members of the media, who worked past 1am, ended up running into blocked exits and walking round the circuit looking for a route out.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
9 MOTORSPORT FESTIVAL
To build up the momentum, Choo suggests having a month-long festival of motorsport activities as a lead up to the F1 race weekend.

Said Choo: ‘We can have current and classic racing car events or introduce motorsport personalities past and present, local and foreign. More car manufacturers should also be encouraged to participate and ride on the heightened automotive interest during this period.

‘This should prevent ticket sales from dwindling if the novelty of F1 wears off.’
___________________________________________________________________________________________
10 DISCOUNTS NEEDED
This year, early bird discounts on some ticket categories were the same as the non-discounted ticket price last year.

Bringing top entertainment acts and creating more convenience for spectators was appreciated, but ticket prices must be maintained.
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This story was first published in The New Paper.

 

Top 10 Race Highlights

CHERYL TAY and TNP’s F1 analyst LUKE NETTO evaluate the SingTel Singapore GP from trackside

The New Paper
28 September 2009

SAFETY CAR PERIOD
ONCE again like last year, the safety car was deployed mid-race, for an incident between Force India’s Adrian Sutil and BMW’s Nick Heidfeld.

Luckily this time, most of the front-runners had already done their first round of pit-stops so the running order was not affected massively like it was last year.

But there were a few guys who benefited, most obvious being Jenson Button who moved up from 10th to seventh position.

FUEL-HOSE DISASTER AGAIN
MEMORIES of Felipe Massa’s horrendous fuel rig incident in Singapore last year haunted Toro Rosso’s Jamie Alguersuari as he tried to leave with the fuel nozzle still attached to his car during his pit-stop on Lap 22.

Fortunately he realised in time and stopped quickly. A few team members were knocked over in the process but nothing serious.

DUSTY END
RED BULL’S Mark Webber was already fuming after having to yield his place to Fernando Alonso earlier for making an illegal overtaking move.

More ill-fate followed as a big cloud of dust burst out of Webber’s brakes immediately after his pit-stop on Lap 45.

A brake failure down the start-finish straight sent him spinning off into the barriers at Turn 1 on the next lap.

His car suffered no major damage but it marked the end of Webber’s race.

VETTEL’S BAD LUCK
SEBASTIEN Vettel was closing in quickly on race leader Lewis Hamilton in his Red Bull when he kissed a wall on Lap 37 and his right rear-view mirror came off.

He also got punished with a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit-lane during his second pit-stop on Lap 40. In addition, he ran over a chicane and had some parts fly up from under his car. After all those mishaps, Vettel calmed down for a fourth-place finish, when second place was initially his for the taking.

DEBRIS
SOMETHING flew off the back of Timo Glock’s Toyota on Lap 14 and landed in the middle of the racing lane.

That piece of debris remained on the track close to the racing line as all cars somehow avoided it safely.

Finally, a courageous marshal ran out and retrieved it on Lap 17. A round of applause for him, please.

ROSBERG’S NIGHTMARE
NICO Rosberg suffered a drive-through penalty for passing the white line while exiting the pits.

The reason he didn’t serve the penalty while the safety car was out was because if he had come in while the safety car was out, he would have returned out at the back of the pack.

But since he only served his penalty two laps after the safety car went in, a gap managed to open up and so he rejoined the race in 14th position.

HEIDFELD LOVES SUTIL
ADRIAN Sutil made a botched move inside Jaime Alguersuari and spun instead. While trying to rejoin the race, he took out the very unlucky Nick Heidfeld passing by.

Sutil didn’t get off the power and tried to spin the car back onto the track immediately. That is considered dangerous. He was fined US$20,000 ($28,000).

RED BULL FLOP
BY THE looks of things, we might not have any more Red Bull parties at Sentosa here next here.

Of the four Red Bull-backed cars, both Toro Rosso drivers retired with technical problems, Mark Webber had brake failure which caused him to crash at Turn 1 and Vettel had a drive-through penalty given to him for speeding in the pit-lane.

Red Bull’s chances of winning anything this season has taken a big hit. The constructors’ title looks to be Brawn’s for sure and drivers’ title to be battled out by the two Brawn drivers.

NOT ENOUGH OVERTAKING
ALTHOUGH some modifications were made to the circuit and some cars were equipped with Kers, there still wasn’t enough overtaking.

Adrian Sutil was stuck behind Jaime Alguersuari – who looked to be at least two seconds off the pace.

FERRARI’S SINGAPORE CURSE
ANOTHER poor weekend for Ferrari here in Singapore, not scoring a single point once again.

This was rather surprising especially since Kimi Raikkonen has been very strong in the last few races. But he had no pace whatsoever here this weekend.

We’re sure they will be looking to end this bad run here next year.

 

Hooray for Singapore

The New Paper
28 September 2009

IT HAS been his dream of 35 years for Singaporean Ringo Chong, 42.

Until yesterday, Chong’s proudest moment was when he stood on the podium in third place at last year’s Aston Martin Asia Cup support race.

He has since rewritten history when he came in first with a total time of 25 minutes 59.569 seconds, ahead of 13 other drivers, at this year’s Aston Martin Asia Cup race, which will be the last in the series – there are no plans to bring it back next year.

Standing on the top of the podium, an emotional Chong fought back his tears as Singapore’s national anthem played over the speakers at the Marina Bay street circuit.

“I’ve been waiting for this. The last Singaporean to win on home grounds was Rodney Seow in 1967 and it’s time to replace that. I’m so happy now that no words can really describe the joy I’m experiencing now.”

After fighting for pole position, the race was his to lose after closest rival Sri Lankan Dilantha Malagamuwa spun while trying to chase Australian Mark Williamson,who had overtaken him at the start.

Chong pulled away from the field and looked good to win, except for some fleeting moments when his rear tyres started smoking.

“My brake fluid was leaking, so I had to hold back and settle for a comfortable pace instead of pushing hard. I was praying hard for my car to successfully get home so I can safely take this win.”

Malaysian Mok Weng Sun, who races for Singaporean Team Porsche Club Singapore, secured a place on the podium when he came in third after overtaking Malaysian Tunku Hammam during the last moments of the race.

Spun

Singaporeans Greg Teo and George Ong finished 10th and 11th respectively.

At the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, championship leader Tim Sugden dashed all hopes of taking the win from pole sitter Christian Menzel when he spun in the first lap while trying to get in front of Menzel.

Menzel held onto his lead and took the chequered flag in 29 minutes 1.846 seconds after 12 laps, followed by Craig Baird and Danny Watts.

Relegated all the way to the back of the field, Sugden eventually came in 6th.

Singaporeans Melvin Choo and Ringo Chong completed the race in 10th and 11th respectively, while rookie Yuey Tan finished in 13th.

 

The man Suriya will have to overtake

The New Paper
28 September 2009

FOR Singapore’s Suriya Bala Kerisnan, the man he’ll want to beat is Rio Haryanto.

Who is Rio?

An almost full-page advertisement in the Straits Times last Friday called him Indonesia’s F1 world champion, but added in smaller print,coming soon.

Meet Formula BMW Pacific’s current championship leader from Indonesia, a 15-year-old business student based in Singapore who dreams of reaching Formula One one day.

Before this weekend’s race, Rio was fully funded by Kiky Stationery, a business in Indonesia, owned by his 50-year-old father Sinyo.

Born in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia, Rio is currently residing near the Katong area and studying business at FTMS Global Singapore.

After consecutively winning the last five rounds of the Formula BMW Pacific series, Rio managed to clinch a sponsorship deal with Indonesian cellular telecommunication company Telkomsel (35 per cent owned by SingTel) last month.

Contract

The deal is worth 50,000 euros ($104,000) and is valid for a contract of three years.

“We approached Telkomsel since the start of this year and have been pursuing them since. They finally agreed to fund Rio with a deal worth 50,000 euros and that covers about a third of this season’s expenses,” said Sinyo, who makes it a point to follow his son to every race.

Sinyo has spent more than a million euros on Rio’s racing career since Rio started karting at the age of six.

Rio – the youngest of four sons – participated in his first competitive kart race at the age of nine.

He went on to conquer the Asian Karting Open Championship,winning the Junior category three years in a row from 2005 to 2007. In 2006, he also won the Rotax Max Asian Championship.

Last year, Rio raced in the Asian Formula Renault championship, Formula Asia 2.0 and Formula BMW Pacific.

Switching from Asia Racing Team (which is the team now hoping to groom Singapore’s Suriya for next year) to Questnet Team Qi-Meritus this year, Rio is competing in his first full season of Formula BMW Pacific.

The weekend started well for Rio as he took second place at the first race at the MarinaBay circuit.

But he failed to repeat his performance in the second race yesterday and finished fifth.

“After investing so much money, of course I would want my son to win. The next step forward for him would be to go for GP3,” said Sinyo.

The GP3 Series is a single-seater motor racing series that will start next year as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, F1’s strongest feeder series.

Rio told The New Paper: “Like most, my dream is to become an F1 driver.

“I know few Asians have succeeded in F1, but I will definitely do my best to achieve the highest possible level in motorsport.”
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Paid to drive

SURIYA Bala Kerisnan – without any major team or individual sponsorship like Rio Haryanto – has an uphill task to reach the standards shown by Brazilian Felipe Nasr.

With limited sponsors, Nasr, 17 – a guest driver during this weekend’s Formula BMW Pacific race and winner in the two races on Saturday and yesterday – did not have enough funds when he joined Euro International.

But Nasr impressed his team boss Antonio Ferrari enough so the latter agreed to fund the remaining three-quarters of the budget.

He visited Singapore, fresh from winning the championship title at the recently-concluded Formula BMW Europe (a step higher than Formula BMW Pacific).

Prior to Nasr’s first full season in Formula BMW Europe this year, he had only been a guest driver in the two Formula BMW Americas support races to the Brazilian Grand Prix last year.

Experience

Other than that, his racing experience was limited to karting only.

Ferrari, who has been at the helm of the team for two decades, told The New Paper: “Nasr surprised everybody at the testing. In the same car, he set a time four tenths quicker than the lap record we set in the Formula BMW world final. He’s amazing, I’m so glad I found him.”

 

No Money No Race

This year, fewer Singaporean drivers will take to the Marina Bay street circuit for the Formula One support races this weekend. CHERYL TAY finds out why

The New Paper
24 September 2009

HE WAS planning to race in the newly-formed Formula Two this year, but the global financial crisis shelved Hafiz Koh’s plans due to limited resources and a lack of sponsorship.

The 25-year-old last raced at the Formula V6 Asia season opener in Sepang in May where he qualified fourth but crashed out in the first lap and was forced to retire.

So how did Hafiz end up stopping his racing career temporarily, for now?

‘The economic crisis has caused companies to become more prudent in their spending, hence limiting the accessibility of new money for sponsorships,’ said Koh, who was one of the seven Singaporeans who took part in the support races of last year’s inaugural SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

This year, he will not be racing at either of the support races – Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and Aston Martin Asia Cup – and will be hosting the races for MediaCorp instead.

But on the bright side, kart racer Suriya Bala Kerisnan Thevar will be making his Singapore debut in the Formula BMW Pacific 2009 – another support race this weekend.

The key difference is that he’s the only Singaporean in this single-seater category, which is a form of motorsport often seen as the way to go if aiming for Formula One racing.

The 16-year-old student from St Francis Methodist School will represent Asia Racing Team Motorsports (ART), and he will be one of 20 drivers lining up on the starting grid for Rounds 11 and 12 of the Formula BMW Pacific 2009 this weekend.

‘I’ve made it thanks to my parents who have been funding my journey so far (his father and construction businessman TM Bala Kerisnan Thevar had to fork out 40,000 euros – $83,540- for this weekend’s race alone).

‘But in order to carry on and achieve my dreams to try and become Singapore’s first F1 driver, I need support from sponsors, Singaporeans, and the government.’

Of the seven Singaporeans from last year’s races here, only four survivors are returning to race this weekend in Singapore.

Melvin Choo, 39, is the only full-time race driver among them.

‘Admittedly, this is not a good time to raise funds for racing. Also, the pool of racers in Singapore is still very small and most have no experience in these cars which can be rather daunting.’

‘Thanks to my sponsor Corum, I am able to continue racing,’ added Choo, who was the first Singaporean to race in Super GT this year and is intending to compete in a full season of Super GT next year.

Others like Greg Teo, 34, director of Citispa, have their full-time jobs and pursue racing as a hobby.

‘It isn’t just the Singaporean drivers who have decreased in number. Overall, there are fewer entries on the starting grid as well. Also, the first year is always more attractive and everyone wants to do it.

Budget cuts

‘Now with the recession and budget cuts by sponsors, it’s not surprising that there are fewer of us,’ said Teo, who will be participating in the Macau GT Cup next.

Once a full-time race driver, Ringo Chong, 42, has since stopped racing full-time and is now a driving training consultant for clients like BMW China, racing only 12 weekends a year.

Said Chong: ‘The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series is not a good starting point for new drivers as it’s tough.

‘But I think the biggest issues are the lack of sponsorship funds and proper racing facilities. I don’t come from a wealthy family so I stopped racing full-time to work and bring the dough home.’

Chong finished on the podium in third place at the Aston Martin Asia Cup support race last year.

Businessman Ian Mao Tan, 36, will not be racing this weekend and only races occasionally when he stands in for a good friend.

He said: ‘It is not cheap to take part in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. On average, I spend about $40,000 just for one race weekend.’

Motor racing is indeed an expensive sport and one that requires lots of monetary support, so sponsorship plays a very significant role in developing a racing career.

Despite missing out this weekend, Koh is still the driver for TaraDTM, the only local Formula racing team which was formed by his father Helmi.

He noted: ‘To be a professional racer, you need to be funded by sponsors. There’s only so much your family or yourself can spend.

‘Without sponsors, it is difficult to even start racing unless you are from a wealthy family or have very supportive parents.

Chong added: ‘Lots of new drivers wish to participate but it’s scary when you have to cough up all the money yourself first, and some are not able to keep up at all.’
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Close to the best, or far away?

HOW FAR are Singapore’s racers from the top when it comes to Round Nine of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia 2009 that will be held as a support race to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix?

The top four championship leaders are (in order): Tim Sugden, Christian Menzel, Darryl O’ Young and Rodolfo Avila, all of whom stand a good chance of winning the title.

The competing field is slightly smaller this year, but Singapore’s drivers still have their work cut out for them if they want to reach the standards of the leaders.

Currently leading the Singaporean pack is Ringo Chong, 42, who is in overall seventh place in the series.

Chong said: ‘The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia holds a high international racing standard, especially among the top few.

‘I only race 12 weekends a year, but these international professionals race more than double the number.

‘Race seat time is very crucial. The more experienced you are, the better you get.’

Melvin Choo, 39, who is currently the only active full-time local race driver, finished seventh in last year’s Porsche Carrera Cup Asia support race here.

‘That was the best finish for drivers from our region. This year, the field has shrunk but the quality of drivers is better, so repeating the performance will not be easy,’ he said.

‘Nonetheless, the top drivers are still within our sight and we just have to work on narrowing the gap.’

Conversely, Greg Teo, 34, director of Citispa, only races as a hobby and hence feels no pressure.

‘You must understand that these drivers you’re talking about are full-time professionals.

‘They race for a living, they started racing from a young age and their experience is tremendous.’
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LAST YEAR’S SINGAPOREAN FIELD AT SINGAPORE GP SUPPORT RACES

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia:
Ringo Chong, Melvin Choo, Ian Mao Tan, Greg Teo, David Lai.

Aston Martin Asia Cup:
Ringo Chong, Melvin Choo, Hafiz Koh, George Ong, David Lai.

THIS YEAR’S LOCAL FIELD

Formula BMW:
Suriya Bala Kerisnan Thevar

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia:
Ringo Chong, Melvin Choo, Yuey Tan

Aston Martin Asia Cup:
Ringo Chong, Greg Teo, George Ong
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Jet plane challenger makes Singapore debut

HE WAS the driver who raced a Porsche 911 GT3 Carrera Cup car against a Jett8 Airlines B747 jet plane on the runway of Changi Airport recently.

And this weekend, he races for the first time – in his short racing career so far – at the Marina Bay street circuit in the support races for the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

Despite the high expenses involved, Singaporean Yuey Tan, a 27-year-old rookie, replaced an existing driver for the last three races at last year’s Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series and the experience propelled him to enter Class B for the 2009 season.

‘This is going to be the highlight of my short race career so far. It’s an absolute honour and a privilege to be racing at home,’ declared Tan.

Racing for Team PCS Racing (Porsche Club Singapore Racing), Tan faces a tougher challenge than the other Singaporean drivers who have the slight advantage of having raced on the track before.

Yardstick

‘I have never raced here before and unlike other PCCA rounds, we only have half an hour of practice before qualifying, so I’ve got to learn a lot within that limited time.

‘Realistically, the best I can attain is probably third in class. Melvin Choo is my yardstick at the moment and he has had a lot more experience than me, but I will do my best to be quicker than him.’

Like all other drivers, Tan has always wanted to be a race car driver since he was a boy.

Having grown up in Adelaide, he used to attend the Australian Grand Prix and was fascinated by the speed.

Unlike Australia, the local motorsport culture still needs a lot of development to produce drivers who can stay in the sport for the long haul.

‘Sustaining a race career is difficult here because of a lack of financial support. Most of the local drivers are a lot older than I am and are businessmen or inherited second-generation wealth.

‘Talent needs to be nurtured from young for the sport to survive in Singapore.

‘There is talent in our youths I’m sure, but without financial backing, there is a limit to how much can be done.’

 

The six-year-old F1 know-it-all

The New Paper
Va-Va-Vroom
21 September 2009

HE IS only six years old.

But ask Evan Marc Chua anything about Ferrari driver Felipe Massa and he is able to answer them as smoothly as the Brazilian negotiates the corners in a race.

The Primary One student at St Stephen’s School is a big fan of Ferrari, especially Massa.

He can rattle off key facts about Massa such as when he was born, which teams he has raced for, how many Grand Prix wins he has had and more.

His interest is not restricted only to Ferrari but he has sound knowledge of the sport in general as well.

Besides F1, Chua also watches the GP2 Series (F1 feeder series), FIA GT3 championship and the US stock car races of NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) on television.

While kids of his age are preoccupied with computer games, Evan prefers to spend time beefing up his F1 knowledge by surfing the Internet or reading his collection of 35 F1 books, encyclopaedias, guidebooks, DVDs and magazines.

Following closely

To think that he started following the sport only a year ago.

‘My daddy watches F1, but I was never interested in the sport until Singapore hosted the first night race last year. I’ve been following F1 closely since,’ said Evan, who tried go-karting during a holiday trip to Brisbane in June.

He added: ‘I didn’t watch the race ‘live’, but I like F1 because the cars can go very fast.

‘Unfortunately, none of my peers like F1, so I usually talk to my parents or their friends about F1.’

It was his father, Benjamin Chua, 35, who introduced him to the sport.

The vascular surgeon said: ‘I thought he would be too young to understand the dynamics of the sport, but he surprised us instead. He knows all the teams and drivers and has all the race statistics at his fingertips.’

His parents expected him to ask for the latest Thomas the Tank Engine toy as a present for his birthday last year but he requested for something related to F1.

Evan said: ‘When I go shopping with my parents, I will go to a bookstore and get the latest F1 Racing magazine or buy a F1 book. I like reading about the sport and its history.’

Gerald Goh, 37, a pilot, said: ‘I see Evan almost every weekend when I go to his place for dinner. He’s always reading his F1 books and magazines.’

Evan’s favourite F1 book is The Official ITV Sport F1 Grand Prix Guide written by Bruce Jones.

He makes notes in it and updates the facts and statistics after each race.

‘Evan takes this book along with him everywhere he goes and he knows the book from front to back,’ said his maternal grandmother, Law Geok Choo.

‘He even wanted to report the factual errors and spelling mistakes which he spotted to the publisher.’

During race weekends, the family will have dinner at home so that Evan can catch the race on TV.

He even records the races so that he can watch it a few more times.

‘I usually sleep at 8.30pm every night, but on weekends when the race is shown on TV, I will take a nap in the afternoon so that I can stay up later to watch the race,’ said Evan, who turns seven in November.

Analysis

‘Evan is my source for F1 news. Whenever I meet him, he would update me on the latest happenings in F1,’ said Daniel Eu, 35, M&A Director at Dun & Bradstreet (Asia Pacific), who has been a family friend for 20 years.

‘He gave me a quick analysis on the possible outcome of upcoming races if Michael Schumacher returned to F1.

‘He did not think too highly of Luca Badoer (Massa’s replacement) and in hindsight, he was 100 per cent correct.

‘He impressed me most when he could tell me what the drivers like to eat.’

Evan’s dream is to meet the drivers, especially Felipe Massa, Kimi Raikkonen and Jenson Button, who are his top three favourite drivers this season.

Unfortunately, no one is buying him a ticket to the night race in Singapore.

Evan’s maternal grandfather Law Chwee Kiat, 60, a retired army general, said: ‘Evan has to go to school the next morning and by the time we get home, it will be quite late. The noise of the engines may also be too loud for him.’

But Evan is not giving up hope that he can watch the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix ‘live’ at the Marina Bay street circuit on Sunday.

He said: ‘I can take a nap in the afternoon before I go to the race at night. I will force myself to sleep after the race!’
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He scores a perfect 10
The New Paper asked EVAN CHUA 10 random questions about Formula One and he was spot-on with his answers

How many times did Michael Schumacher win the world title?
Evan: He won seven times – 1994 to 1995, 2000 to 2004.
(Correct. I wasn’t expecting him to list the years.)

What is the brand of the tyres used in F1?
Evan: Bridgestone
(Correct. Bridgestone has been the sole tyre manufacturer for F1 since the 2007 season.)

When and where was Felipe Massa born?
Evan: 25 Apr, 1981, in Brazil
(Correct. Felipe Massa was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil.)

Which teams have Kimi Raikkonen and Massa raced for?
Evan: Massa raced for Sauber, then Ferrari; Raikkonen raced for Sauber, McLaren then Ferrari.
(Correct. Massa raced for the Sauber team in 2002, was a test driver for Ferrari in 2003, went back to Sauber and raced in 2004 and 2005 before switching to Ferrari.
Raikkonen raced for Sauber in 2001, then raced for McLaren from 2002 to 2006 before joining Ferrari in 2007.)

When was Massa’s first F1 race and how many Grand Prix wins and starts does he have?
Evan: Massa’s first F1 race was at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix. In total, he made 115 starts and has 11 Grand Prix wins so far.
(Correct. Massa has competed in 117 races, but did not start the 2005 United States Grand Prix when all teams on Michelin tyres were banned from racing, and the 2009 Hungary Grand Prix where he met with a freak accident.)

Who owns the Force India team?
Evan: Vijay Mallya
(Correct. Indian billionaire Dr. Vijay Mallya bought the Spyker F1 team for 88 million euros ($183m) in 2007 and renamed it Force India from last year.)

In which year did F1 start?
Evan: 1950
(Correct. The first official Formula One World Championship was held in 1950.)

How did Ayrton Senna die?
Evan: He crashed into a wall.
(Correct. Brazilian Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, died when he crashed into a concrete barrier on lap seven while leading the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.)

What was the Honda Racing F1 team previously known as?
Evan: They were known as BAR until 2005.
(Correct. BAR (British American Racing) first competed in F1 in 1999 and was subsequently bought over by Honda at the end of 2005.)

Have there ever been any female F1 drivers?
Evan: Yes, there have been five female F1 drivers to date.
(Correct. The last female F1 driver was Italian Giovanna Amati who raced in the 1992 F1 season.)