Formula DRIFT Singapore Results
Singapore, (27 April 2008) – History was made as Formula DRIFT Singapore wrapped up its first ever competition to a complete sell-out crowd of 11,000 spectators with Team Goodyear driver, Ryuji Miki and his A’PEXi Mazda RX7 taking the inaugural victory outside of North America for the originally U.S. based professional drift series.
Hosted at the Changi Exhibition Centre, 38 drift drivers from Singapore, North America, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Thailand came out to put their pedal to the metal in this one-day professional Motorsport competition where drivers are judged by not their finishing time but rather their skill and showmanship of executing swift car manoeuvres that wow crowds. Local drift driver Ivan Lim made Singapore proud with his first entry into professional competitive drifting in his Goodyear Binter Toyota Chaser JZX100. Making the Top 16 effortlessly, Ivan put up a stunning performance in the tandem battle to finish 10th place overall.
The highlight of the day came when Malaysian drift driver Tengku Djan in a “BRIDGESTONE” Toyota Corolla went neck to neck with Japanese Pro drifter Ryuji Miki in the final battle for first and second. Nonetheless, the coveted crown of overall champion for the inaugural Formula DRIFT Singapore swerved into the sunset with Japanese drift driver Ryuji Miki, highlighting once again that the land of the rising sun births some of the best drift talent the rest of the world has ever seen. New Zealand ’s Mike Whiddet and his Goodyear Mazda RX-7 put on a fantastic show as he battled American drifter Conrad Gruneweld sucessfully for 3th place.
Mr Marcus Lim, General Manager of Binter & Co. Mr Lim said, “We are absolutely thrilled by the overwhelming response from the public. All 10,000 Grandstand and Walkabout tickets we sold-out for the event and the additional 1,000 tickets sold at the door were snapped up during the early hours of the day. It really is heartening to know that not only is there a demand for Drift competitions here but also the wonderful support we have received from Singaporeans cheering on all the drivers. The energy today was indescribable. This was truly a success for the first-ever Formula DRIFT Singapore and it certainly won’t be the last!”
The event was graced by Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council, Mr Alex Chan who inaugurated the official proceedings of the main competition by having a go at the thrill of being in a drifting car; driven by Singapore drift driver Ivan Lim. Visitors to Formula DRIFT Singapore were also treated to a carnival atmosphere of not only photos and autographs sessions with all the drivers but also an up close look at each of the competing cars at the paddocks and one of only two Ford GT40s in Singapore. Some members of the public even tried their hand at a bit of spin in the race simulators on-site.
Jim Liaw, the Co-founder and President of Formula DRIFT Holdings, said; “It is an awesome feeling to have been a part of the growth of this competition from day one to expanding to this sensational event here in Singapore . The experience working with the team from Binter & Co as well as all the other parties involved in Formula DRIFT Singapore has been really efficient and impressive. I applaude everyone who has shown their support in growing the motorsports scene in Singapore and we can’t wait to come back.
QUALIFYING PROCEDURES
All regional drifters are required to make single runs around the track. The drifters are scored on the following elements as they pass through various scoring locations on the track called “clipping points”
* LINE
* SPEED
* ANGLE
* IMPACT/ SHOWMANSHIP
Maximum score for a qualifying run is 100 pts. Drifters are provided with two runs. The best score of the two runs are used. The TOP 16 drifters based on pts then move on to the TOP 16 REGIONALS.
TOP 16 REGIONALS (Tandem Battle Elimination Round)
The regional drifters are paired up based on seeding. Example; 1st seeded qualifier vs. 16th seeded qualifier. They proceed to run tandem battles with one drifter taking the lead and the other following for the 1st run. The lead position is then switched for the next run. For pairs’ contests, judges award scores out of ten (10) possible points to each competitor. All the drivers are expected to perform at 90 percent of their qualifying run or better for a good score. The lead car is expected to drive the course error-free, adhering to the same criteria issued for the qualifying runs. The chase car must attempt to apply pressure to the lead vehicle and carry the same line or higher while staying as close as possible to the leader.
Competitors are given a score for each run they perform, and the run scores are then added up for each driver of the pair. If the scores are even or there is a one (1) point difference, a sudden death “One More Time” tandem battle is used to settle the tiebreaker.
The top 5 regional drifters proceed to move on to the Top 8 INTERNATIONAL TANDEM BATTLE rounds.
Technorati Tags: Formula DRIFT Singapore, Auot Racing, Sports, Mosotsports, Asian Motor Sports
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