Asian Motor Sports

It was a split-second decision that could have resulted in catastrophic consequences. But Rosalind Choo couldn’t care less.

All the 28-year-old insurance agent had in mind was to clock a good timing in her Toyota Vios at the SGTrackies Time Attack two years ago.

Luckily for her, she managed to overtake the male driver in front of her without any trouble.

‘It happened two years ago at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur. It was the last race for my Toyota Vios before it retired,’ Choo told The Electric New Paper.

GIRL POWER ROSE AMONG THORNS: Left, Rosalind Choo with her Mercedes Benz SLK-200. TNP PICTURES: ADELINE ONG, CHERYL TAY

‘I couldn’t wait any longer, so I made the bold move to overtake him. Thank goodness nothing happened.’

Choo is part of an increasing number of female motorsports aficionados in Singapore.

She now drives a cool Mercedes-Benz SLK-200 convertible and is intending to spend another $20,000 on modifying her car. She is also a committee member of SGTrackies, a club for tracking enthusiasts.

Racing may be a largely male-dominated sport in Singapore, but in recent years the women are becoming more involved in motorsports-related activities.

And mind you, these girls are not bimbos.

‘You’ll be surprised at how much technical knowledge some of these girls have,’ said Tan Teng Lip, president of the Singapore Motorsports Association. His two daughters are also into cars.

‘Just like the boys, the girls are crazy over cars. They drive fast cars, frequent the car club forums, spend thousands of dollars modifying their cars, and travel up to Malaysia regularly for a dose of circuit action.’

Dolin Ong, 26, an account manager, is one who spends her free time hanging out in car workshops modifying her 2.5-litre Subaru Impreza WRX. She prefers manual gearboxes for its raw feel of power.

‘I got tired of driving under-powered cars, like the previous Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 manual which I owned,’ said the 26-year-old, whose WRX has a girly Hello Kitty theme.

‘Customising my ride gives me a lot of satisfaction; the sense of control over my car and enhancing it for improved power and performance is overwhelming.’

Daphne Tan, a mother of two who helps her husband run his business, is another avid racing fan. She would sacrifice buying a diamond ring or a new bag to get a new suspension or brake kit.

‘I spent close to $40,000 on the first car I started modifying - a Honda Accord Euro-R. I was hooked immediately, and now I own a souped-up Honda Civic Type-R which I spent almost $30,000 on modifications,’ said Tan, 32, who also shares a Nissan GT-R - dubbed the ‘Godzilla’ - with her husband.

Like Tan, Ong pays out of her own pocket to finance her expensive hobby.

During her polytechnic days, she started her own business to earn extra money. At one point, she also held a few part-time jobs.

‘Between money and passion, money is more vital. With it, your car can be as fast and powerful as you want it to be,’ said Ong.

There may be a rising trend of female car enthusiasts in Singapore, but the local scene is still very much dominated by men.

‘There are definitely more women becoming interested in cars and motorsports these days, but despite this increase, it only makes up a small percentage. It is still a man’s world and will always remain so,’ said Nicolas Ho, 37, property realtor and clerk-of-course for some local motorsports events.

Despite the strong male presence, Choo said that there is no gender bias in the sport.

‘I’m usually the only woman racer in the races I have taken part in,’ she said.

‘I’ve not been treated unfairly because of my gender, and I don’t feel that I should deserve any advantage or handicap just because I’m a girl.’

About SGtrackies:

SGtrackies was formed by a group of auto enthusiasts that frequently headed for trackdays at Sepang International circuit.

- Monthly impromptu meet up north to track attracted many fellow enthusiasts as the word got around.

- In June 2003, SGtrackies was formed by a group of 5 people.

- Website was setup in Dec 2003 in Yahoo Asia Groups.

- Facebook website was formed in Jan 2008.

- Dedicated website formed in June 2008.

Mission Statement

• To promote motorsports by organising and bringing enthusiasts to a controlled environment to learn how to drive and handle their vehicles.

• To promote safe driving.

The Team

- Bernard Lim

- Lim Teck Ean

- Freddy Khoo

- Rico Lim

- Mike Tan

- Gerald Tan

- Mark Ong

- Rosalind Choo