30-05-2025
Gymkhana event attracts both motorsport veterans and newbies to try out special driving techniques
Getting into the swing of things: Mr Eric Tiong and Ms Shahfini Saeful Mawar are two of 43 participants at Sprint Fest Tryouts held on May 24. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Gymkhana event attracts both motorsport veterans and newbies to try out special driving techniques
SINGAPORE – A red buggy-like car rolls onto the temporary racetrack at Changi Exhibition Centre, looking like a golf cart that has made a wrong turn from the fairway just down the road.
Behind the wheel, however, is not a lost golfer but Mr Eric Tiong, an energetic 76-year-old who is lining up his 1972 Mini Moke to tackle the course at the Sprint Fest Tryouts held on May 24.
Initially conceived as a compact military vehicle, the Mini Moke is a stripped-down, door-less car based on the original Mini and ended up as a recreational vehicle.
Wearing a bright red helmet, the compliance director is the oldest among the 43 participants at the gymkhana racing event that is open to both newbies and seasoned drivers keen to hone their driving skills.
In gymkhana racing, drivers have to complete a set course in the shortest time. This usually involves special driving techniques like handbrake turns and spinning the car 180 degrees without going out of course.
Gymkhana racing tends to be more accessible to enthusiasts because, unlike other forms of motorsport, it is possible to participate in showroom-standard cars, although there are those who compete in more hardcore and modified vehicles.
Sprint Fest, whose previous editions were held in 2023 and 2024, is a public event that includes gymkhana competitions with music performances, while Sprint Fest Tryouts are closed-door practice sessions.
The automotive events are done in partnership with Motor Sports Singapore, the national sports association that governs motorsport in the country.
No golf buggy: Mr Eric Tiong on the gymkhana course in his 1972 Mini Moke.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
A lifelong fan of the Mini, Mr Tiong founded the Mini Enthusiasts Club Singapore with nine friends in 1993. Now the club's honourary treasurer, he has served as its president five times.
The Mini Moke is his favourite among the 11 cars in his garage. After buying it in 2012, he resprayed the originally white car to a flaming red, along with other modifications like the coilover suspension and disc brakes.
The engine was recently rebuilt at a cost of $25,000. The process took three months because parts had to be specially imported.
'People always wave when I drive the Moke. It draws more attention than my Porsche 928,' he says.
Although this is only the second time that Mr Tiong is participating in gymkhana racing, he is a serious petrolhead and is no stranger to motorsport.
He started racing in the Kallang carpark rallies in 1995 and won two championships in the 1,300cc category over the years. Under the guidance of the late Singapore racer William Lyou, Mr Tiong modified a Mini Cooper S to race at the Pasir Gudang circuit in Johor Bahru in 1997.
Still, gymkhana racing is a different beast from circuit racing. Mr Tiong has trouble memorising the route that consists of 14 turns packed within the 50m by 40m circuit. He makes a few mistakes and does not finish his time runs.
'I just enjoy the drive and the camaraderie. Everyone is friendly and helpful,' he says, adding that a fellow participant readily helped him when his Moke's engine coolant leaked when he arrived at the venue.
Mr Tiong, who has three daughters and a granddaughter, is setting his sights on burning rubber on the Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 'I will apply for a racing licence if need be,' he says.
Also at the event is Ms Shahfini Saeful Mawar, 30, in her pink Suzuki Swift Sport. The first-timer has always been interested in motorsport, but did not know where to start.
She had seen the 2024 Sprint Fest when it was held in Sentosa and signed up for the 2025 edition after coming across posts on social media on it.
Enrichment class: Gymkhana racing rookie Shahfini Saeful Mawar getting tips from Mr Chase Lim, one of the instructors helping newbies at the event.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
On hand to show newbies like Ms Shahfini the ropes are experienced drivers such as Mr Chase Lim.
The 48-year-old, who is a frequent winner at motorsport events in Singapore and abroad, teaches Ms Shahfini the finer points of competitive driving, from how to keep a smooth and precise pressure on the accelerator to the kind of modification she may need to improve her car's set-up for gymkhana racing.
'For a first timer, Shahfini did very well. In fact, she performed better than 60 per cent of the participants, some of whom are driving more powerful cars with better set-ups,' says Mr Lim.
Hot debut: Ms Shahfini, a first-time gymkhana racer, putting her Suzuki Swift Sport through its paces.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
Stoked by her first gymkhana racing experience, Ms Shahfini, who is in car sales and takes on additional part-time work to help fund her motorsport passion, is hungry for more opportunities to hone her driving skills.
'I'll join more gymkhana events to hone my skills. I hope to eventually represent Singapore in overseas gymkhana races, just like Chase.'
Youngest participant Ethan Yoh clocks the third-fastest timing in the afternoon session at the Tryouts in his Nissan Silvia S14.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
The youngest racer that day is 21-year-old Ethan Yoh, who competes in a Nissan Silvia S14. Already a bit of a veteran with three years of racing experience, Mr Yoh had competed at the Sprint Fest event in 2024 in a Toyota MR2.
At the 2025 event, he clocks the third-fastest time in the afternoon session.
Sprint Fest's organiser plans to hold a second Tryouts event in the third quarter of 2025. Keep a lookout for announcements on its Facebook and Instagram accounts.
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