Autotest is off to a great 2018 season with new faces and cars but with the same enthusiasm and desire for speed, even in round two! The Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal home ground saw plenty of hot racing action as new drivers set out to prove their skills against the seasoned drivers.
With the tropical sun of 20 May beating down on them, participants streaming in way before the day’s activities were slated to get under way. A safety briefing was carried out, before time was allocated for the drivers to practice and get acquainted with the circuit.
If you love Gymkhana and Autocross, Autotest puts both into one great fun package. One can enter one of four categories depending on their skill levels – Class A is reserved for off-road cars and Class B for Gymkhana oriented. Class C for the Autocross oriented and finally, Class D for novice drivers. There will be a Team Challenge for drivers (one driver from class A/B and another from class C/D).
New regulations this year saw drivers being confined to a starting box to remove the advantage of rolling starts. New prizes for 4th and 5th position for each class and finally, the most consistent driver award was replaced with a “Bolt Lightning” award for the fastest start reaction time.
Unlike previous years, the event jumped into the Time Attack stage from the get-go and everyone had total of nine runs. Teams entries are now restricted to drivers from Class A and C.
The course spanned the entire length of the car park, with two competitors moving in opposite directions of the circuit. The A/B circuit featured tighter turns, even throwing in a spiral challenge and more complex route than the C/D circuit, to cater for driving tastes and skill levels. Despite the rain, and the continuous drizzle which followed, there were plenty of smiles as drivers danced their cars through the various obstacles and cones!
Mitch Chong won in Class A, Jason Fu took Class B top honours, Simon Oh emerged top in Class C, and Scott Lee clinched top spot in Class D. Team ACMA Max Attack took first in the Team Challenge while Team Ducatus came in second.
The day’s proceedings concluded with participants and spectators taking away an enriching motorsports experience, leaving the industry with more room for further growth and advancement nonetheless.
Keen to put your skills to test test? Registration is open via www.autotest.com.sg. Autotest was made possible by main sponsors: ACMA Engineering Works & Trading, Monster Energy, MPM Oil Singapore and participating sponsors: API Racing, Hardrace Singapore.
