16 May 2011, Singapore – For the first time, motorsport fans in Singapore can look forward to a thrilling combination of howling engines, screaming tyres, and an electrifying line-up of party beats and entertainment acts as the fourth edition of the VIP Formula Drift Singapore Presented by Achilles Radial returns on 11 and 12 June 2011 at the iconic F1 Pit Building.

In addition to showcasing the region’s top drivers, this year’s event aims to elevate the spectators’ experience with an exciting mix of the best drifting action and entertainment. Organised by ESPN STAR Sports Events Management (ESS) with the support of Title Sponsor VIP Luxury Inc, Formula Drift fans can expect more than just a motoring spectacle with an exciting line-up of musical artistes, promising to keep everyone’s engines revving late into the night.

VIP Luxury Inc is looking to make an impact with the drifting event, which has already established a strong following in Singapore. VIP Luxury Inc. will be going all out to make sure that guests are entertained throughout the evening, with VIP Rock the Rabbit Festival, pulling out all the stops by bringing down the world famous International Playboy Model DJs, DJ Roxanne Dawn and DJ Diamond to keep fans entertained for the entire night.

Nick Leese, Chairman of VIP Luxury Inc. said, “We are all extremely excited about our new partnership as it combines the energy, attitude and atmosphere that we aim to achieve at all of our VIP Luxury parties. The audience will not be disappointed with what we have lined up for them, and it will definitely set the bar in the sporting scene!”

The Rock the Rabbit – Festival will also kick off with a casting call for all prospective VIP magazine Bunnies, as well as a VIP fashion show, amidst a colourful, activity lined festival grounds. Standup comedian Kumar adds humour to this event too. The festival will also include a special VIP access only art gallery dedicated to the decades of legendary Playboy Magazine Covers, as well as famous interviews with celebrities. VIP guests will have access to the Mansion Hospitality Suites, getting the full VIP treatment serving aphrodisiac food and drinks.

“All of us at ESS are eagerly looking forward to this year’s VIP Formula Drift Singapore 2011 Presented by Achilles Radial and feel it will be the best one yet with this elite group of world-class drift drivers,” said Mr. Harvey Davis, Vice-President, ESS Events Management Group. “At the same time, we have seen how well entertainment and motorsport have gelled together and we hope that our partnership with VIP Luxury Inc will make for a unique spectator experience that will elicit a greater sense of excitement and energy next month, and elevate the Singapore leg into a prominent event in South East Asia.”

VIP Formula Drift Singapore 2011 Presented by Achilles Radial has established itself on the region’s sporting calendar, attracting top drifting talents and interest from all across Asia. This year’s event continues its strong global flair with more than 45 drivers coming from Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, China, Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. With top international drivers such as Japan’s Robbie Nishida, Australia’s Joshua Boettcher and last year’s Formula Drift Asian Champion Tengku Djan Ley, the ‘Prince of Drift’, from Malaysia, this year should be one of the most competitive in the event’s history.

The Singapore event is the first of a four-leg series for Achilles Asian Drift Series which will be followed by events in Indonesia in October, Thailand in November and the year-end Grand Finale this December in Malaysia.

For more information on Formula Drift 2011 presented by Achilles please visit http://www.formuladriftasia.com
For more information on the Rock the Rabbit Festival please visit http://www.luxurymediainc.com/

Tickets will go on sale from 20 May 2011, and is available at all SISTIC outlets.

Ticket Details

Package Ticket Sale (Available from 20th May – 11 June)

Grandstand Package
VIP Formula Drift Singapore Presented by Achilles Radial Grandstand – $101.70 (after 10% discount)
Consists of: $55 Grandstand access on 11-12 June + $68 VIP Rock the Rabbit Festival on 11 June (usual price $123)

Walkabout Package
VIP Formula Drift Singapore Presented by Achilles Radial Walkabout – $74.70 (after 10% discount)
Consists of: $20 Walkabout access on 11-12 June +$68 VIP Rock the Rabbit Festival (usual price $88)

Individual Ticket Sale

VIP Formula Drift Singapore Presented by Achilles Radial (Available from 20th May – 10 June)
Grandstand $55
Walkabout $20

VIP Rock the Rabbit Festival on 11 June, from 8pm (Available from 20th May – 11 June)
$68 per ticket for the Festival

Tickets at the Door (11-12 June only)
Grandstand $65
Walkabout $30

About ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia’s biggest sports content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its parent companies – Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) – to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to fans across multiple platforms.

ESPN STAR Sports features a comprehensive portfolio of multimedia assets including its television networks (ESPN, STAR Sports, STAR Cricket, ESPNEWS, ESPN HD), broadband network (ESPN Player), digital content services (espnstar.com, mobileESPN), and its on-ground Event Management Group with the aim to engage and entertain sports fans anytime, anyplace.

ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier sports from around the globe featuring some of the most iconic sports events to a cumulative reach of over 300 million viewers in Asia through its 21 television networks and 2 broadband network, each localized to deliver differentiated programming to meet diverse needs of Asian sports fans.

About DriftPac
Driftpac Pte Ltd was established with the aim of producing and conducting professional and entertaining motorsports events throughout Asia. The Formula Drift series is currently DriftPac’s main content, but there are plans to expand into the creation of instructional drift sessions and driver management.

About Luxury Media Inc
Singapore-based Luxury Media Inc Pte Ltd is publisher of VIP, a monthly magazine for males. Published under the license form Lake Shore Pres Inc, publisher of Playboy, the magazine is targeted at affluent males 28 and above and is circulated in Singapore through select book shops, newsstands and private database.

In the hustle & bustle of all that, I was attempting to build an affordable dream home in virtuality (read: The Sims), and throwing birds at pigs to quell my pique. Fact of the matter is, it was a preferred & elementary route to evasion, where I could eschew from what I had seemingly never accomplished. The stark reality fazed me, promise & potential never seemed so distant and that the pipped dream was nearly a decade ago.

While quarrying for an urge to pick up the keyboard to pen something, I was grappling whether I should monetize my blog as well – despite never having had any advert on my blogs for the past decade. The remaining forlorn visitors to my blog had evidently been on looking for xxx videos of Shou Shou and with a great mix of Search Engine Optimization, more interesting content, I could be picking up a few extra bucks. Well, with bills to pay, obligations to fulfil & a bitch to feed – every cent helps. Undoubtedly, sex sells and having Pamela Anderson or Paris Hilton xxx videos on sale will definitely net one thousands (idea!)

I somehow came unstuck as I trawled around for a new theme and direction for posts. Should I stick to what I’ve been doing all these while, attempt more foodie dedicated pages, … damn! all these didn’t matter seriously – I just needed to revitalize my brain, get the fingers moving and start working on reviving past glories.

The blog theme could wait, the re-categorization would never cease – I just needed this post to ignite a spark.

In the meantime, I do not rule out sticking some Google Ads because I’m grinning whenever the cheque comes in the post – besides the fact that they are made in USD.

Tyrepac will be well represented at the event, aside from providing the usual tyre pit changing services and as official online portal, Tyrepac will once again have their own team at Formula Drift Singapore, after first pitting a team at Formula Drift Malaysia. Ee will once again be at the helm, albeit with his red-hot S13 instead, and we now have Charles Ng – who recently made his debut at Formula Drift USA Long Beach and emerged with a credible 29th having only made his FD Pro-Am debut last year. Ivan Lim will be drifting under Team Binter Goodyear.

Get your Formula Drift tickets at Sistic today or visit www.formuladrift.com.sg for more information!

Here is the press release I drafted on Tyrepac’s Formula Drift lineup:
Tyrepac is proud to announce its Formula DRIFT Singapore 2010 lineup, featuring Ee Yoong Cherng from Malaysia and Charles Ng from Hong Kong. The drivers will feature at Formula DRIFT Singapore under Team TYREPAC Kumho.

Formula DRIFT Pro-Am 2009 Championship Irwindale winner Charles Ng is coming off an impressive debut at the 1st leg of the 2010 Formula DRIFT Professional Championship at Long Beach, finishing in the top 32. Ng gained his Formula DRIFT Pro License in his first year participating in Formula DRIFT Pro-Am, finishing 7th overall at the National Championships. Yoong will be back behind the wheel of his trusted Silvia S13 after pushing eventual winner Tengku Djan close at Formula DRIFT Malaysia 2009 for a place in the last eight.

“Our new team this year, with the addition of Charles from Hong Kong, and support from Kumho, has plenty of potential to do well at the event.” said Tyrepac Managing Director, Ler Hwee Tiong. “Tyrepac is again proud to be represented at the Formula DRIFT series.”

Tyrepac has been supporting Formula DRIFT in Asia since it was brought to the region by DriftPac Pte Ltd, and it has helped in fueling the growth of motorsports in the region. Sponsoring the event for the past two years, Tyrepac was represented at Formula DRIFT Malaysia 2009 with its very own drift team.

“Drifting has proven to be the fastest growing motorsports in Asia, and Tyrepac is committed to supporting the growth.” added Ler.

Special prizes will be given away at the team’s display booth, along with attractive games, topped off by Team TYREPAC Kumho drivers’ autograph sessions and guest appearances by Formula DRIFT USA stars. Tyrepac will also front all tyre changing facilities at Formula DRIFT Singapore.

About Team TYREPAC Kumho
Team TYREPAC Kumho was established in 2009 by Tyrepac – Asia’s First Tyre Portal. In line with one of their key objectives about educating consumers about tyres, Tyrepac is utilizing drifting as a platform for education on tyre safety, as tyres can make or break a drift.

Drifting is recognised as the fastest growing motorsport in Asia, and Tyrepac is proud to bring that passion to the fore and encompass its commitment to demonstrate its product knowledge and professionalism by sponsoring their own team to take part in regional drift tournaments. Team TYREPAC Kumho is yet another significant benchmark for Asia’s First Tyre Portal.

Team Tyrepac comprises of Ee Yoong Cherng from Malaysia & Charles Ng from Hong Kong. Yoong takes charge of a Nissan Silvia S13 and Charles struts his stuff in a Nissan Skyline R33.

About Tyrepac
Tyrepac is Asia’s first and largest online tyre retailing website. It provides consumers with a portal to compare tyre brands, patterns, and prices. Upon purchase, customers can choose one of its island-wide fitment stations for fitment, or opt for Tyrepac’s mobile service – which does door step tyre fitment and oil change. Tyrepac is registered and headquartered in Singapore.

About Kumho
Kumho Tire Co, Ltd. is a South Korean industrial conglomerate headquartered in Gwangju, South Korea. Kumho is a subsidiary of the Kumho Asiana Group. The company currently has eight manufacturing facilities across South Korea, China & Vietnam. In addition, it also has three centers in South Korea, USA & the United Kingdom for research and development.

About Ee Yoong Cherng
Ee Yoong Cherng has been drifting competitively since 2004, and is one of the pioneers of the drifting community in Malaysia, establishing Malaysia’s Premier Drift Enthusiast Website- drift.com.my. Yoong’s consistent performance has seen him finish in the top 16 in last year’s Singapore and Malaysia legs of Formula Drift. Yoong’s passion for drifting has seen him help organize and judge on various drifting competitions in Malaysia & Singapore, and feature as a stunt driver in Malaysia’s own hit film Evolusi: KL Drift Part 1 & 2.

About Charles Ng
Charles started racing when he was 18, and has gone on to win multiple achievements, winning the famous USA Skip Barber Mazdaspeed MX-5 Challenge West 2008/2009 and receiving the rookie of the year award amongst others. He debuted at the 2009 Redline Time Attack Season Opener with a win in the Modified Rear wheel drive category, dominating the rest of the class by over 3 seconds.

Charles’ foray into drifting in 2009 saw him win the Formula Drift Pro-Am Championship at the Irwindale Toyota Speedway, and obtained his Formula Drift Professional License by qualifying 7th at the Formula Drift Pro-Am National Championship. His debut at the 2010 Formula Drift Professional Championship saw him place 29th in the opening round at Long Beach, CA. Charles will also be racing in the full season of the Asian Touring Car Series this year.

Event is on Fri till Sun, 26-28 March at ORIX AutoCentre Tampines, 22 Tampines Street 92.

For more details, visit Tyrepac

Therefore, nearly all the photos in this album are courtesy of my ‘cameraman’, oops I meant boss’ – Ler.

Being in charge of the jumbotron was certainly something of a different perspective – you had to coordinate the camera views, replays & your own computer screen display whilst at the same time communicating with the judging tower. As Ler mentioned, it was prob. the best seat in the house (he meant sitting right behind me just enjoying the race of course!) Amidst all the mayhem, fortunately everything ran smoothly – even managed to snuck up a new slide before they announced the winner!

Controlling this jumbotron was pretty cool!

Watching FD Singapore without, and then FD Malaysia with only serves to highlight how vital visuals can be when a blaring crowd drowns away commentator Jarod’s commentary. It certainly added a different element to the race, I would say a definite must for any future events – a few more would be brilliant (& expensive too!).

The nature of my task meant I had few opportunities for photo taking (not that I had a camera with full battery!) or walking around to soak up the atmosphere, but nevertheless it was definitely an exciting experience being part of it.

For more photos from the event, check out my Facebook album.

About Formula DRIFT Malaysia
Held at MAEPS (Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang), Malaysia from 19th to 20th December 2009, the event will see over 50 competitive drivers from the Asia-Pacific region pushing their rear-wheel-drive cars to the limit..The Goodyear Formula Drift Malaysia is the climax of the three-part Formula Drift Asia Series, which blasted off with the Formula Drift Singapore ProAm Series 2009 in July.

Tyrepac is the official online portal for FD Malaysia 2009. Watch out for Team TYREPAC Goodyear! Making its debut!

For more information, log on to the official Formula DRIFT Malaysia website, www.formuladrift.com.my.

We happen to be just beside RHB Bank & directly opposite UOB.

On a regular day, this might be what happens.

Auntie walks in, looks around, tries to look for the counter or the queue (actually no queue since you technically don’t have to queue at RHB), then asks whether this is RHB.

Couple of minutes later, the phone rings.

Lady on the phone: “Hi, is this UOB Katong?”

I think I should propose for us to be renamed TyreBank soon.

Updated:
January 12, 2010: Lady calls up, looks for DBS.

For a better illustration on how people can actually mistake us for RHB Bank.

To get a first glance at the Team TYREPAC Goodyear car, head down to 1 Utama between 12pm – 8pm on Saturday 5 Dec and Sunday 6 Dec for the Goodyear Formula Drift Roadshow to catch our very own Team TYREPAC Goodyear driver Ee Yoong Chern and the R32 on display and win exclusive ESPN STAR Sports Merchandise!

About Team TYREPAC Goodyear
Team TYREPAC Goodyear was established in 2009 by Tyrepac – Asia’s First Tyre Portal, together with one of the world’s largest tyre companies, Goodyear. In line with one of their key objectives about educating consumers about tyres, Tyrepac is utilizing drifting as a platform for education on tyre safety, as tyres can make or break a drift.

Drifting is recognised as the fastest growing motorsport in Asia, and Tyrepac is proud to bring that passion to the fore and encompass its commitment to demonstrate its product knowledge and professionalism by sponsoring their own team to take part in regional drift tournaments. Team TYREPAC Goodyear is yet another significant benchmark for Asia’s First Tyre Portal.

Team Tyrepac comprises of Ivan Lim from Singapore & Ee Yoong Cherng from Malaysia. Ivan drifts in a Nissan Silvia S13 while Yoong takes charge of a Nissan Skyline R32.

This article was originally posted on the Tyrepac Blog, the About Team TYREPAC Goodyear written by yours truly for press release.

Tyres are an unknown quantity to many, including myself, other than the general brands that have been embedded in your mind via advertisements, and the huge signboards that precede tyres shops. Who can forget the unmistakable Michelin mascot, Pirelli calendar girls or the Bridgestone tyres that the F1 race cars fly by with?

For the full entry