Pedal to the metal: Singaporeans take up endurance racing

SINGAPORE – Dutch racing champion Max Verstappen was barely a month past his 26th birthday in October when he was

crowned the Formula One world champion for the third time

, having started racing at the age of four. In contrast, Mr Tan Wei Ming is a 50-year-old track rookie.

The Singaporean owner of a construction material supply business in Malaysia was part of a team of four drivers sharing a race car in the Sepang 1,000km Endurance Race on Nov 25.

Although he had taken part in the event before – in 2019 and 2022 – this was the first year that he drove a car shared with three friends.

His car was one of three machines fielded by Team 667, formed by a group of friends. Besides his grey Honda Jazz (No. 89), there were a blue Honda Jazz (No. 67) and a grey Suzuki Swift Sport (No. 667).

The endurance race allows up to four drivers a car. A driver can drive continuously for up to 75 minutes before another one has to take over when the car is brought into the pit lane.

In his previous two race outings, Mr Tan used rented race cars and only had to show up at the circuit and drive.

For the 2023 entry, he and the car’s co-owners had to not only decide how to set up the vehicle but also recruit mechanics to work on the car. The pit crew in the 2023 team were mostly Mr Tan’s friends who volunteered to help.

In all, there were seven trained mechanics in the group, along with 15 amateurs, supporting the three race cars.

Speaking to The Straits Times after completing his second stint on track, the father of two daughters, aged 13 and 14, said: “I want to put in the best performance for the mechanics, who have put in the effort to build the car and keep it going in the race.”

Among the pit crew was Mr Tee Wei Ming, also known as “Ah Boy” to his friends. The 37-year-old Singapore permanent resident, who works as a store manager, led two other volunteers to change tyres during the race.

The rules require all race cars to use the same type and size of tyres – Yokohama Advan Neova AD09. Each car goes through more than 12 tyres in a race.

Ah Boy’s 13-year-old son, Vince, also volunteered to be part of the crew. Throughout the nine-hour race, the teen was busy in the garage, moving parts and handing tools to the mechanics. The rules do not allow him to step onto the pit lane because of his age.

Including the price of the car, which started life as a standard road-registered Honda Jazz, the vehicle cost around $45,000 to get into competition form.

To transform the Honda Jazz into a endurance race car, a roll cage had to be fitted into its cabin. Creature comforts such as carpets, sound deadening, air-conditioning and most of the interior were removed to make the car as light as possible.

Competing in the production car category, the Honda’s engine and transmission cannot be modified, although the standard engine control unit can be tuned to liberate a bit more output than the 120 or so horsepower that the car started with.

The grey Honda Jazz finished 14th in its class of 27 cars, a creditable performance. The other Honda Jazz from the team came in at 15th.

Mr Daniel Yong, 53, is one of four drivers of the second Jazz. It was his second time competing in the endurance race, although he has been an avid track visitor for some 20 years.

He had wanted to compete earlier, but was stalled by the Covid-19 pandemic. His inaugural race was in 2022 and his second in 2023.

The director in media production said that to prepare for the race, he had been going to the Sepang circuit for track days every month in 2023 prior to the race.

Just like with Mr Tan’s grey Jazz, the blue one was specially built for the 2023 race. It was previously a road car in Japan before it was imported and modified.

Unfortunately, the Suzuki Swift Sport in the team did not complete the 2023 event because of an engine failure. The same car finished third in class in 2022.

Mr Jansen Tan, 42, who was part of the 2022 Suzuki team, did not even get to drive the Suzuki in the 2023 race as it was retired before his turn at the wheel.

“I know we have what it takes to win in our category,” he said. “We will come back in 2024 to finish the job.”