BP Mall event on the newspaper

The drifters are here to stay

2009/10/26

FANS of the sport of drifting in Batu Pahat were recently treated to a spectacular display of skills and techniques at the Batu Pahat Mall Drift Challenge 2009.The two-day competition, now in its fifth year, had about 50 competitors from Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan and Singapore. The event was organised by the Batu Pahat Mall and Team YH Autosport, a prominent drift team in the district, at the complex's parking lot.

The star of the event was Malaysian professional drifter, Lim Kim Wan, more popularly known as D-Wan, who acted as judge.Kek Beng Hui, the organising committee chairman, said: "D-Wan is one of the best drifters in Malaysia. He is competing in the drifting circuit in China." Kek is a founding member of Team YH Autosport. D-Wan lived up to Kek's praise with his demonstration of his drifting skills. Some lucky visitors also got to ride with him in his car. The event was officiated by Parit Yaani assemblyman, Ng See Tiong,

The sport of drifting was first introduced in Japan about 30 years ago. It started out as a racing technique used in the All Japan Touring Car Championship races.The sport continued to develop and became more popular with motorsport fans in the '80s and '90s. Unlike other types of motorsports, in drifting, the emphasis is on skills and techniques rather than speed. With fans all over the world, drifting now has its own series in places like Japan, the United States and Europe.

In Batu Pahat, there is widespread interest in the sport but enthusiasts are hampered by the lack of space for them to gather and hone their skills. "Whenever we want to practise, we have to go to Malacca or Johor Baru as there isn't a place in Batu Pahat for us to do so. "But Ng has said that he will try to get a place for drift fans to practise in Tongkang Pechah, so hopefully we will soon be able to practise here," said Kek, who was initiated into the sport about four years ago. He said most drifters in the district are self-taught and would exchange tips and advice whenever they gathered. "Once in while, we would have professional drifters like D-Wan present at these gatherings, and they would act as instructors for us to further improve our skills," said Kek.

The sport is also an expensive one. One must be willing to part with at least RM30,000 just to start off.
"For someone to enter the world of drifting, they need a rear-wheel drive car which, depending on the make, will then have to be modified for a more powerful engine and safety purposes. "They would also have to spend a lot on tyres. The sport is hard on the tyres, which usually have to be changed after every race," said Kek. Team YH Autosports, which was established about four years ago with two cars, now has 10 cars under its stewardship.

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