Formula DRIFT: Malaysian drifters finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd

Infront of more than 4,000 ardent drift fans, the best drifters from all over Asia came together to pit their skills against each other and put on an enthralling show for everyone who was at the event yesterday.

Hosted at the Changi Exhibition Centre, 37 drift drivers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand came out to put their pedal to the metal in the two-day event this year where the spotlight shone on the top amateur drivers in the region. The Formula DRIFT USA official judges, Andy Yen and Tony Angelo, focused on the action as they watched out not for the drivers’ finishing time, but rather, their skill and showmanship of executing swift car manoeuvres that entertain crowds.

After the qualifying rounds which determined the top 16 drivers based on scores by the official judges, the competitors went head-to-head in pairs in the tandem battles. From the round of 16, the field was cut down to eight before the last four drivers headed to the semi-finals.

The Malaysians came out strong, taking all three podium positions with Tengku Djan leading the pack and improving on his performance here last year. Tengku Djan came in second place in 2008 amongst some of the big boys from the Formula DRIFT USA at the event here last year. He faced competition from fellow Malaysian, Johan Morman Azam in the final round, but Tengku Djan showed his experience by performing a tight round while Johan struggled to keep up with him.

Tengku Djan said, “I would like to thank all the sponsors for making this event possible because without them, we would not have this opportunity here. I would also like to thank my wife-to-be because she is my biggest supporter and helps me drive better. It is always great to be able to share experiences with other drivers and I am so happy to do well here in Singapore.”

Tengku Djan’s fellow countrymen, Johan and Ariff, both driving for Team Goodyear, took home the second and third place respectively. Ariff’s wife, Jane Cheah (the only female in the competition) narrowly missed qualifying for the final 16 tandem battles as she came in 17th amongst the field of male drivers.

Andy Yen, the official Formula DRIFT USA judge, remarked, “We were so happy to be able to come back this year to see the amazing improvement by some of the drivers and we are sure that the sport of drifting will continue to grow here. We look forward to returning again very soon and also to seeing some of the faces today competing with our boys in the US.”

The event this year also featured stunt biker Mattie Griffin from Ireland who entertained the spectators in between the competition rounds as the drivers worked on getting their cars ready to rev up. Visitors to Formula DRIFT ProAm Series 2009 were also treated to a carnival atmosphere of not only photos and autographs sessions with all the drivers but also an up close look at each of the competing cars at the paddocks and one of only two Ford GT40s in Singapore.

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From left to right: Ariff Johanis (3rd), Tengku Djan (1st) and Johan Azam (2nd). (This picture courtesy of Ashley Mak)

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Johan smoking the track

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With his precision, Ariff was among the crowd's favourite

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The most feared driver, Tengku Djan, strutting all the right stuff

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Malaysian drifter, Ahmad Suzaimi, suffered one of the worst damage in the competition

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Hong Kong's drifter, Chan Ka Ping, suffered the same luck as Ahmad, ending his run

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The wet track proved to be tougher than expected

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Part of the strong drift fans who braved the rain

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The largely male crowd's other favourite

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