STILL RACING TO FIND A LEGACY

Local motor sports fraternity hope Singapore GP will be more than a 'tourist attraction'

- Kimberly Kwek and Deepanraj Ganesan

It has been dubbed Formula One's crown jewel and for close to 15 seasons, the Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix has delivered a glitzy, glamorous spectacle for global and local audiences.

Cash tills have been ringing since the first night race in 2008, boosting Singapore's economy by generating around $2 billion in incremental tourism receipts and grabbing eyeballs - over one billion viewers globally.

But once the chequered flag is waved, the confetti swept away and the garages emptied, Singapore's motor sports scene falls into an uneasy silence.

Despite the grand prix's economic and tourism impact, Singapore drivers, officials and observers say it has not been the catalyst for growth that the community had hoped for when the race first roared into town.

While former Super GT race driver Melvin Choo feels that it has generated more interest in motor sports, he also noted that the event is "a tourist attraction".

Choo, 54, said: "If you think about it carefully, it does not in any way really support any grassroots racing, it doesn't involve any grassroots racing.

"When people think of Formula One and people who are actually on the ground doing racing, there's a disconnect, there's nothing funnelling down to them."

Despite the billions of dollars poured into the race, Singapore's motor racing ambitions have hit speed bumps due to a number of factors cited by the fraternity - the lack of infrastructure, a limited pool of young drivers and the lack of a motor sports culture and sponsors.

MOTOR SPORTS HUB DREAM OVER

Where once there was karting, rallying and other races at the old National Stadium carpark in Kallang, now the options are increasingly limited, say the community, who pointed to a lack of infrastructure with projects falling by the wayside and other venues shutting down or at risk.