Gymkhana event draws motorsport buffs to try out driving techniques

In gymkhana racing, drivers have to complete a set course in the shortest time

- ■By Chong Jun Liang

A red buggy-like car rolls onto the temporary racetrack at Changi Exhibition Centre, looking like a golf cart that has made a wrong turn from the fairway just down the road.

Behind the wheel, however, is not a lost golfer but Mr Eric Tiong, an energetic 76-year-old who is lining up his 1972 Mini Moke to tackle the course at the Sprint Fest Tryouts held on May 24.

Initially conceived as a compact military vehicle, the Mini Moke is a stripped-down, door-less car based on the original Mini, and ended up as a recreational vehicle.

Wearing a bright red helmet, the compliance director is the oldest among the 43 participants at the gymkhana racing event, which is open to both newbies and seasoned drivers keen to hone their driving skills.

In gymkhana racing, drivers have to complete a set course in the shortest time. This usually involves special driving techniques like handbrake turns and spinning the car 180 degrees without going off-course.

Gymkhana racing tends to be more accessible to enthusiasts because, unlike other forms of motorsport, it is possible to participate in showroom-standard cars, although there are those who compete in more hardcore and modified vehicles.