SINGAPORE – In a boost for the motor racing scene here, the inaugural Goodstock SpeedFest will bring oval track racing to the Republic for the first time.
The Aug 11-13 event at the Changi Exhibition Centre is headlined by a $150,000 US Legend Cars race and will be supported by a bandolero race for women and a drift show. The event, held six weeks before the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix, is expected to be in Singapore for at least three years.
Bandolero is a type of entry-level racing which features miniature stock cars with a tube frame and metal cage and go up to speeds of 110kmh, while drift is a driving technique and race popularised by the Japanese manga series Initial D.
Thirty drivers from countries including Singapore, Australia, the United States and Britain will race around a temporary 400m oval track in the heats, before 22 advance to compete for the top prize of $100,000 on the final day.
At the launch at Our Tampines Hub on Wednesday, managing director of promotor Goodstock Motorsports Ben Tan said the event is a good opportunity to promote oval racing to kids and youth here.
He had stumbled upon a race in Las Vegas in 2016 while at a Nascar event and fell in love with oval racing because of how exciting it was.
In oval racing, drivers race on an oval-shaped track and minimal gear changes are needed. It also encourages more wheel-to-wheel racing among drivers and fans can watch the entire race from wherever they are seated.
He said: “It’s close contact racing and it’s a very difficult form. If you make a mistake, that’s it. That’s what spectators want, so that’s why I thought it would be exciting to bring it here.
“My purpose is to let young people and kids have fun with motor sports because, if we bring them something fun and they like it, they will continue.”
US Legend Cars are made of fibreglass and are a five-eighth scaled down version of the popular Nascar racecars. The engines can produce a maximum of 125 horsepower and cars can reach top speeds of up to 240kmh. Races began in 1992 to offer a more affordable form of motor racing as the cars require little maintenance time and cost.
The Goodstock SpeedFest will also offer a host of entertainment and food and beverage options, which will be announced later. The public will also get to experience driving a bandolero car, which can be driven by children as young as seven.
G.E. Chapman, vice-president of racing operations at US Legend Cars International, is pleased that the race is making its debut in a new location.
He said: “It’s a great opportunity for us to expand our brand and it’ll bring awareness because people can see what we actually do and what this is about.”
Malaysia’s former Formula One driver Alex Yoong, who has done oval racing in Malaysia and the US, thinks spectators will be more excited when they get to see the whole track.
Yoong, who was present at the launch and will be back for the event in August, added: “(In these cars,) it’s definitely the most fun that you can have in a race car. They’re cheap to run, have a lot of power and are very light.
“It’s important to realise that it’s not just about F1. Motor sports is very wide and, in fact, all of the other (forms of racing) are not as expensive as F1.
“One of the issues is everyone just focuses on F1 and it’s out of touch for 99 per cent of people in the region, so it’s good to show different types of racing and it’s nice to bring a different philosophy to Asia.”
