Cannot touch them cos Papaya elites are involved?
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>April 26, 2009
special report: illegal racers
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Cars race in the streets at night, but it's not F1
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Speed demons here have turned several stretches of road into illegal race tracks </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Mavis Toh
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Some of the cars caught racing illegally last weekend during a police crackdown along Orchard Road, which is part of the popular Orchard Gudang illegal circuit. -- PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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View more photos
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->He is studying tourism at a private school, but his dream is to become a professional racing driver like Lewis Hamilton.
But for now, John (not his real name), 21, is content with jumping into his Subaru WRX and racing it against other enthusiasts.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Traffic Police keeping watch
The Traffic Police (TP) have been monitoring illegal racing hot spots like Orchard Road, Lim Chu Kang Road and Yishun Avenue 1.
During regular operations, the police also look out for drivers who speed and also those who drive dangerously and carelessly.
The racing hot spots
99 Turns on South Buona Vista Road
Nicknamed 99 Turns because of the many curves along the road
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The time? Every Saturday night.
The venue? Orchard Gudang.
The route, a local take on the famous Pasir Gudang racing circuit in Johor, is well-known among illegal street racers here.
From Orchard Road, these speed demons dash to Marina Square and make a right turn towards the Esplanade. They make another right turn and race up Stamford Road, through the Fort Canning Tunnel to Orchard Boulevard, and back to where they started.
John and his buddies gather near the Singapore Flyer in their souped-up Japanese cars at about 1am. On a typical night, the group of about 10 cruise until they spot other modified cars.
Then, engines rev, looks are exchanged and the race begins. The drivers all know the route by heart and the race ends when one is clearly ahead of the other.
On an 'exciting night', two teams meet and challenge each other to a 'friendly race'. Some 20 cars, each driver with a target of his own, then weave through traffic, engines roaring and tyres screeching, just to get ahead.
'The adrenaline rush is indescribable. All the car enthusiasts know this is the place to go to,' said John, who started racing at 18.
Last weekend, a police crackdown on speed racers along Orchard Road ended with 33 summonses being issued. Twenty-one were for the illegal modification of vehicles and 12 were for speeding and other offences.
The Sunday Times understands that drivers have been going too fast and too furiously around Orchard Gudang for many years.
The activity quieted down at one point but has been revived in recent years.
Industry players said the racers tend to be mostly in their late teens to mid-30s. Many come from well-off families where parents have no qualms about buying them fast cars.
But besides high-performance models like the Mitsubishi Evolution and Subaru Impreza, even family sedans like the Nissan Latio and Toyota Vios join in the chase. The cars are usually highly modified, with changes made to the rims, exhaust, brakes and even engine.
Teams usually meet in carparks near Orchard Cineleisure and Wheelock Place. Others gather at Park Mall or the Singapore Flyer.
Many use walkie-talkies to alert each other to cars from other teams or the Traffic Police. When the police are spotted, racers try their best to blend into traffic.
'The protocol is to slow down, act blur and filter out,' quipped a regular racer.
But there are bumps to living life in the fast lane, said Mr Desmond Soh. He has nine years of professional racing experience and owns a workshop which modifies cars.
'They don't know what is dangerous and think that all they need are guts. What happens if there's an accident that results in someone's death? You'll be guilty for the rest of your life,' he said.
While Orchard Gudang is seen as a playground for young thrillseekers, sources said others head to places like Lim Chu Kang's '40 Tiang' (lamp post in Malay). The Sunday Times understands that many of these races happen between rival workshops eager to test out their modified machines.
The short drag races, where two cars launch forward from a stationary point, usually end in seconds. The race distance is typically agreed at 10, 12 or 40 lamp posts. At stake are five-figure bets between the workshops and smaller bets among spectators.
These races are usually impromptu and the word gets passed via calls and SMS messages. For a big race between well-known drivers, hundreds can turn up.
At Tuas South and Punggol, quiet stretches of road are also popular. Many gather in small groups to try out their modified cars and pit their skills against one another.
'We only want to have fun with our cars and hang out with friends. We don't want any trouble,' said salesman G. Z. Teo, 28, who races in Punggol with his Toyota Celica.
When asked for his comments on illegal street racing, Mr Tan Teng Lip, president of the Singapore Motor Sports Association, said this was an issue the Traffic Police had to deal with.
'I believe these are youngsters out to get some thrill,' he said. 'If caught, we will take action against members who race illegally.'
Those caught for illegal racing can be jailed up to six months and fined up to $2,000. The vehicle may also be confiscated. Those who modify vehicles illegally can be fined $1,000 or jailed three months.
Mr Soh said illegal racers still take the risk because of the lack of a circuit in Singapore. He added that such races would be reduced once the Changi Motorsports Hub, with a 3.5km track, is completed in about two years.
=> Excuse for cunt sing to act blur and chor boh lan for another 2 years?
For now, many car enthusiasts head to legal circuits in Pasir Gudang and Sepang across the Causeway.
Ms Rosalind Choo, 28, a committee member of racing enthusiasts group SGTrackies, takes a four-hour drive to Sepang monthly with at least 30 others. She pays $200 for a three-hour track session.
'By racing there, I can be assured that I won't hurt anyone, my car will be safe and I won't lose my licence,' said the insurance agent, who owns a Mercedes-Benz SLK.
But the distance and cost is keeping the youngsters away. Car enthusiast Conrad Chan, 37, understands that.
'When we need to let off steam or to hone our skills, we head to Sepang or Pasir Gudang. But the illegal racers need to be on Orchard Road among their peers to feel the glory.'
[email protected] What's your view on such illegal street races in Singapore? Have your say at [email protected] Do you think illegal racing is dangerous? Have your say at straitstimes.com
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>April 26, 2009
special report: illegal racers
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Cars race in the streets at night, but it's not F1
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Speed demons here have turned several stretches of road into illegal race tracks </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Mavis Toh
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Some of the cars caught racing illegally last weekend during a police crackdown along Orchard Road, which is part of the popular Orchard Gudang illegal circuit. -- PHOTOS: LIANHE ZAOBAO
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->He is studying tourism at a private school, but his dream is to become a professional racing driver like Lewis Hamilton.
But for now, John (not his real name), 21, is content with jumping into his Subaru WRX and racing it against other enthusiasts.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Traffic Police keeping watch
The Traffic Police (TP) have been monitoring illegal racing hot spots like Orchard Road, Lim Chu Kang Road and Yishun Avenue 1.
During regular operations, the police also look out for drivers who speed and also those who drive dangerously and carelessly.
The racing hot spots
99 Turns on South Buona Vista Road
Nicknamed 99 Turns because of the many curves along the road
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>The time? Every Saturday night.
The venue? Orchard Gudang.
The route, a local take on the famous Pasir Gudang racing circuit in Johor, is well-known among illegal street racers here.
From Orchard Road, these speed demons dash to Marina Square and make a right turn towards the Esplanade. They make another right turn and race up Stamford Road, through the Fort Canning Tunnel to Orchard Boulevard, and back to where they started.
John and his buddies gather near the Singapore Flyer in their souped-up Japanese cars at about 1am. On a typical night, the group of about 10 cruise until they spot other modified cars.
Then, engines rev, looks are exchanged and the race begins. The drivers all know the route by heart and the race ends when one is clearly ahead of the other.
On an 'exciting night', two teams meet and challenge each other to a 'friendly race'. Some 20 cars, each driver with a target of his own, then weave through traffic, engines roaring and tyres screeching, just to get ahead.
'The adrenaline rush is indescribable. All the car enthusiasts know this is the place to go to,' said John, who started racing at 18.
Last weekend, a police crackdown on speed racers along Orchard Road ended with 33 summonses being issued. Twenty-one were for the illegal modification of vehicles and 12 were for speeding and other offences.
The Sunday Times understands that drivers have been going too fast and too furiously around Orchard Gudang for many years.
The activity quieted down at one point but has been revived in recent years.
Industry players said the racers tend to be mostly in their late teens to mid-30s. Many come from well-off families where parents have no qualms about buying them fast cars.
But besides high-performance models like the Mitsubishi Evolution and Subaru Impreza, even family sedans like the Nissan Latio and Toyota Vios join in the chase. The cars are usually highly modified, with changes made to the rims, exhaust, brakes and even engine.
Teams usually meet in carparks near Orchard Cineleisure and Wheelock Place. Others gather at Park Mall or the Singapore Flyer.
Many use walkie-talkies to alert each other to cars from other teams or the Traffic Police. When the police are spotted, racers try their best to blend into traffic.
'The protocol is to slow down, act blur and filter out,' quipped a regular racer.
But there are bumps to living life in the fast lane, said Mr Desmond Soh. He has nine years of professional racing experience and owns a workshop which modifies cars.
'They don't know what is dangerous and think that all they need are guts. What happens if there's an accident that results in someone's death? You'll be guilty for the rest of your life,' he said.
While Orchard Gudang is seen as a playground for young thrillseekers, sources said others head to places like Lim Chu Kang's '40 Tiang' (lamp post in Malay). The Sunday Times understands that many of these races happen between rival workshops eager to test out their modified machines.
The short drag races, where two cars launch forward from a stationary point, usually end in seconds. The race distance is typically agreed at 10, 12 or 40 lamp posts. At stake are five-figure bets between the workshops and smaller bets among spectators.
These races are usually impromptu and the word gets passed via calls and SMS messages. For a big race between well-known drivers, hundreds can turn up.
At Tuas South and Punggol, quiet stretches of road are also popular. Many gather in small groups to try out their modified cars and pit their skills against one another.
'We only want to have fun with our cars and hang out with friends. We don't want any trouble,' said salesman G. Z. Teo, 28, who races in Punggol with his Toyota Celica.
When asked for his comments on illegal street racing, Mr Tan Teng Lip, president of the Singapore Motor Sports Association, said this was an issue the Traffic Police had to deal with.
'I believe these are youngsters out to get some thrill,' he said. 'If caught, we will take action against members who race illegally.'
Those caught for illegal racing can be jailed up to six months and fined up to $2,000. The vehicle may also be confiscated. Those who modify vehicles illegally can be fined $1,000 or jailed three months.
Mr Soh said illegal racers still take the risk because of the lack of a circuit in Singapore. He added that such races would be reduced once the Changi Motorsports Hub, with a 3.5km track, is completed in about two years.
=> Excuse for cunt sing to act blur and chor boh lan for another 2 years?
For now, many car enthusiasts head to legal circuits in Pasir Gudang and Sepang across the Causeway.
Ms Rosalind Choo, 28, a committee member of racing enthusiasts group SGTrackies, takes a four-hour drive to Sepang monthly with at least 30 others. She pays $200 for a three-hour track session.
'By racing there, I can be assured that I won't hurt anyone, my car will be safe and I won't lose my licence,' said the insurance agent, who owns a Mercedes-Benz SLK.
But the distance and cost is keeping the youngsters away. Car enthusiast Conrad Chan, 37, understands that.
'When we need to let off steam or to hone our skills, we head to Sepang or Pasir Gudang. But the illegal racers need to be on Orchard Road among their peers to feel the glory.'
[email protected] What's your view on such illegal street races in Singapore? Have your say at [email protected] Do you think illegal racing is dangerous? Have your say at straitstimes.com
