http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20090415-135352.html
Wed, Apr 15, 2009
my paper
Too fast too furious in Orchard Rd
by DARYLL NANAYAKARA
They tear down Orchard Road in the wee hours of the morning at breakneck speeds, with little regard for others' safety.
To them, the adrenaline rush of the race is everything.
These illegal racers brag about their exploits and have even come up with a map of their 10km racing circuit, which they dub the "Orchard Gudang" - named after the Pasir Gudang circuit, a legal, 4km race circuit in Johor Baru, Malaysia.
Besides risking their lives, they also risk running foul of the law.
A police spokesman told my paper: "The Traffic Police are aware of some motorists speeding and driving recklessly in the Orchard Road area."
He added that the police are "monitoring the situation and have been taking enforcement actions".
The actions of these racers have drawn concern from legitimate racers like Mr Kenny Yap, 27, a public-relations consultant.
Mr Yap, who has been racing on Malaysia's Pasir Gudang and Sepang tracks for almost eight years, said: "The risk is not worth the lifetime of consequences should something go wrong.
"Go to a proper venue to race because, otherwise, you are endangering not only yourself, but other road users as well."
One former racer explained that the races in the Orchard Road area boil down to two things: reputation and attention.
The 26-year-old said: "It feels good to be there, racing against other drivers along the track in a test of speed and skills while others look on.
"Anyone can take part. There is no start or finish line.
If you have the passion for fast cars and racing, all you have to do is go 'rounding' along the track.
"That's how things start - we can recognise who are players on the track and who are not.
It's about baiting or being baited into a race."
When my paper visited the track between 2am and 6am last weekend, there were at least 20 cars taking part in the races, which intensified just after 3.30am.
The cars - mainly high-performance models like Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evolution - weaved in and out of traffic, at times coming dangerously close to other vehicles.
Things can go horribly wrong - last July, the Internet racing forums here were abuzz with gossip of a Mitsubishi Evo slamming into a taxi, killing the cabby instantly.
Many other minor accidents go unreported, the former racer said. "It is an underground thing... New blood will always come in because they want to play for reputation," he said.
Wed, Apr 15, 2009
my paper
Too fast too furious in Orchard Rd
by DARYLL NANAYAKARA
They tear down Orchard Road in the wee hours of the morning at breakneck speeds, with little regard for others' safety.
To them, the adrenaline rush of the race is everything.
These illegal racers brag about their exploits and have even come up with a map of their 10km racing circuit, which they dub the "Orchard Gudang" - named after the Pasir Gudang circuit, a legal, 4km race circuit in Johor Baru, Malaysia.
Besides risking their lives, they also risk running foul of the law.
A police spokesman told my paper: "The Traffic Police are aware of some motorists speeding and driving recklessly in the Orchard Road area."
He added that the police are "monitoring the situation and have been taking enforcement actions".
The actions of these racers have drawn concern from legitimate racers like Mr Kenny Yap, 27, a public-relations consultant.
Mr Yap, who has been racing on Malaysia's Pasir Gudang and Sepang tracks for almost eight years, said: "The risk is not worth the lifetime of consequences should something go wrong.
"Go to a proper venue to race because, otherwise, you are endangering not only yourself, but other road users as well."
One former racer explained that the races in the Orchard Road area boil down to two things: reputation and attention.
The 26-year-old said: "It feels good to be there, racing against other drivers along the track in a test of speed and skills while others look on.
"Anyone can take part. There is no start or finish line.
If you have the passion for fast cars and racing, all you have to do is go 'rounding' along the track.
"That's how things start - we can recognise who are players on the track and who are not.
It's about baiting or being baited into a race."
When my paper visited the track between 2am and 6am last weekend, there were at least 20 cars taking part in the races, which intensified just after 3.30am.
The cars - mainly high-performance models like Subaru Impreza and Mitsubishi Evolution - weaved in and out of traffic, at times coming dangerously close to other vehicles.
Things can go horribly wrong - last July, the Internet racing forums here were abuzz with gossip of a Mitsubishi Evo slamming into a taxi, killing the cabby instantly.
Many other minor accidents go unreported, the former racer said. "It is an underground thing... New blood will always come in because they want to play for reputation," he said.
