Archilles Formula Drift Asia Series 2012


[Event]
Headed down on a blistering hot Sunday afternoon (20 May 2012) to Speed City at The Mines for the Achilles Formula Drift Malaysia 2012. However it wouldn’t be sunny for long as just half and hour after I arrived the skies opened up with a real gully washer which incidentally added to the excitement of the race as the drivers showed their drifting skills in the rain.

There was plenty of eye-candy around
The skies weren’t bright and sunny for long but the girls seemed prepared!
This year’s event saw the drivers contend against the weather, in addition to each other in the tandem battles, with the rain adding an element of unpredictability that proved to be too much for some. It saw local ace Ser Ming Hui, aka ‘Ah Fai’, from Achilles Drift Team Malaysia crashing out in the round of 16 against Indonesia’s Dika CH, despite entering today’s competition as the second seed. However the positive impact of the rain was a great show for the spectators who braved the showers with umbrellas and rain-coats! I was hiding from the rain in the comfy air-conditioned VIP tent though…
Tengku Djan, who led the Malaysian contingent by qualifying to the round of 32 with the highest score of 94 out of 100 in the first rounds, showed a clear indication of the quality of Malaysian drivers. Seven Malaysians made it to the round of 16, with the likes of Ivan Lau of Achilles Drift Team and Ee Yoong Chern of GT Radial joining Tengku Djan in the quarterfinals.
But I was getting quite distracted from the race
Datuk Wira SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin – NAZA Group of Companies Joint Group Executive Chairman with Edward Mamahit – PT Multistrada Senior International Marketing Manager
Datuk Maruan Mohd Said – NAZA Quest Sdn Bhd Chief Operating Officer, Datuk Wira SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin – NAZA Group of Companies Joint Group Executive Chairman, and Edward Mamahit – PT Multistrada Senior International Marketing Manager

NAZA Quest (Chevrolet Malaysia) Sdn Bhd the official car sponsor for the Archilles Formula Drift 2012 took the opportunity to announce the establishment of a new business partnership with Indonesian tyre manufacturer PT Multistrada, to supply Achilles tyres to new production models of Chevrolet Cruze LT Sport.

The Chevrolet Camaro (Bumblebee in Transformers) got a lot of attention
Daigo and Orido

Victory belonged to Daigo with his flawless and gutsy display of precision drifting at Speed City KL, kicking off the first leg of the series on a winning note. The all-Japanese finale was a rematch from last year that saw Daigo demonstrate his aggressive style. In the first run, Daigo blasted off to an insurmountable lead that forced Orido to play catch up. In the reverse run, Daigo repeatedly put pressure on his compatriot, chasing him and sliding close with only inches to spare – keeping the  crowd on the edge of their seats with plenty of slick drifting.
The race also saw the return of Tengku Djan after a one-year hiatus. He clinched his 3rd-place finish by knocking out Emmanuel ‘Dio’ Armandio of Indonesia, after losing to eventual champion Daigo in the semi-final with the Malaysian crowd cheering every single run he made.

The Archilles promoter girls
My fav pair of twin sisters – Catherine and Leovine
Till next year’s event

This race marks the beginning of the Achilles Formula Drift Asia Series 2012. The next leg will be at Singapore on 30th June to 1st July 2012.
Photo credits: Formula Drift and author’s own
More info at www.formuladriftasia.com
More photos on my Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/timchew1311