FORMULA DRIFT PROAM SERIES 2009 RETURNS TO ENTERTAIN SOLD-OUT CROWD

Drift fans continue to show their support for the sport
Singapore, 5 July 2009 – In front of more than 4,000 ardent drift fans, the best drifters from all over Asia came together to pit their skills against each other and put on an enthralling show for everyone who was at the event this weekend.

Hosted at the Changi Exhibition Centre, 37 drift drivers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand came out to put their pedal to the metal in the two-day event this year where the spotlight shone on the top amateur drivers in the region. The Formula DRIFT USA official judges Andy Yen and Tony Angelo focused on the action as they watched out not for the drivers’ finishing time but rather their skill and showmanship of executing swift car manoeuvres that entertain crowds.

After the qualifying rounds which determined the top 16 drivers based on scores by the official judges, the competitors went head-to-head in pairs in the tandem battles. From the round of 16, the field was cut down to eight before the last four drivers headed to the semi-finals.

The Malaysians came out strong today to take all three podium positions with Tengku Djan leading the pack and improving on his performance here last year. Tengku Djan came in second place in 2008 amongst some of the big boys from the Formula DRIFT USA at the event here last year. He faced competition from another Malaysian Joham Morman Azam in the final round but Tengku Djan showed his experience by performing a tight round while Azam struggled to keep up with him.

Tengku Djan said after his win, “I would like to thank all the sponsors for making this event possible because without them, we would not have this opportunity here. I would also like to thank my wife-to-be because she is my biggest supporter and helps me drive better. It is always great to be able to share experiences with other drivers and I am so happy to do well here in Singapore.”

Tengku Djan’s fellow countrymen Azam and Ariff Johanis, both driving for Team Goodyear, took home the second and third place respectively. Johanis’ wife, Jane Cheah, the only female in the competition, narrowly missed qualifying for the final 16 tandem battles as she came in 17th amongst the field of male drivers.

Mr Marcus Lim, General Manager of Binter & Co. Mr Lim and Technical Consultant for the event this year said, "We are so excited that the fans have returned this year to continue to support the event. We hoped to offer fans a more intimate experience so that they could have a better connection with the drivers and together with our partners, ESPN STAR Sports, Traffic Police of Singapore, Goodyear and Nissan, the spectators really got to enjoy the thrills of the sport today. It is really great to know that we have not only been able to bring this exciting sport to the public, but also create a platform for drivers in the region to hone their skills which will hopefully propel them to a higher level of competition."

The event this year also featured stunt biker Mattie Griffin from Ireland who entertained the spectators in between the competition rounds as the drivers worked on getting their cars ready to rev up. Visitors to Formula DRIFT ProAm Series 2009 were also treated to a carnival atmosphere of not only photos and autographs sessions with all the drivers but also an up close look at each of the competing cars at the paddocks and one of only two Ford GT40s in Singapore.

Harvey Davis, the Vice-President of ESPN STAR Sports Events Management Group, said, "ESPN STAR Sports is proud to have become part of the successful Formula DRIFT ProAm Series and we hope to continue to help build the sport of drifting in the region. With our expertise in sports events management and our regional outreach, we believe that partnering with Binter & Co as well as all the other parties involved in the event will only boost the profile of the sport and to bring it to a greater audience. I want to thank everyone who has shown their support in growing the motorsports scene in Singapore and we cannot wait till the next Formula DRIFT event!”

After the event, Andy Yen, the official Formula DRIFT USA judge, remarked, “We were so happy to be able to come back this year to see the amazing improvement by some of the drivers and we are sure that the sport of drifting will continue to grow here. We look forward to returning again very soon and also to seeing some of the faces today competing with our boys in the US.”

ENCLOSURES – ANNEX A: RESULTS

Top 16 Qualifiers

No. Driver Country Car Number Score Top Speed
1 Tan Tat Wei Malaysia 5 87.2 87.6
2 Tengku Djan Malaysia 12 82 71.2
3 Ariff Johanis Malaysia 18 74.5 74.5
4 Lim Zee King Malaysia 2 73.5 74.5
5 Ivan Lau Malaysia 59 63 72
6 Jansen Tan Singapore 57 54 67.8
7 Ee Yoong Chern Malaysia 33 52.1 68.5
8 Nakorn Cotraviwat Thailand 89 52 7.7
9 Johan Morman Azam Malaysia 3 47.7 75.3
10 Nazrul Afifi Malaysia 46 46.7 67.1
11 Kevin Rajoo Malaysia 17 44 78.3
12 Mervyn Nakamura Malaysia 28 41 73.8
13 James Tang Hong Kong 39 41 79.1
14 Shah Yusoff Singapore 15 41 78.9
15 Rhenadi Arinton Indonesia 27 39.7 70.3
16 Sean Khoo Malaysia 23 38.2 70.1

Podium Finish
No. Driver Country Car Number
1 Tengku Djan Malaysia 12
2 Johan Morman Azam Malaysia 3
3 Ariff Johanis Malaysia 18

About ESPN STAR Sports
ESPN STAR Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia's definitive and complete sports broadcaster and content provider, ESPN STAR Sports combines the strengths and resources of its ultimate parent companies – Walt Disney (ESPN, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (STAR) – to deliver a diverse array of international and regional sports to viewers via its encrypted pay and free-to-air services.
ESPN STAR Sports showcases an unparalleled variety of premier live sports from around the globe 24 hours a day to a cumulative reach of more than 310 million viewers in Asia. ESPN STAR Sports has 17 networks covering 24 countries, each localised to deliver differentiated world-class premier sports programming to Asian viewers. This includes ESPN SEA, ESPN China, ESPN Hong Kong, ESPN India, ESPN Malaysia, ESPN Philippines, ESPN SEA 2, ESPN Taiwan, MBC-ESPN (Korea), STAR Sports Asia, STAR Sports Hong Kong, STAR Sports India, STAR Sports Malaysia, STAR Sports SEA 2, STAR Sports Southeast Asia, STAR Sports Taiwan, and STAR Cricket.
On the ground, the ESPN STAR Sports Event Management Group manages and promotes premier sporting events around Asia. ESPN STAR Sports aims to reach consumers at any time, any place and through all new media platforms, both internet and mobile. The multi-lingual, online platforms, espnstar.com, espnstar.com.cn and espnstar.com.tw and footballcrazy.tv interact with millions of users providing them with in-depth sports news, results and competitions. Developed for the sports fan that is constantly on the move, mobileESPN and STAR Sports Mobile delivers differentiated mobile content targeted at its various audiences. mobileESPN enables the serious sports fan to follow their favourite sports more closely than ever before with a combination of specially produced video news clips, in-depth news coverage and analysis. STAR Sports Mobile aims to provide interactive and entertaining opportunities to engage with sports, delivering exclusive video excerpts from leading football clubs Arsenal and Liverpool as well as highlights from STAR Sports original programmes covering opinions, instructional tips and the latest online game reviews.

About Binter & Co
Binter & Co. Pte. Ltd. is the proud distributor of the Firestone, Goodyear, Kumho, Nankang and Cooper tire brands.
Binter & Co is an established name in the tyre industry having been in this business for over 25 years. Not withstanding the age of the company; they are an innovative and progressive corporation constantly looking for new methods to improve their value-add to both retailers and end-users. Binter & Co has developed strong relations with manufacturers and established long-term goals for mutual success. Binter & Co has grown from strength to strength and today is a leading tire distributor in the industry. Their average gross revenue (based on last 3 years) is 70 million SGD per year; placing Binter & Co in the higher spectrum of tire distributors in Singapore and the region.
In recognition of Binter's success, the company has been ranked in the Singapore Enterprise 50 listings for the past five years. The Enterprise 50 is jointly supported by Spring Singapore and the Business Times. It has become the definitive list of the fifty most enterprising, privately-held companies in Singapore.
More information can be found at www.binter.com.sg

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