The true attract of a automotive pageant is all of the transferring components. Static vehicles can help you take in their finer particulars, however reside motion brings sound, scent and velocity into the equation.
SpeedFest 2024, held at KL Base within the coronary heart of Malaysia’s capital metropolis of Kuala Lumpur introduced all of this to the desk. I’ve already coated the present facet of the occasion inside the enormous hangar at this decommissioned army base; now it’s time to go outdoors and take in some Malaysian motorsport.
As a result of the reside motion was occurring all weekend, I spent Saturday hanging out across the drift area and Sunday documenting and having fun with the drag racing.
The drifting was non-competitive, however that didn’t cease the native drivers from going ten-tenths on the makeshift monitor. Classes alternated between exhibition runs and learn-to-drift workouts, permitting the general public to slip behind the wheel and decide up some fundamental methods.
An E92 BMW M3 caught my eye, and after chatting with native racing legend Zen Low about his ‘drift taxi’, he supplied to take me out for just a few laps.
Because it turned out, Zen is a GT3 racer who has competed everywhere in the world, together with the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. He constructed the 700hp M3 monster in the course of the pandemic lockdowns when abroad journey was inconceivable. As anticipated, Zen’s driving was clean and exact.
Sunday’s straight-line motion on KL Base’s closed runway was extra critical than the enjoyable vibes skilled elsewhere throughout the pageant. It was additionally actually scorching on the market. I spent an excessive amount of time within the solar, nevertheless it was value it.
The drag trustworthy braved the weather to squeeze as a lot efficiency from their Malaysian-built Protons, Japanese Civics, and diesel utes as potential. A number of R35 GT-Rs and BMWs additionally ran the quarter mile.
Strolling the staging lanes and pits was a deal with. Perhaps it’s my Australian heritage, however I really like a superb ‘do it your self’ job. You’ll be able to study loads by watching how completely different folks deal with comparable issues and seeing the work they put right into a challenge.
The drag racing itself was far faraway from the massive-dollar spectacle I’m used to seeing again house, however that didn’t make it any much less spectacular. A number of vehicles have been operating within the 9-second zone, and one even hit a excessive 8 on the unprepped floor.
So, did the SpeedFest crew realise their lofty desires with their first occasion? Was this the most important Japanese automotive gathering outdoors of Japan? Nicely, if there’s been an even bigger one, I’d wish to see it!
Hopefully, town’s infamous pink tape slows the KL Base redevelopment course of, which means the SpeedFest crew might probably have one other crack at operating their occasion right here. Regardless of being designed for plane, SpeedFest reworked it right into a petrolhead’s paradise.
If the occasion lacked something, it was vehicles from the Sixties, ’70s, and ’80s. If these autos are hiding in Malaysian collections, the SpeedFest crew ought to uncover them and convey them out for the general public to get pleasure from on the subsequent occasion. It actually can be incredible to see what this celebration of vehicles and tradition might evolve into.
Within the meantime, there are heaps extra photos from SpeedFest 2024 so that you can take a look at beneath.
Matthew Everingham
Instagram: matthew_everingham
[email protected]
