WITHOUT motorsport experience, how can a driver earn a professional racing contract?
That is exactly what Penang Sukma eRacing coach Low Wooi Kit, 33, is striving for after being inspired by British driver Jann Mardenborough, a gamer-turned-professional driver.
“Jann Mardenborough amazes me. He has proven that through playing sim racing video games you can reach the pinnacle of real racing.
“He spent countless hours on simulator racing at home and demonstrated that the skills he developed online could be transferred to real-life racing on the track.
“My personal goal is to drive at least once on a real circuit. I have to look for established racing teams and convince them to give me a test,” Wooi Kit, a product engineer with a multinational company in Bayan Lepas, told Buletin Mutiara in a recent interview.
Mardenborough’s rise to real racing came when he won the GT Academy competition in 2011, beating 90,000 entrants to earn a professional contract with Nissan. At the time, Nissan collaborated with the developers of “Gran Turismo,” to scout potential racers through online gaming events.
Before his win, Mardenborough had never driven a high-performance car or set foot on a racetrack. After undergoing rigorous training, he competed in several races, eventually earning an international racing licence.
In 2012, he drove a factory-backed Nissan 370Z GT4 at the Dubai 24 Hour race, finishing third in his class.
Among his many achievements was finishing third in the LMP2 class during his debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2013.
Like Mardenborough, Wooi Kit has been passionate about cars at a young age. He acknowledges the long road ahead in transitioning from a virtual driver to a real-life racer.
So far, Wooi Kit has driven twice on the real Sepang International Circuit – behind the wheels of a Volkswagen Scirocco R in November 2021 and a Toyota GR Yaris in July 2022 on Track Day events.
“I have driven countless virtual laps at Sepang to familiarise myself with the track. Eventually, I told myself, why not go for the real challenge?
“The first time I got onto the track, I was nervous. Luckily, I had one experienced driver to guide me. I did not push myself too hard because I did not want to crash the rented car, but the thrill was worth it,” Wooi Kit recalled.
Wooi Kit’s notable achievements include finishing fifth out of 300 participants in the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup, narrowly missing the Asian qualifier. However, he earned RM8,000 – his biggest prize money to date – for the fifth-place finish.
Additionally, he won the Malaysia Speed Festival CyberTurismo Expert Series twice in 2020, the Silver Class at the PitCrewco.uk GT3 Sprint Cup Season 2 in 2021, and the Silver Class at the Australasia Endurance Series 6 Hours of Red Bull Ring in 2024.
He spends most of his spare time as a part-time sim racing streamer and an admin for Team GSR Esports, one of the pioneering simulation racing teams in Malaysia.
Currently, Low is focusing on the Sarawak Sukma where he is guiding three Penang eRacing drivers – Saifol Arif, Muhammad Amirul Naim and Kisheen Varrma.
He trains his athletes three or four days a week, with sessions lasting two to three hours each.
The three athletes are part of a 26-member strong Penang eSports squad, which will compete in five events of the eSports – Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Playerunkown’s Battleground (PUBG Mobile), E-Football 2024 Console, Tekken 8 and Simulator Racing – at Sarawak Sukma.
The team will fly to Kuching tomorrow afternoon, with the eSports events taking place at the Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Kuching from Aug 19 to 24.
In the inaugural Simulator Racing, Saifol will compete in the individual Time Attack while Amirul and Kisheen will team up for the Endurance Race.
“Realistically, our counterparts from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor have more experience. We’re just catching up, but our athletes will give their best.
“We also need more new talent. There is currently no proper eSports community in Penang, though eRacing has great growth potential.
“Virtual racing demands concentration and patience, just like real racing.
“You need to drive around the track as fast as possible and maintain full concentration throughout the repetitive laps. Without concentration, you lose control.
“Patience is also important. Not everyone can manage their emotions if a rival crashes into them. Frustration can set in, just like real racing. But mastering these skills in virtual racing could be the first step to success on a real track,” Wooi Kit explained.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix courtesy of Low Wooi Kit