The man needs no introduction, he has established himself as the best drifter on Malaysian soil and is rated among the best in the world, the name Tengku Djan Ley is not one that is to be taken lightly in the world of competitive drifting. Come this weekend, our local champ will be taking on the local competition as well as the more established, experienced and of course more competitive international drifters with so much more to prove. With vast experience in international drifting competitions, don’t expect Tengku Djan to get intimidated but expect him to intimidate. At the last round of the Goodyear Formula Drift, we saw Djan go out in controversial style against Mad Mike Whiddet, in this five question interview, we ask Djan what he thinks about his competition for this weekend and what happened that night in Bangkok.
Having competed in several world class drift events,you are among the most experienced drifters in the field, how do you rate the Formula Drift events that took place in Singapore, Thailand and now here. And how are they different to other drift events around the world?
Formula Drift Asia events have been spectacular no doubt. With continued initiative and effort, FD Asia will eventually produce world class drifters and together with it, attract world class sponsors, spectators, and media mileage.
I would like to applaud the organizers of Formula Drift Asia, Marcus Lim & team, for doing an outstanding job in injecting professionalism the sport rightfully deserves.
You are also among the most highly ranked drifters in the world, how do you rate your competition in Formula Drift?
There are a few who have the potential & consistency to compete at the highest level. The most promising would be the Thai drifters. I was amazed at the level of driving performance at the last FD event. Another year of FD in Thailand, and we will see them dominating the drift scene in S.E.A. Keep a watch out for Sak Nana (Kiki), The Thai Dirft King.
Mike Whiddet a.k.a. Mad Mike (New Zealand Drift Champion) and Ryuji Miki (FD USA competitor), are 2 drivers Goodyear has brought in to compete in the Formula Drift Asia Series. Both of them are of world standard. Having competed against them before, I look forward to the challenge of going against them again this weekend.
You drifted your nos shot AE86 in Singapore and your Sil180 in Thailand, what made you make the switch and what are you planning to use in Malaysia?
It has to be the Silvia. The 86 is a quick car no doubt. Probably the fastest 1600cc 86 in this region and capable of winning many more competitions, but my objective has always been to compete against the best, hence the shift. It’s a big switch for me, moving from a naturally aspirated engine with a responsive chassis to something much bigger with higher power output. My driving style has changed and it’s taken me just over a year to feel at home with the Silvia. The Silvia’s first major international competition was the RedBull Drifting World Championship 2008 in Long Beach California. We managed to collect good data from that and made some minor modifications which now has translated to wins. I would like to thank Tan Chong Motors & NISMO for providing the team the right parts to build a very competitive platform.
How does it feel to be a Bridgestone drifter in a Goodyear event? Especially since you consistently made it to the podium in the previous two events
Three! actually. But who’s counting? I’d like to salute them for continuing to welcome my presence!
It always feels good to be on the podium. But more than that, I like to make my sponsors proud. Top 3 in every Formula Drift Asia event since 2008. It means I have managed to live up to Bridgestone’s expectations. 1st place at Pro-Am FD Singapore was good. Straight forward, no frills and got the job done. But FD Thailand was definitely the highlight of the year so far. My battle against Mike Whiddett was very intense, and no doubt a crowd pleaser.
I would like to sincerely thank Bridgestone Tyres Malaysia for their unwavering support since the days of D1 Grand Prix Malaysia. Without Bridgestone I wouldn’t be where I am today. They have given me the opportunity to dominate local events and to proudly fly the Malaysian flag at international events since 2006.
Mad Mike beat you in controversial style in Thailand, what can we expect this weekend?
The judges made a decision and I respect that. Our semi-final run was more intense than the finals! 3 sudden death runs, bet this doesn’t normally happen at FD events. By the third run, it started to rain and mike managed to keep it clean. I was pushing too hard and paid the price.
This weekend is the last major competition of 2009, on home ground. I won’t be holding back. Between Miki, Mike & myself, we have shared the podium twice, and this time I plan to be on top.
To all the fans, make your way to Formula Drift Malaysia this weekend. It’s gonna be fierce!
A very special thank you goes out to Djan for taking time out for this interview – Ed
