ALL HE wanted was to become a volunteer at the inaugural 2008 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. Never did Daniel Yong expect to be sent to Australia not once, but twice, for training to be a senior race official.

It was a dream come true for Yong, an avid motor sports fan who had always wanted to work as a volunteer at an F1 race since he helped out his friends in organising club track days six years ago.

"I am a petrol-head, meaning I love modifying cars and bringing them to the track for laps," the 38-year-old told The New Paper.

"So you can imagine how happy I felt when I learnt that I was going to Australia to be trained as a deputy sector marshal for Formula One's maiden night race in Singapore."

Yong, who works as a supervising producer, had to take leave in order to make it for the two training trips to Australia.

But nothing was going to make him pass up on "the opportunity of a lifetime" and two sponsored trips to Adelaide and Melbourne.

Not even the nagging fear of not being the right person for the job.

He said: "I left for Australia feeling uncertain of my abilities. I was proud that I had been selected to go to Australia along with about 25 others, but I was afraid that I did not have what it took.

"After our first trip to Adelaide where we got to watch how the volunteers worked at the Clipsal 500 (V8 Supercar Championship Series) first-hand, I became more confident."

Anecdotes

The seven-day training session in late February this year, also served as a team-bonding session for the Singapore contingent and their Australian trainers.

"Our trainers were very open about sharing their knowledge on motor sports. They were more than happy to share their anecdotes and experiences with us," said Yong, who still keeps in touch with his trainers via Facebook and long-distance phone calls.

The 20-odd Singapore volunteers forged strong bonds as a result of the intensive training period, which often started as early as 4am and ended only after dinner.

Yong fondly recalled an incident when he and some other volunteers had to rush out of their hotel to buy winter clothing because they were unprepared for the cold conditions in Australia.

By the time the second training trip to Australia came in March, they were more physically and mentally prepared.

"For our second trip to Australia, we went to Melbourne and had the chance to be on-site trainees at the Australian Grand Prix," said Yong.

"We more or less knew what to expect by then, but I was still very intrigued by the proximity of the race action."

But Yong did not have much time to be overwhelmed by the experience. He had a more important task at hand and that was to observe his Australian trainers closely.

His duties as a deputy sector marshal for the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix included having to manage race officials and delegating tasks to them.

So he needed to make astute observations and implement them for his role.

When the time came for the inaugural night race in Singapore, Yong was more than prepared and carried out his duties without any glitches.

Vital tip

One of the valuable lessons Yong learnt from the overseas trips was how to remain calm and composed especially in the event of an accident on the track.

But the most vital tip he received from his Australian trainers was to simply enjoy the experience.

He said: "They kept telling us that the most important thing was to have fun. Because if you're not having fun volunteering, you might as well buy a ticket and be a spectator."

This article was first published in The New Paper on Dec 17, 2008.