By Tony Ng

AsiaOne: How did you start out in motorsports?

Melvin: I started very young. At nine, I was doing karting in America. When I was about 15, my parents thought it was better for me to stop and start studying. Then I moved back to Singapore about 9 years ago and started driving again. I didn't consciously wake up one day and decide to be a racecar driver though. I just did a race, finished well, did another one, won it and kept winning my races. Then I caught the attention of sponsors. I'm still pushing myself to see how far I can go.

A1: There are parents who let their kids do competitive karting. What advice do you have for them?

M: Two things. One - you have to be really determined and passionate about it. It's not all about glamourous days like today. There's a lot of tough work and disappointment involved. That's why you need passion. Being a racer you've got to be determined to beat everybody. You have to hate losing (at this point, Melvin gets animated). If not then, you'll be like, fifth? Ok, fine.

Two - stay humble. I think it's very important to stay humble and learn. I've raced with world-class drivers and I think there's one common thread in that no matter how famous they are, they're always constantly learning from others. Because in motorsports, there's always a way to get the car faster. It's a learning sport. If you're cocky and arrogant about it, that's the end of your career.

A1: You mentioned earlier that a race car driver should be ready for disappointments. What's your greatest disappointment?

M: Not being as fast as I could be. Having the determination is one thing but you know, getting everything together where the car feels good, where you feel good, is another. It's very hard to get the whole act together. Inevitably you'll be disappointed. For somebody as competitive as I am, it's hard to swallow. I know I can I do this and what happened? But this gives me the determination to do things better next time round.

A1: So what's the most challenging thing about this Mosler MT900R?
M: Power.

A1:In what sense? Do you mean you have to learn how to deal with the power?
M: Yes. It's about handling the power. The Mosler is the most powerful car I've ever driven. When you have a car that has so much power, the components will be stronger because it has to take the stress. All the forces on your body becomes greater than what you're used to. You'll have to readjust yourself during the adjustment period.

A1: Do you have enough time to adjust yourself then?
Melvin: No, not enough. I only had seven laps because the car was stuck in the Customs. Just an hour of practice. Next thing I know, it'll be Saturday morning and I'll be doing it with the big Japanese boys. Then again, that's where determination comes in. I'm not going to let that be an excuse.

A1: If you have the power to change something about your industry, what would you do?
M: I'll change people's mentality towards motorsports in Singapore. Because we're in the infancy stage of motorsports we cannot afford to have too many camps. We have to help one another out instead of fighting with one another. Because at the end of the day, it's a Singaporean who's going out to do the country proud. It's like the Super GT I'm competing in - I hope people will follow in my footsteps.

The debut of the team at the Round 4 race of the Super GT finished 13th despite mechanical failures due to the heat.

tonyng@sph.com.sg