It is the motor-racing equivalent of the century sprint - a quick, 10-second burst of pure acceleration, amid the adrenalinpumping roar of engines and cheering crowds.

Unfortunately, drag racing - where souped-up race cars speed down a straight stretch of tarmac - is seldom viewed as a blue-riband event.

In fact, compared to the glitz and glamour of Formula One racing, it actually has a poor reputation in Singapore, as it was associated with illegal racing, car gangs and police crackdowns in the past.

However, that image may be about to improve, as the Carrerista Jamboree - a five-day fiesta organised by Singapore motor company MPT Motor Trading - rolls into the Changi Exhibition Centre from Saturday to Wednesday.

While the event offers exciting drift-racing demonstrations and karting, as well as racing activities for the young, one event is on the lips of every local drag-racing enthusiast: the quarter-mile (402m) race.

This will be the first time races of this distance - widely regarded as the international standard - will be staged in Singapore.

Said drag racer Derrick Ang, 29: "Previously, we had only 200m races at the Kallang carparks, and the races were too short and over too quickly. So that's why the entire racing community here is very excited about the event."

Indeed, local enthusiasts usually travel to the Pasir Gudang and Sepang circuits in Malaysia to enjoy the thrill of racing.

As there are no instructors to teach them, they hone their skills through repeated racing instead.

Said Mr Paul Tan, 28, a drag racer who also works for local motor company Edge Tuning: "You need quick reflexes to change gears precisely, and you need a cool head not to be distracted by the roar of your rivals' engines and the cheering fans."

His company organises race weekends at Sepang, and as many as 100 cars follow them to the circuit near Kuala Lumpur to race.

Said Mr Tan's colleague, Mr Ken Hooi, the founder of Edge Tuning: "It shows that there is a passionate following for drag racing here.

"The best way to eradicate illegal racing is to provide racers with proper race tracks. Hopefully, with better racing facilities, local enthusiasts won't need to go all the way to Sepang to get their fix."

For a start, they can head to the Carrerista Jamboree and experience the delights of one-on-one drag racing.

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