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Expect thrills and spills at Singapore F1 By Asha Popatlal/Patwant Singh, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 07 September 2008 1811 hrs SINGAPORE: Singapore will host the world's first Formula One city night race at the end of this month. But the entire race track will be lit up as if it was daylight. With F1 cars whizzing by at speeds of up to 300 kilometres per hour on what are essentially just city streets, fans can expect some spills and thrills. The excitement begins from the start at the pit straight where drivers line up for a 61-lap race on a track that is just over 5 kilometres and has 23 turns. From Turns 2 to Turns 4, spectators will get to see the power of an F1 car as top drivers overtake and establish their leads. But if it is speed fans are after, they have to wait till Turn 6. The fastest corner on any street circuit ever, Turn 6 is where cars could go faster than 300 kilometres an hour. Spills could be likely at Turn 7 - one of the best overtaking opportunities - as cars slow down to take a sharp left. If it is the best seats fans are after, they should try the Grandstands at Turn 8. Here, cars will whizz by heritage buildings like the old Supreme Court and the colonial Anderson Bridge, creating a backdrop similar to Monaco's Casino Square. Spectators would have to agree that the bridge will definitely be one of the most unique features of the Singapore F1 track. But from a technical perspective, it will also be challenging for the drivers. Only the left side of the bridge will be used, and at 8-metre wide, will be the narrowest part of the circuit. The difficulty does not end there. After crossing the bridge, the cars will approach Turn 13, which is the tightest turn on the circuit. There will be more excitement at Turns 8 and 14 - where it may look like cars are going to crash into one another, because of the way the circuit is designed - slower cars come down one way and faster cars go up the other in an unusual two turns. Cars will then whizz past Raffles Avenue, where there will be another overtaking opportunity before reaching the Bayfront where a wrong move could possibly land a driver into hot water. Water is not the only concern for the drivers, as this is also the slowest part of the track, working the brakes hard and really testing the drivers' skills. After running along the waterfront in front of the Bay Grandstand, the cars actually turn beneath the grandstand itself at Turn 18 - another aspect of the track that sets it apart from the rest. After that, a few more turns and the cars will be back at the Pit Building for a thrilling end to the race. the reporter fails to report on the following things 1) racer has to stop every traffic lights and look out for mobile speed camera 2) racer must ensure enough funds in their cashcard for night erps charges (schedule a pitstop to topup cashcard0

ANOTHER F1 WANNABE The Straits Times, 20th May 2008 by Carolyn Quek A LORRY ferrying foreign workers flipped onto its side early yesterday morning, sending 20 men tumbling out. No one was badly injured when the open-top vehicle carrying Bangladeshi workers crashed into the centre divider along Farrer Road. The accident - the latest in a string of similar ones involving crews of foreign workers - happened on the Farrer Flyover at about 5.30am as the lorry was travelling towards Queensway. The driver, a Bangladeshi national, was unhurt. All except two of the 21 passengers - 20 at the back and one in the front passenger seat - escaped with scratches. One man fractured his finger while another had a bruised forehead and complained of dizziness. Such accidents have been on the rise. In January, five lorries were in two separate collisions within seconds of each other along Pioneer Road, injuring 53 foreign workers. Many were hit by the planks they had been sitting on. Last year, 184 workers were injured in similar accidents. Two were killed. This was an increase over 2006's casualty toll which stood at 81, with five dead and 76 others injured. There is a 60kmh speed limit on vehicles ferrying workers, as well as limits to how many are allowed to be packed on board. The Land Transport Authority said 226 goods vehicles were caught with too many workers on the decks last year, down from 293 in 2006.