TV: Reality rally
By KIREN KAUR
Sunday People

ONE wonders what motorsports – the fun, challenging, sometimes muddy but always hot branch of rallying no less – has to do with reality television?

Malaysia’s Next Rally Champion, 5,4,3,2,1… Zero To Hero, the newest foal to emerge from AstroRia’s reality TV stable, promises to unearth new talents in a most unconventional way. If you are expecting a Karamjit Singh vs David Archellata/Cook variety face-off, then you are in for a disappointment. Instead of crooners we have petrol heads. We don’t have Simon Cowell either but then again, Raja Mazli of Wheel Sport Management could do a Paula on us.

“As part of our CSR initiative for this year, we aim to raise the profile of the sport – a reality TV show seems just the ticket to do this” said the CEO of WSM when met at her office recently. Throughout the contest period from May to November, the winners will be decided on a point system. Bonus brownie points could also be awarded, with the prize of a full rally-prepared vehicle going to the winners at the end of the show.

The Oxford English dictionary defines motor rally as a “long-distance competition for motor vehicles over public roads or rough terrain”. Here, rallies are held over two days on closed plantation roads. Essentially the aim of the show is to groom total newbies to be Malaysia’s next rally champion, via a series of challenges for both the driver and navigator.

Saladin Mazlan eat your heart out? Well… not quite. Firstly Saladin now plays polo and secondly, all the 15 teams are newcomers who have never held a competition licence. One enterprising young fellow actually thought he wouldn’t be found out on that rule, but he was. Last minute contestant and VP of the Perdana V-Sixers Club Alex Yue says: “It started the minute I lent my Perdana to Karamjit Singh. I sat, speechless, in the passenger seat while he deftly drove the car to the mamak shop.”

And so began his passion for motorsports. The other contestants also cited Karam as their hero, though a very politically-correct answer came from lawyer Wong Ying Loon who cited Mohd Rafiq Udaya (who competes in a Satria Neo) as his personal favourite. “Everyone in the sport is so friendly and cool. Rafiq said for us to just come to the event and he paid for food and the hotel,” says the president of the Satria Neo owners club.The contestants are so green behind the ears that many of them could not name a World Rally Champion favourite, having not viewed a single event!

There will surely be plenty of excitement in the show which will be broadcast in Bahasa Malaysia. Among the contestants are women, siblings, married partners, a couple who are competing against each other and even the son of former sports darling, Marina Chin. A veritable Amazing Race meets Who Wants To Be A Superhero? The first episode will air in early October.

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