SERDANG: Anyone who watched the intense battle between cars 11 and 12 during the recent Vios Challenge Super Sporting Race 2 in MAEPS, Selangor will agree that what they witnessed in the 16 lap race was a showcase of skill, determination and simply outstanding motor racing between the two drivers where no quarter was asked nor given.
The chaser in Car 12 was Vios Challenge championship leader and Prince of Drift Tengku Djan who relentlessly piled on the pressure until he himself clashed with the chasing William Ho and retiring from the race four laps from the end allowing Car 11’s driver to take his maiden victory in the series and the respect of everyone who was privileged to have watched the race either live or in cyberspace.
What comes as a surprise is that the driver of Car 11 who kept his head, fending off the pressure from the double winner was not a seasoned veteran with decades of battles under his belt, but a fresh-faced racer who wasn’t even born the year Tengku Djan began racing.
Mitchell Cheah’s Car 11 (right) being pursued by Tengku Djan during the Vios Challenge Super Sporting Race 2 in MAEPS, Selangor.
Mitchell Cheah who will remain a teenager till his birthday in March this year is currently in the first year of college, pursuing a diploma in business and his bookish looks hides the fact that this young man has been driving around circuits for a good part of his life.
As the eldest son in a family of five, Mitchell tended to pursue the many activities his father Anthony indulged in.
“My father was a big sportsman who spent a lot of time indulging in football, badminton, table tennis, pool, swimming, golf, go-karting, anything that kept him active. I used to follow him to all kinds of activities and at around seven, we went to the go-kart circuit in Shah Alam. He put me in a car and I tried my hand at it for a year or so. There were so many kinds of sporting activities to explore at that time, I didn’t take an immediate interest in racing,” said Mitchell.
“My siblings took after my mother who is musically-inclined. They all play musical instruments but I don’t. Instead, I play a lot of sports including golf which I had a passion for at one time. I gave it up because it takes too much time and now, I spend most of my energy on dodgeball, futsal and motor racing,”
Vios Challenge racer Mitchell Cheah holding aloft his Junior trophy.
“When I was around 11 my dad re-introduced me to karting and this time, the interest began to build. Seeing as I enjoyed it, my Dad and my ‘godfather’ Ng Wai Leong who runs a driver development programme, encouraged me to undergo a development programme to see how far I could go in the sport,”
“I went to Europe at 12 to train and I even entered a race in Belgium. I achieved a top 20 finish but it also opened my eyes to the fact that I needed to work very hard to get good results. When I came back, I continued to train and with the help of Wai Leong, I managed to win the Asia Max Championship at the age of 15,”
Moving from karting, Mitchell began exploring other forms of circuit racing including formula cars where he had some measure of success with but the biggest achievement came in 2017 when he swept to a surprising and well-deserved Malaysian Championship Series (MCS) title.
Vios Challenge racer Mitchell Cheah with his mentor Ng Wai Leong.
While the series championship was a feather in his cap, there was still a question of his ability to win individual races. “Prior to this, I wasn’t mentally strong enough to win races because everytime I was in the lead, I would get nervous or lose my focus. I tended to finish behind the winner so I had to draw every ounce of strength to win the last Vios Challenge race in Serdang,”
“Before the start of that race, I was a nervous wreck. I was screaming under my helmet to get myself to calm down. I knew that Djan would try every way to pass and I needed to focus. I knew that as long as I was covering the corners where he would try to pass, I should be fine. But that was easier said than done because it he was relentless and I took quite a long time to calm down. Even when Djan dropped out, I was still worried as I knew the bumper had come lose,”
“It was only when I saw the flag that I knew I had broken the jinx and won a race from the front. It was such an awesome feeling,” said an elated Mitchell.
Vios Challenge racer Mitchell Cheah (right) and his father Anthony.
“Getting into the Vios Challenge was a great move for me. As a racing driver, I wanted to know where I stood as all the cars are identical with no mechanical advantage. It is truly a great platform for any driver wanting to prove his worth and hopefully, I have done that by winning my first race,”
“I hope that this will be the opportunity to move on to a career in motor racing where I become a professional racer. That would be my hope for the future,” he concluded.
Keyword: Toyota Vios Challenge winner: Mitchell Cheah, a teen racer