Hear that sound? it’s Tang’s dream roaring back to life

SINGAPORE — Two years ago, Andrew Tang thought his dream was over.

The race driver, who was part of McLaren’s young driver development programme in 2012, had just enlisted for National Service (NS), a stint that put the brakes on his budding racing career.

But the 21-year-old did not give up. He continued going to the gym to maintain his fitness and strength while patiently waiting for another opportunity to race for Singapore.

Tang’s patience is set to pay off this weekend, as he makes his debut at the 2016 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) in Shanghai with the Porsche China Junior Team.

Last December, Tang beat out some 100 racing aspirants from China and the rest of Asia to win the inaugural talent search by Porsche China. He was selected from a shortlist of nine drivers for the Porsche China Junior Programme, and was given a contract and sponsorship of 1 million yuan (about S$210,500) to compete in the PCCA’s 2016 season.

The prospect of getting back into a race car — a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup — after a two-year hiatus has left Tang with sleepless nights, as he told TODAY: “There’s a bit of nerves, but I am super excited. Over the past week, it’s the first and last thing on my mind when I wake up, and before I go to bed, and sometimes I have trouble sleeping because I’m just so excited.

“During NS, there were moments when things got depressing as I felt that my dream had been taken away from me. I wanted to give up many times, and honestly I don’t know what kept me going.

“But my parents kept me strong and told me to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.”

Back in the driver’s seat again, Tang is determined to make his rookie season in the PCCA count, beginning with the first of the eight-leg race at the Shanghai International Circuit — which will also host the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix this weekend.

The signs have been encouraging for the young driver, who posted the fourth-fastest time overall (2min 8.224s) in testing in Shanghai last month.

Tang, who will race in the PCCA’s Class “A” championship, and clocked the fastest time of 2min 09.266s at practice yesterday, will be joined this season by two Singaporeans: Defending “B” champion Yuey Tan (Team Jebsen) and Ringo Chong (RC Racing).

Among the 24-strong entry list in the one-make series this season are two-time PCCA runner-up Martin Ragginger of Team Porsche Holding, ex-GP3 driver Mitchell Gilbert (Australia) of Absolute Racing, Kamlung Racing’s Paul-Loup Chatin, a former European Le Mans Series LMP2 champion, and 18-year-old Nico Menzel of PICC Team Starchase, who finished third at last season’s championship.

“It is an amazing circuit and that’s why F1 goes there. It is a technical, exciting track with a fun sequence of corners in the middle,” said Tang.

“There’s some rust to shake off still, but with a bit more track time, I’ll get there. It’s been too long for me out of this sport and I’m just raring to go.

“I would like to finish on the podium in my first race and that would be a great achievement and a great way to come back. I think it’s a realistic goal, and I’ve got to work hard. I hope to keep bagging podium spots, and hopefully a couple of wins at the end of the season. I want to potentially fight for the championship.”

So serious is Tang about his driving that he is considering a move to Shanghai after he reaches his Operationally-Ready Date (ORD) next month in order to be closer to the Porsche team.

While no plans have been confirmed yet, he said: “I am quite close to my family … but it is a necessary sacrifice in order to succeed.

“There are definitely expectations on me because everyone wants to see why they (Porsche China) chose (me) for the Porsche China Junior Programme. They saw something in me, and I will work my ass off to prove that they made the right choice.”

Tang’s dream is to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in four to five years, and fly Singapore’s flag high on the international motor racing circuit.