In late July, we spent the day and night racing around a Grade 1 FIA track in the northeast of Thailand. The exclusive experience was hosted by automotive enthusiast community HCD Thailand and featured a range of vehicles from lightweight sports cars like the Caterham 7 to high-performance vehicles like the Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Participants also ranged from passionate enthusiasts to professional race car drivers — providing an exciting and educational environment.
Despite being a 200-mile trek from the capital city of Bangkok, the event, located at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, drew over 130 attendees and more than 80 different cars. Yosathorn "Bon" Silapabanleng one of the founding members of HCD and host of the track day noted that their events weren't always this large but that it all started with a small group chat of about seven people on social media.
Silapabanleng, a commercial furniture magnate and passionate automotive enthusiast, shared that he loves to track his cars and would often ask his friends to join. What started off small is now a regular occurrence for the group of over 170 members, with roughly four track days organized a year.
What made this particular event special, was that it was the first time the group had rented out a Grade 1 FIA track for both the day and night sessions, something that's not easy to do, as the circuit is usually fully booked a year in advance. It's also worth noting that the Chang International Circuit is perhaps a bit underestimated in the global motorsport scene but a track that deserves some serious recognition. Designed by renowned German architect Hermann Tilke and inaugurated in 2014, the track is one of very few in the world to meet the standards of both the FIM and FIA — allowing it to host both car and motorcycle events.
What's more, the circuit hosts several major motorsport events, including MotoGP (Grand Prix of Thailand), the World Superbike Championship, and the Asian Le Mans Series. As for its stats, the track runs 4.554 kilometers or 2.830 miles long and features 12 turns, with turn 9 often catching people off guard — us included. It has a solid mix of long straights and tight corners, making it a challenging and exciting course for drivers and riders. The overall venue is also impressively large, with the capability of accommodating up to 100,000 spectators, with 50,000 seated in the grandstands and additional capacity in various areas around the circuit.
Sharing more on his passion for motorsport with Hypedrive, Silapabanleng said "I have loved cars since I was a boy. I watched F1 and other races like Le Mans and the Carrera Cup. I've always loved the Porsche 911 because of their racing heritage."
Despite having a significant collection, Silapabanleng expressed that he doesn't view himself as a collector by label, as he loves to "blast" all of his cars. If he had to put a title on it, he said he would refer to himself as a Porsche enthusiast, with some of his favorite cars at the time of writing being his 1988 3.2 Club Sport, 2016 911R and 2011 997.2 GT3. As for his dream lineup, Silapabanleng aims to own every generation of 911 (at least one car per generation) in order to experience the driving characteristics of each.
"Enable drivers of all skills to experience the performance capabilities of their cars."
In terms of the event itself, he expressed that the goal of the HCD track day is to enable drivers of all skills to experience the performance capabilities of their cars at the highest safety level possible — namely in the sense of run-off area, medical staff and driving instructors — creating the opportunity to learn advanced driving techniques that can make for better daily driving.
"It is my passion that I want to track my cars and meet people with the same passion as me. We like an easy-going event where people can meet & greet and have a relaxed atmosphere," stated Silapabanleng.
Of the 80 plus cars brought to the event, an overwhelming amount were Porsche, representing over 30 vehicles. This was followed by 13 BMWs, 12 Toyotas and four McLarens. Some of the most notable vehicles included a 997 Cup Car, 992 GT3RS, 911R, 987 Gemballa, McLaren 765LT, Lotus Cup 260 and many more.
During our time at the circuit, we were treated to several hot laps in vehicles like the 992 GT3 RS, Caterham 7 and even a 964 C2 Cabriolet — one of only two air-cooled vehicles present during the track day. During one of our laps, we rode with instructor and Aston Martin race car driver Tar Ananthorn in a 997 Cup Car, roaring and racing past vehicles like the McLaren 765LT, Porsche 992 GT3 RS and more, exceeding speeds of 240 km/h or 150 mph.
We also caught up with Don Vatanatham, a race car driver for the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team Thailand. Having been racing since he was 18, we were curious to hear his thoughts on the HCD track day. Notably, he shared that his favorite part about the event and others like it, is seeing the variety of vehicles and seeing them being driven properly.
"The noises and the views are just serene. Also to see owners using their cars, all the way from Peugeot 205s and E30s up to McLarens and Porsches to their full potential and surprising even the owners themselves, that makes me happy. Ultimately it’s the community, being around people who share the same passion as you and enjoy the same things as you, that’s my favorite part."
"If in doubt, go flat out!"
While participating as an enthusiast, Vatanatham was also present at the event as one of the key driving instructors. He helped to guide drivers in learning more about the limitations of their vehicles and how to deal with trouble when it arises. Notably, Vatanatham highlighted the "early turn in" as one of the biggest mistakes he sees new track drivers make, explaining that they'll often try and get to the apex of the turn too quickly, losing their exit advantage. He added that a late apex is better, with the benefit being a wider exit, stating "This is useful on the road as well, as sometimes you don’t know how the road ahead is, and a late apex will mean your car is already straightening out on the exit of the corner, capable of turning more if necessary. As the old saying goes, slow in fast out."
In contrast to the above, Vatanatham also shared more about his passion for racing, expressing that it's almost like a meditation for him. "You get locked into your own world, and everything else fades away, inside your head is just blank. Accelerate, brake, turn, repeat. No other thoughts cross your mind, it’s just you and the car," adding "If in doubt, go flat out!"
With the track event running from day to night, there was also plenty of downtime between laps, with guests being treated to endless coffee, a dinner buffet and racing simulators. During the downtime, we were able to check out many of the stunning cars and mingle with industry-leading attendees like Sihabutr "Tenn" Xoomsai of Thailand's leading Porsche magazine Das Treffen, Marisa & Rungroj of the 911 Assistant showroom, Warren Adulayavichitr of performance tuner Autowerks Asia and many others.
"Always room to grow"
During our chat with Das Treffen's Xoomsai, we found it quite interesting that despite being a veteran of the space and champion of car culture in Thailand, one of the things he looked forward to the most from the track day was learning from instructors — expressing that there is always room to grow. He also shared that his favorite part of the event and perhaps one of the best experiences of his life, was getting to drive the 997 Cup Car.
In conversation with 911 Assistant, we aimed to understand their passion for Porsche and also what makes a car more than just a tool to get from point A to B. They shared that "It must be the character of the car that suits us, the focus on simplicity yet outstanding performance — inherently imbued with design artistry. We love air-cooled cars for their uniqueness and quality, viewing them as art from an era before mass production."
The two further explained that when a driver falls in love with a car, it becomes more than a machine but rather art to be experienced. They highlighted that this is particularly present when it comes to air-cooled vehicles, as the absence of modern technological aid requires the driver to truly connect with the vehicle.
"We constantly improve ourselves to push driving limits safely, becoming one with the machine and unlocking its full potential as designed. Like horses were once our travel companions to travel and discover new places, cars are now our modern-day adventure partners, ready to help us explore the world," they expressed, in a sentiment we couldn't agree with more.
From the sights and sounds of vehicles flying by to the smell of fuel and rubber, our time with HCD is not something we'll soon forget. Catch a glimpse at the adrenaline-filled day for yourself in our latest video on Hypedrive.
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