Singapore pro racer and husband finally race together
One of S'pore's few female pro racers and her husband share a passion for the sport
They have been married for 10 months.
But pro racing couple Claire Jedrek and Yuey Tan, both 34, only managed to race together for the first time on Dec 4 - the season finale of the Malaysia Championship Series in Sepang.
For more than two and a half hours, the couple sat in a race car and took turns to speed their way through 300km of the Sepang International Circuit.
They finished second in the endurance race, which Jedrek had asked Tan to take part in as she needed a partner.
Jedrek, who has been racing in the series for the past three years, said she usually races alone.
"It is usually a sprint race, which is either a half hour-long race or an hour-long endurance race. But they decided to make the finale 300km, which takes almost two hours 40 minutes to complete," she said.
DIFFERENT
"It was a different type of racing where you can have two drivers in the car.
"It was the first time we tried endurance racing together, so it was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time."
She added that she had no disagreements with Tan during the race as everything was decided beforehand. She also gave her engineers feedback on the car to ensure that the race went smoothly.
The couple will be competing together again in February, this time for a six hour-long Bangsaen Festival of Speed endurance race in Thailand.
Jedrek is one of Singapore's few female racers - a distinction that comes with challenges of its own.
"I hear the usual cliched comments about being a female racer. But in general, people have been very supportive.
"I believe it shows in the results, how much time I dedicate to my sport," she said.
"When the helmet goes on, I am seen as a driver first and female second."
"I think females who are directly related to someone in the racing scene are more likely to be intrigued by the sport. We definitely have a lack of females who take part competitively.
"The barriers of entry can be due to lack of knowledge and the costs involved. Racing is more than your average sport. Go-karting is the best way for females to be part of it." Jedrek said her family and friends were not surprised when she decided she wanted to race.
"They were all like, 'oh cool, great' because they were not at all surprised.
"They are happy that I am competitive even in my 30s. Racing gives me a competitive edge."
Jedrek and Tan met in 2012. Tan was organising the Singapore Karting Championship, while Jedrek was the commentator.
The duo opened a go-kart circuit in September, called The Karting Arena, at Bukit Timah. It is 500m long with nine corners.
Jedrek said: "My husband and I want to share our passion for racing through electric go-karting. We want to share motorsports with the masses. Go-karting is for everyone - girls, guys, mothers, brothers and sisters.
"We want to share it with Singapore. It is a good way to educate people about racing."
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