Pada akhir tahun 80-an, dunia mengalami ledakan ekonomi. Electrolux turut berkembang maju dan mereka membuat keputusan untuk menaja perlumbaan kereta di Malaysia. Mereka memilih untuk menyertai Kumpulan A, iaitu kelas perlumbaan paling popular ketika itu dan yang mendapat banyak masa siaran di televisyen.
Leif telah ditanya: “Mahu memandu?” Mereka tahu bahawa beliau pernah bertanding dalam motocross dan memiliki beberapa buah kereta sport. Kini beliau ditawarkan peluang untuk memandu sebuah Toyota Levin dalam kejohanan tersebut.
Leif sebenarnya belum pernah duduk apatah lagi berlumba dalam sebuah kereta perlumbaan sebelum ini. Namun, saya perasan sepanjang perbualan kami, Leif jarang menolak peluang atau melepaskan sebarang kesempatan. Jadi, beliau pun menjawab “Ya”.
Toyota tersebut menunjukkan prestasi yang baik dan pada tahun berikutnya, mereka membuat pelaburan yang lebih besar dengan memasuki Super Saga Series yang lebih eksklusif. Mereka berlumba menggunakan Proton Saga, sebuah kereta Kumpulan 5 dengan enjin 1600 cc dan 160 kuasa kuda.
Kereta tersebut dihantar dalam bentuk separuh siap kepada pasukan. Monocoque (rangka utama) telah siap, tetapi Leif sendiri mereka bentuk sistem suspensi, brek dan penyerap hentakan. Beliau pernah melakukan kerja-kerja kejuruteraan sebegini sebelum ini, tetapi untuk motosikal. Kini, beliau mereka bentuk dan membina dua buah Proton Saga untuk pasukannya.
Setiap pagi, seawal 7:00 pagi, beliau akan memandu kereta yang telah dipanaskan untuk ujian selama satu jam sebelum trek dibuka untuk sesi latihan rasmi. Trek perlumbaan tersebut sentiasa penuh sepanjang tahun, jadi peluang mesti dimanfaatkan sepenuhnya. Dari tingkap pejabatnya, Leif akan memerhati jika ada pesaing lain yang turun ke trek. Selepas itu, beliau akan melukis semula, membina, menguji, mencuba idea baru — mereka, membina, menguji.
Apabila saya cuba menyentuh tentang sebarang masalah atau keraguan yang mungkin mereka hadapi, Leif hanya melihat saya dengan sedikit kehairanan, seolah-olah beliau tidak pernah terfikir tentang masalah. Jadi, saya berhenti bertanya tentang kemungkinan masalah.
Seolah-olah prinsip Leif adalah: “Jangan fikir tentang masalah jika apa yang kamu fikirkan itu masalah.“
Sepanjang perbualan ini, saya sedar:
Saya sepatutnya membawa perakam suara!
Sejak awal, pasukan Leif menunjukkan prestasi yang sangat baik, dan pada tahun kedua, mereka memenangi kejohanan dengan Alex Yoong di belakang stereng. (Alex Yoong, yang kemudian menjadi pemandu Formula 1 untuk Minardi, tetapi menurut Leif, “Minardi terlalu laju untuk Alex”).
Leif sendiri hanya menyertai beberapa perlumbaan jemputan sahaja.
Electrolux lebih mengutamakan pemandu tempatan untuk meningkatkan kesan pemasaran. Perlumbaan ketika itu sangat popular dan menarik ramai penonton, serta mendapat banyak liputan di TV. Electrolux berpuas hati.
Namun, sekali-sekala, Leif turut dijemput berlumba. Kadang-kadang beliau baru pulang dari urusan perniagaan, tanpa masa latihan langsung, memulakan perlumbaan dari tempat terakhir — dan tetap berlumba dengan penuh semangat.
ENGLISH VERSION
In the late 80s, the world experienced an economic boom, Electrolux was doing well and they decided to sponsor the Malaysian car racing. They chose to enter Group A, which was the most popular class at the time and which was given a lot of airtime on TV. Leif was asked: “Do you want to drive?” They knew that he had competed in motocross and that he owned a few sports cars. Now he was offered a drive in a Toyota Levin in the championship. Leif had never sat in, let alone competed in, a racing car. I soon noticed during our conversation that Leif was rarely asked to drive or missed a chance. So he answered Yes.
The Toyota was doing well and the following year they invested in the even more exclusive Super Saga series and drove a Proton Saga, a Group 5 car with 1600 cc and 160 horsepower. The car was delivered to the team in semi-finished form. The monocoque was ready, but Leif designed the suspension, brakes and shock absorbers himself. He has done this before, but then it was for motorcycles. Now he designs and creates two Proton Sagas for the team. In the mornings at 7:00 he then gets into a warmed-up car, ready for an hour of testing before the track opens for official practice. It is fully booked all year round, so it is important to take advantage. From the window of his office he can then keep an eye on whether any competitors are going out for a test session. Then he redesigns, builds, tests. Tries new solutions. Constructs, builds, tests.
When I occasionally try to introduce a thought about problems or possible doubts they have had, he looks at me a little from the side with a hint of surprise in his eyes, so I soon stop my problematic musings before I have time to give them air. “Don’t reflect if it is problems you are reflecting on.” That is what he seems to think. Of course without even approaching the thought, he doesn’t seem to see, or reflect, in that direction.
So far in our conversation I have come to the realization: I should have had a tape recorder!
The team is doing very well from the start, and the second year the team wins the championship with Alex Yoong behind the wheel. (Alex Yoong, later an F1 driver for Minardi, but they were “too fast for Alex”, according to Leif). Leif himself only drives a few invitational races. Electrolux wants domestic drivers in the cars to have as much impact as possible. Racing is popular and attracts large crowds of spectators. The series gets a lot of airtime on TV. Electrolux is happy. But sometimes Leif is still invited as a driver. Then he can show up, from a business trip, on Saturday and without practice time, get to start last and drive like hell. Especially in the rain. Then he wins.
Photo credit :
Wayne Phang, Amirul Had
REPORTAGET SOM ALDRIG BLEV KLART : https://ssij.nu/gamla_sidan/Norberg14.htm
Super Saga Race dalam Shell Centenary Race Series 1991
Alan Yong : Petronas EON Racing Team
Yoong Yin Fah : Team Shell Electrolux
Ron Lim : Petronas EON Racing Team
Super Saga in action!
Yoong Yin Fah dengan Super Saga No-11, Team Shell Electrolux
Batu Tiga – Proton Championship
