For those who were following the SEA motorsports scene from the 90s to the early 2000’s then you know what the name Karamjit Singh means. He’s chalked up the most number of wins in both Malaysian and Asia Pacific rally events, going head to head with the likes of Possum Bourne and Monster Tajima (former Pikes Peak record holder). The crowning moment for Karamjit Singh however was when he became the first and only Asian to win the 2002 FIA Production World Rally Championship title while piloting a Proton PERT Rally car.
Needless to say he’s Malaysia’s very own Bunta Fujiwara, only that he’s a living legend. A fact that we had the pleasure to witness not once but 5 times over! Here are our top 5 Karamjit Singh moments with Route Hunters in ascending order.
5. Karamjit at Historicon
Take a rally prepped Impreza, set a slalom course on the MAEPS grounds and strap Karamjit Singh to the driving seat and you will get one of the best thrill rides in Malaysia. Lucky visitors of the show had a dizzying and exciting ride at the event, and we have that on video
4. Rocketing to the Podium in Rally of Perlis 2017
It was a pleasure to see Karamjit Singh back behind the wheel of a 4WD turbo rally car as he raced towards the top spot on the Podium at 2017’s Rally of Perlis. With fresh VERV-X liveries and his car at a far better shape than before, it was a joy to watch the clean and efficient drive from Karamjit.
3. Karamjit on Kuala Kelawang
Yours truly have never experience such a clean drive at THAT pace on Kuala Kelawang ever before. The participants of the Merdeka Drive by Route Hunters last year were a lucky bunch as they got to witness the master himself take a class on B-Roads driving ethics. He kept it very safe, was very aware of oncoming traffic, and yet set a pace that kept even the Porsche’s and BMW’s busy with a Peugeot 208 GTi. We were also rewarded with a lovely handbrake turn at the end of the drive!
2. A quest for Fish Head Curry
A 7 series is a lot of things. A status symbol, a luxury saloon, a high tech vehicle, the list goes on. But as a fellow 7 series owner, Karamjit Singh saw another side to it. With 4 Route Hunter’s on board, he got us to Raub and back in no time and hustled this big techno barge saloon through some B-road corners with complete ease. It was truly a surreal experience, and a high octane intro to the youngest team members to who Karamjit Singh is.
- GT credentials tested
And finally, there was that one time Karamjit Singh got behind the wheels of an Optima GT. Some manufacturers boldly stick GT badges on cars and hope to make it a performance variant. We wanted to see if this Kia truly deserved its GT badge. Who better to put it to the test on such a twisty and demanding road like the Janda Baik pass than the man himself?
Besides being an absolute sport, an ardent fan of rock and roll, a World Champion rally driver, Karamjit Singh is a strong advocate of road safety. Not once during any of this drive did he put himself or others at danger, nor did he ever let the back seat passengers sit unbuckled. A true passionate individual whose literally got Rallying imprinted on his blood cells, we should all take the time to learn something from him. Happy Birthday champ, here’s to many more wins and more action behind the wheel from you!
