As many of you know, Pride N'Joy has begun venturing into the world of drifting through a collaboration with Tenn, a drift team fresh off a major rebrand. The scene runs on international tournaments, and this past August one of ASEAN's biggest, Drift King, touched down in Malaysia with drivers from across the region, Indonesia included.
The 2024 Drift Kings Asia season opened with two rounds in Malaysia, setting the tone for a high-intensity year. The host country welcomed drivers, fans, and the wider motorsport community, giving both local talent and international names a stage. Defending Malaysian champion Fazreen Ismail returned determined to hold his title against fierce competition, including two Formula Drift drivers making their mark on the Asian tour. Among the standouts was Emmanuel Amandio, Indonesia's celebrated champion and a serious title contender, who qualified fourth with the season finale set for his home country.
The Top 16 went largely to form, but the Top 8 is where the drama ignited. An anticipated clash between RomeCP and Fazreen ended with RomeCP's aggressive push sending him into the wall, advancing Fazreen to the semifinals. Amandio, meanwhile, eliminated Han Bin of China, NDS Supercup winner Alieff Irfan pulled off a surprise to reach the semis, and Malaysian legend Amirul Taufek rounded out the final four. In the semifinals, Fazreen's relentless driving forced a costly mistake from Amandio, while Taufek edged Alieff in a tight battle to set up an all-Malaysian final.
“The Top 16 went largely to form, but the Top 8 is where the drama ignited.”
Round 2 delivered even more surprises. Charles Ng returned from Round 1's technical troubles to grab the top qualifying spot, with RomeCP and Amandio close behind. The first shock came when RomeCP spun out in the Top 16 and was eliminated early. The quarterfinals brought drama and controversy in equal measure: Taufek's incredible chase run overcame the more experienced Ng, and Amandio recovered from a hard collision, ruled to be Alvito's fault, to repair his car and win through to the semis.
The semifinals were electric. Taufek's consistency paid off when a miscalculated contact from the blisteringly fast Umbu led to disqualification, sending Taufek to his second final of the weekend. In the other bracket, the reigning champion met Indonesia's drifting icon, and across two razor-tight runs Amandio outdrove Fazreen to book his place in the final. In the grand final, Amandio's precision and experience gave him the edge over Taufek, closing the Malaysia leg in spectacular fashion.
With Malaysia in the books, all eyes turned to the season finale in Indonesia, scheduled for 6 to 8 December, where the championship would be decided. That round would also host Finissima, marking the 20th anniversary of Drift Kings in grand style.
— Pride N Joy
