Over the last weekend, Kegani Racing held a track day for their members. This year, they decided to invite media to their event to promote their one-make series and give us the opportunity to experience their track day firsthand. It was a fantastic experience for us, especially since we know our skills are not at the level of professional racing drivers. During the event, we had the chance to learn from some of the more experienced drivers.

Who is Kegani Racing?

Kegani Racing is a company dedicated to enhancing engine performance and providing high-quality, tested upgrades for various vehicle makes and models. With years of experience in motorsports, the company offers race engine supplies, car builds, maintenance, race team management, and driver training. Their expertise, proven through victories in the Merdeka Millennium Endurance 2007 and Sepang 1000km 2010, enables them to develop competitive and reliable race engines for both street and circuit use.

Founder Kenny Lee, a champion racer and experienced tuner, has been deeply involved in racing since 1998, excelling in endurance races and mentoring new talents. With a focus on safety, accuracy, and speed, Kegani Racing continues to support motorsports growth while delivering top-tier performance solutions.

The SkillDrvn Program

One of Kegani Racing’s flagship events is SkillDrvn, also known as the Kegani Racing Academy. Based in Klang, Malaysia, this driving school focuses on driver training and development, aiming to cultivate championship-winning racers. The academy offers programs designed to make motorsports accessible, enjoyable, and sustainable.

In 2025, the Kegani Racing Academy will host the third season of the SKILLDRVN One-Make Race Series, featuring five rounds in partnership with the Malaysia Speed Festival at the Petronas Sepang International Circuit. Additionally, the series will introduce the SKILLDRVN Swift Supercup Pro-Series, a new category aimed at professional drivers to elevate the level of competition.

Track Day Experience

Coming back to the track day, we started with a quick briefing from the Kegani Racing crew and Mr. Kenny Lee. Kegani Racing prepared two vehicles for us to take on the track and test our driving skills.

The first vehicle was a Perodua Axia, previously used in the K-car racing series. The second was a Suzuki Swift, currently under development with Kegani Racing. The Swift is still in its development phase, as Kegani Racing is preparing the vehicle for next year’s higher-level races.

We began our drive with five practice laps. I started with the Swift Sport first, and it wasn’t easy to handle since I was still getting used to driving a manual on track. The car skidded under braking, making it difficult to control for someone inexperienced with manual transmissions. However, when I switched to the Perodua Axia, it was much easier to handle at the limit. This is because the Axia is practically a stock vehicle—Kegani Racing only stripped the interior, added a roll cage, replaced the driver’s seat with a bucket seat, and made some alignment adjustments. These modifications made the car very easy to drive at the limit.

Setting Hot Laps

After lunch, we went out to set our hot laps in the two cars prepared for us.

I first set my hot laps in the Perodua Axia. While it wasn’t the fastest car on track, it was incredibly fun to drive. Despite its modest performance, the Axia provided an enjoyable experience for all of us in the media. During my hot lap, I managed to clock a fastest time of 3 minutes and 18 seconds. Around the track, the Axia was surprisingly chuckable. Without ABS, braking required a delicate touch, but since we were driving on a dry track, the grip levels were quite high. Given that it’s nearly a stock vehicle, I was pleasantly surprised that the brakes held up well under the stress we put them through.

Moving on to the Suzuki Swift, the experience felt more refined after driving the Axia. Stepping up from the Axia gave me more confidence in handling the Swift. I was able to control the car better, and it felt much more stable. During my hot lap, I managed a fastest time of 2 minutes and 58 seconds—just slightly slower than the professional drivers, who clocked around 2 minutes and 55 seconds at Sepang.

Another aspect SkillDrvn wanted us to experience was the new Bendix Ultimate brake pads and rotors. The brakes were impressively durable, handling all the punishment without fading. However, I felt the brake pedal could be slightly higher to provide better feedback to the driver.

Riding with the Pros

After our hot laps, we had the opportunity to go on another session with SkillDrvn drivers. I was paired with Artisha Tan, one of the racers in the SkillDrvn One-Make Race. While I managed a fastest lap of 3 minutes and 2 seconds in her car, she consistently clocked around the 3-minute mark. This was impressive, as she outperformed many male drivers on the track.

photo source: Artisha Tan’s FB

We ended the day with a session led by Mr. Kenny Lee, who took us out in one of the OMR Swifts. During the drive with him, I quickly realized many of the flaws in my driving technique. There’s so much to learn, and one track day is simply not enough time to fully absorb and apply all the knowledge gained.

Join the Next Track Day

If you’re interested in learning to drive on track, SkillDrvn will be hosting their next track day in May. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about high-performance driving in a safe yet fast environment. If you’d like to give it a try, you can contact Yin Yi at 0166969663 or Ju at 0126866177. You can also fill out this form: https://forms.gle/zsH8H6YfwrX4AQzz6.