Thailand has a habit of reminding you that motorsport doesn’t need to be polished, predictable, or even sensible to be brilliant.
I’ve spent a good portion of 2025 based in Bangkok exploring opportunities in and outside of the motorsport sphere.
Once you spend enough time travelling here, you realise the country runs on a different frequency. Creative, loud, occasionally chaotic, and deeply passionate. Motorsport is no exception.
You’ll find everything from pristine GT3 cars (I’ve enjoyed many successes and experiences racing in Thailand going back 10 years) to backyard-engineered madness, often separated by nothing more than a few kilometres of road.
That contrast is what makes it addictive.
One of the more surreal chapters recently has been PSC Motorsport’s “Hondaghini” – literally a Lamborghini Super Trofeo chassis with a Honda K20 engine transplant. Blasphemy to some. Genius to others.
I watched the car shake down at Bira Circuit recently and it was impossible not to smile, and maybe laugh a bit…the conflict of sight and sound were unreal.
The execution is clever, and the intent unapologetic. A full carbon body and DRS fitted, this machine was built (or modified) to fit in the endurance racing series here for small touring cars. It took on its first race, a 12hr at Buriram, and took a lights to flag victory.
I’m now talking with the team about jumping in that car and their more traditional GT machinery this year. Thailand has a way of opening doors you didn’t know existed.
Then there was Bangkok SoupedUp – one of the flagship drag racing events in the country. If you haven’t experienced night drags in the capital, it’s an impeccable vibe. Every sense was tingling as I stood in prime viewing (thanks to my mates at MTEC Automotive) with a cold beer and saw diesel utes, honda civics and everything in between, with 1000hp or more seemingly the baseline for drag machines here.
Much like the Hondaghini, I was baffled by seeing 8 second passes from utes and family wagons that seemingly should have had no right doing so. Motorsport is full of surprises, particularly when you switch codes.
At Buriram, in the North, we race at a multi-purpose facility that also houses Chang Stadium, home of the local (and champion) football team. But on selected nights, the huge concrete parking concourse is transformed into a makeshift drag strip for…scooters. We’re talking little to no fearings, skinny tyres (not much wider than a bicycle) and in most cases just a helmet with a t-shirt and jeans combo the preferred safety attire.
Still on my list is longboat river racing. It’s not circuit racing, but it’s motorsport in spirit. Crews, strategy, endurance, and national pride played out on water, in the many rivers typically in the more Northern parts of Thailand. The season kicks off in a few months, and I plan to be there with a cold Chang in my hand…iced, how the locals have it 🍻🇹🇭
Until next time!
Jono