125 Contestants Remain Standing at the 1pm Break on Day 2

Weather proving to be an unpredictable wildcard for contestants

28 October 2018 - 85 local and 40 regional contestants are still in the running for this year’s Grand Prize of a brand-new Subaru XV 2.0i-S, at the 2018 Mediacorp Subaru Car Challenge. Participants from the region have proven themselves to be strong contenders amidst the unpredictable weather – with Thailand putting up a strong showing with zero drop-outs as the Challenge hits the 1pm break on the second day.

Second runner-up from 2017’s Challenge, 33-year-old Filmark Bernante from the Philippines, is still in high spirits 24 hours into the Challenge. “This year’s competition is proving to be one of the most gruelling with the return of many strong participants, but I’m still determined to push on and try my best. The only wildcard is the weather here in Singapore – you never know what you might get the next minute,” said Bernante, who is a fifth-time contender.

First-time participant Seema Thakilan, 33, from Singapore, has found the Challenge every bit as tough as she anticipated. “I feel pain everywhere, and it is not easy standing this long. The support I have gotten from my fellow participants has been key in pushing me on. We might be competing, but we’re all still in this together,” she said. “If I manage to last till the end and win, I’ll be gifting the car to my father – a timely present as the COE on his car will be expiring very soon.”

Supporters will play a crucial role which may make or break the contestants. Additional rest breaks can be given to contestants with supporters who take part in an online game at carchallenge.sg. The top 15 game-scorers on the score board will earn their supported participant an extra five-minute break. The scoreboard will reset after every break and the online game will end upon the last 15 standing contestants.

The Challenge, which returns for its 17th year, brings together a total of 320 local participants and 80 regional participants from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. The hopeful contenders are battling fatigue, sleep deprivation and extreme weather conditions in the Subaru arena at Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza, in hopes of winning the Grand Prize: a brand-new Subaru XV 2.0i-S, worth over S$70,000.

DUO Rewards, the customer loyalty program of Tan Chong International Ltd (TCIL), is also organising an alternative opportunity for members of the public to contribute. For S$5, members of the public can take part in a board game featuring mini cars. All proceeds collected will go towards funding a new school van for the Rainbow Centre, a social service organisation that operates special education schools for persons with disabilities in Singapore. The Rainbow Centre is also a beneficiary under the President’s Star Challenge.

Other ongoing activities at the Challenge today include:

• Performances by Warner Music artistes Disco Hue, Dru Chen and Ffion
• Special Charity Car Challenge with Mediacorp celebrities Chen Hanwei, Pan Ling Ling and Ya Hui Live on-site radio broadcast by GOLD 90.5FM
• Exciting cheerleading competition
• Subaru Public Challenge where one can test how long they can endure and be rewarded with exciting prizes List item 1

To win the Grand Prize, contestants need to place their right palms firmly within the surface area of the palm decals and be the last one standing. They will be given a 5-minute break once every six hours throughout the competition. If the winner breaks the current record of 82 hours and 16 minutes, he or she will also walk away with the car’s Certificate of Entitlement (COE).

In addition to being eligible for the Grand Prize, regional contestants will also compete for additional titles and cash prizes. The title of Regional Winner and a cash prize of S$1,000 will be awarded to the final standing representative of each participating region. The last standing regional contestant will win the Asian Winner title and walk away with an additional S$5,000 cash. The region whose participants have the longest combined standing time, will be awarded the Regional Team Winner title along with a cash prize of S$10,000 to be equally divided among the team.

For more information and updates, please visit toggle.sg/carchallenge.

Jointly issued by Mediacorp and Motor Image Enterprises.