On May 2, the area around the Mud Expo Plaza in Boryeong, South Chungcheong province, filled early with engine noise and cheers. At the gymkhana and drifting venues, the sound of tires scraping the pavement rarely let up.
Drivers competed under the same conditions in Toyota Prius hybrid vehicles. Fans also raised smartphones to record drift demonstrations by popular drivers including Choi Jun.
"It was great to be able to ride in cars you don’t usually get to see," said Kim Si-ho, 17, from Seongnam, Gyeonggi province. "I’m studying in an auto-related field, and I think it will help with my career path."
At the Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) booth in the center of the venue, motorsports fans gathered around display models including the GR86 and GR Supra stock car. Some visitors also tried a simulator set up to experience sports-car performance.
In a drift ride-along with a professional driver, participants felt the car’s limits. As speed increased, the vehicle showed understeer, pushing outward. When the rear wheels broke loose into oversteer, the car began to rotate. Thanks to the GR86’s low center of gravity, it could spin repeatedly in place while remaining stable, the report said.
Launched in 2011 as an on-campus event at Ajou Motor College, the Boryeong·AMC International Motor Festival has grown into a major local attraction alongside the Boryeong Mud Festival. Now in its fifth year near Boryeong Beach, it has established itself as a signature event for the city. Organizers said more than 140,000 people attended on the first day, including the opening ceremony.
In this year’s gymkhana Asia top-eight exchange event, many drivers from Asian countries including Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan took part, including participants active in an organization under the International Automobile Federation, the report said. Organizers said they plan to strengthen the event’s international character through a broader global network.
Discussions are also underway to bring in global brands beyond Toyota. Organizers expect participation by major automakers to expand experience programs and raise the event’s industrial value.
Park said the festival has grown to a global scale with support for grassroots motorsports from Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda. He added that the number of domestic and overseas manufacturers seeking to participate continues to rise, increasing the likelihood the event will be larger next year.
Boryeong also said it wants to make the festival a core local attraction. Mayor Kim Dong-il said about 200,000 people visited last year’s event, generating an estimated 19 billion won in production-inducing effects. He said the city will develop it into one of its two flagship festivals alongside the Mud Festival.
The college said it is emphasizing its role linking education and industry. Han Myeong-seok, president of Ajou Motor College, said students took part in planning and operating the event from start to finish. "We will grow the event into a platform that connects industry, the region and talent," he said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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