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 drifting demonstrations by popular drivers including Choi Jun.
Kim Si-ho, 17, from Seongnam, Gyeonggi province, said, "It was great to be able to ride in cars you don't usually get to see," adding, "I'm studying an automotive field, and I think it will help with my career path."
A Toyota Gazoo Racing (GR) booth in the center of the venue drew steady traffic from motorsports fans, with attention on display models such as the GR86 sports car and a GR Supra stock car. Some visitors also tried a simulator set up separately.
In a drifting ride-along with a professional driver, participants felt the car push outward at higher speeds in an understeer moment, then swing into oversteer as the rear slid and the vehicle began circling. Organizers said the GR86's low center of gravity helped keep the spins stable.
The Boryeong·AMA International Motor Festival began in 2011 as an on-campus event at Ajou Motor College. It has since grown into a major local festival alongside Boryeong's Mud Festival, becoming a regional signature event within five years of being held around Boryeong Beach. Organizers said more than 140,000 people attended on the first day of the opening ceremony.
Park Sang-hyeon, a professor in Ajou Motor College's motorsports program, said the event is widening exchanges with overseas drivers centered on key disciplines such as gymkhana and drifting.
"Our goal is to gradually expand the scale and grow it beyond Korea into the No. 1 motor festival in Asia," Park said.
This year's gymkhana Asia top-eight exchange event included many drivers from Asian countries including Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan who are active in an organization under the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, organizers said. They said they plan to strengthen the event's international competition character through a broader global network.
Organizers also said discussions are underway to bring in global brands beyond Toyota, saying participation by major automakers could 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, adding that the number of domestic and overseas manufacturers seeking to participate continues to rise and the event could be larger next year.
Boryeong officials also said they want to make the motor 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.
"We will foster it as one of Boryeong's two major festivals along with the Mud Festival," Kim said.
Ajou Motor College said it is emphasizing its role linking education and industry, with ambitions to boost the region through international exchange. President Han Myeong-seok said students took part in planning and running the event.
"This event is a hands-on educational site where students participate in the entire process from planning to operations," Han said. "We will grow it into a platform that connects industry, the region and talent."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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