Apex 2 Apex: What Sim-Racing Means

At Hwa Chong, Sabbatical Week gives students the chance not only to explore new interests, but also to take ownership of learning by designing and running programmes for their peers. In this reflection, Ethan shares how organising Apex 2 Apex, a student-led simulation racing sabbatical where participants experience motorsports through realistic racing simulators, taught him and his team valuable lessons in planning, adaptability, teamwork and leadership. 

Written by: Ethan Leow Jun Lei (4O2, 2026)

At the start of the year, my team, consisting of Kou Ern Hao, Chu Lu Chi, Lin Jiarui, Lewis Lee and me, decided to challenge ourselves by doing something we had never attempted before: starting a sabbatical focused on simulation racing. At first, we expected that with hours of planning, we would be able to make this sabbatical an enjoyable experience for everyone, not just for the students but also for the instructors.

However, just when we thought everything was under control, we found ourselves scrambling on the first day. Many things went wrong, and our plans had to be changed constantly throughout the day. This included decisions such as when to let students go for breaks and when they could use the simulators. In a way, the students driving at incredible speeds and crashing all over the place were not too different from how our planning felt on that first day.

As the first day came to a close, we began to reflect on the chaos. We looked back at what had gone right and what had gone wrong. We had prepared worksheets and gave the students an almost two-hour lecture on the basics of sim-racing before sending them for their break. During the lecture, however, many students were not fully engaged, which made it difficult for our presenter and leader, Ern Hao, to teach effectively.

Afterwards, we split them into two batches. One batch tried out the simulators, while the other watched the movie Ford v Ferrari. Our rationale was to ensure that students remained engaged and continued learning about racing even when they were not having hands-on practice. However, we realised that there were not enough simulators to give everyone a proper experience, and the students watching the movie were also quite disinterested.

After reviewing the plan for the first day, we came up with solutions for the second day. First, we decided to shorten the theory session and include more videos to capture the students’ attention. Second, we managed to set up another simulator with help from one of our friends. Third, we set clearer expectations and rules to ensure that students stayed focused on their tasks. Lastly, I started an initiative to include a reflection session after the movie, so that students would watch it more attentively.

After implementing these contingency plans, we found that the students learnt more on the second day and enjoyed the experience much more. Our success on the second day showed us the unpredictable nature of running events, as well as the importance of knowing when to adapt and pivot when things go wrong. It also gave us newfound confidence to power through Day 3 and the rest of the sabbatical.

On Day 3, we hosted the first competition for our students to race against one another. This made their experience more engaging and also served as practice for the exciting final two days of the sabbatical. We were glad to see the competitors unleash their competitive spirits both on and off the track. However, what made our day was witnessing the students helping one another and giving each other feedback on their racing. It was not just a matter of who won or lost. Everyone enjoyed their time and supported one another throughout, showcasing our Hwa Chong Win-Win spirit.

Finally, the first three days were over. We were able to bring home the wheels, computers, monitors and pedals used to set up the simulators. Thankfully, we did not need our own equipment for the final two days, as we brought our students to Legion of Racers, an organisation that aims to make the thrill of motorsports, including sim-racing, more accessible.

At Legion of Racers, students got to drive in the same server as one another, similar to a real race, with the freedom to overtake and compete. We also made the race a relay, with three students per team. They would swap after at most nine laps and work together to complete a 21-lap race. As instructors, we were tasked to supervise and referee them during the race.

Similar to Day 3, we noticed that the students were able to work together, develop effective communication skills, and show maturity and leadership. We were extremely impressed with their growth and progress throughout the sabbatical.

With that, the five days of sabbatical came to a close. As we bade farewell to the students, we breathed a sigh of relief. Although this sabbatical was only five days long, we learnt countless valuable lessons from it, lessons that would stay with us for the rest of our journey.

The students also agreed. Through our end-of-sabbatical reflection form, we found that all students enjoyed their time during the sabbatical, and many of them learnt lessons such as teamwork and perseverance. Not only did we achieve our goal of teaching students what sim-racing was, but we also allowed them to show what sim-racing meant.

Finally, I would like to end by saying that I would not have gained such insights or had so much fun without the help of my amazing team of instructors, especially Ern Hao, who worked tirelessly to get this sabbatical going. I would also like to express my gratitude to the team at Legion of Racers, as well as our teachers-in-charge, Mr Rong Yifei and Mr Chia Shu Wei. Without their guidance, Apex 2 Apex would not have been what it is today.