The road to climb the ranks of motorsports and reach the global stage is paved with difficulty and setbacks. Hairpin Co. caught up with 20 y/o Indonesian racing driver David Djaja to discuss how he balances college life with his racing ambitions, what he learned from his cancelled plans, and more. 

From hobby to the real deal

Djaja’s motorsport career began with his love of Japanese domestic market (JDM) cars. Then, the 20-year-old began to modify and restore these cars. Soon enough, he became interested in motorsports and built on his endeavour from these cars. Djaja’s journey began quietly, in a corner of his life devoted to Japanese domestic market (JDM) cars.

“At first, it's like I have a hobby of JDM cars. So we modify, restore, [and] stuff like that. As time passed by, I started to get interested in the world of motorsport. And then we ended up building the same JDM car that I had before.”

That hobby would soon evolve into something far more serious. Djaja’s team purchased a new chassis to compete in time attack events, and later, he signed up for Super Touring Car. Unlike casual racing, this series demanded both skill and ingenuity. 

“That time was really fun because at that moment, we had to develop, first of all, my driving skills and then the car as well.

“The series I joined is called Super Touring Car, where they give you a regulation on the engine capacity of the car. And then after that, you can modify within the set limits. You can modify setup, suspension, brakes, transmission, [and] stuff like that. But mostly it's me trying to learn the car, trying to adapt, trying to see which way is quicker.”

A yellow car and a race team inside the garage.

Djaja with his team and their Honda Civic Estilo EG6 | Credit: @speedbumb.auto via Djaja’s Instagram

Learning the car was only part of the challenge. Djaja describes setup as a kind of blank canvas: experimentation in the simulator, trial on track, adjustment after adjustment. And it was through this journey that he found a mentor in Sunny Tsuyoshi, introduced by one of his tuners. 

“And then from there, we had a conversation and ended up practising with him. So, he taught me quite a lot of stuff because we first started with the Honda Estilo EG6 Civic.”

When racing came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, Djaja didn’t stop. He continued to practice hard to maintain sharpness. In 2022, he switched to the Honda Jazz in Indonesia Touring Car 1500, one of the country’s most competitive series, and clinched the AM class national championship. 

Shortly after his championship-winning season, Djaja paused his racing career. With rivals switching to the new Honda City hatchback, the team only made two or three appearances in the series.

“I only joined like two or three races before the middle part of the year. We had to buy a new car if we wanted to join because most of them had upgraded to the Honda City hatchback already.”

The following year, Djaja moved to Sydney for college, majoring in construction management. Racing was put entirely on hold, his simulator left untouched for a year. But when he least expected it, motorsport came knocking on his door again. 

The PSCI door comes knocking

At the end of 2024, Djaja was greeted with news that pulled him back to racing. Quantum Racing, competing in Porsche Sprint Challenge Indonesia (PSCI), reached out, looking for a driver for their 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

“I don't think at first it would actually push through, but then we ended up having a serious conversation over some goals, this and that. So we ended up joining them. That's my first experience driving a rear-wheel drive car with that much horsepower.”

Blue purple black Porsche Cayman race car in Mandalika.

Djaja’s No.10 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport RS during the fourth round of the 2024 PSCI in Mandalika | Credit: PSCI

Adjusting to RWD was a steep learning curve: “It's very challenging to find the perfect balance because in RWD, the way you brake is very important compared to FWD. The way you brake in RWD will determine whether, when you turn into the corner, the car will settle, or will [it] oversteer or understeer. You can play the brake pedal with that.”

Despite the challenge, Djaja relished the process. 

The harsh realities of motorsport

After winning the GT4 class, Quantum had their eyes set on competing in the 2025 Carrera Cup Middle East. The supporting race was supposed to run alongside Formula One’s Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix. However, that plan fell apart, unveiling the harsh reality of motorsports beyond the control of the drivers.

“We already made visas, plan to book tickets, hotels and stuff to stay one month in the Middle East to practise and then to join that. But then, because of one reason or another, the plan fell apart, and at that moment, I was like, yeah, that's reality. Sometimes bad things happen, and it's out of [my] control.”

Djaja’s next opportunity brought him back to familiar territory. Another team purchased Quantum and did not return to PSCI. However, a new entry got in touch with his management, informing them they had rented a 992 GT3 Cup and were looking for a driver. Djaja quickly accepted the offer to race for Best Corp MM Galleri Racing Team to get some flight time with the car and search for sponsors.

Experiences like these underscored an important lesson: talent alone is rarely enough. Timing, connections, and funding are equally critical.

“In those situations, sometimes opportunities come up out of nowhere.” He admits. “The GT4 opportunity came up for us with Quantum Racing. So I went back to my long-lost dream of being a race car driver. So I [remained] focused, I trained physically and both in the simulator, focused on that.”

White, orange, and red 992 GT3 Cup in Sepang | Credit: PSCI

Djaja during his first free practice with the 992 GT3 Cup in Sepang | Credit: PSCI

Djaja knew that things would not always go his way in life; hence, he would always try to maximise any opportunity he had and always be prepared to seize one when it came.

“Sometimes [unfortunate] things like that happen. So when the time comes and the opportunity is there, we have the best version of me in racing. So when the opportunity comes, I can show my best.

“What I learned most is to never give up. Sometimes the situation goes up and then sometimes it goes down, but then, yeah, we need to maximise whatever opportunity we have.”

The next chapter

Djaja said that his next goal is to compete in Carrera Cup Asia, a level above PSCI. He views PSCI as the perfect training ground to get acquainted with GT3 machinery and gain valuable experience. Despite his championship pedigree, the final hurdle remains financial: he is actively seeking sponsors whose support will unlock his potential and take his career to the international stage.

“At this moment, the budget we have for the Carrera Cup was only like half, nearly half of it. We still need to find the other half so that we can join the series. I think Carrera Cup is a good series because they have a talent pool for Career Cup for young drivers.”

Another perk that interests him is the additional support for drivers selected into Porsche’s talent pool. He praised Porsche Motorsport Asia-Pacific (PMAP)’s racing ladder system and hoped to progress the ranks in hopes of making it to their Junior Shootout.

Race cars on the track approaching a right-hand corner | Credit: PCCA

The start of the second Mandalika round of the 2025 PCCA | Credit: PCCA

Once the driver passes the Shootout, they are officially part of Porsche’s factory driver programme that will compete in the Supercup and selected Carrera Cup races. Those who did exceptionally well might be drafted to drive their Hypercar in the FIA World Endurance Championship (before Porsche’s withdrawal) or the IMSA SportsCar Championship.

“[The PMAP ladder] is a good ladder. That's why we're looking for opportunities to race in the Carrera Cup because we've done the Sprint Challenge, and we hope that by next year we can join the Carrera Cup.”

Showcasing Indonesian talent to the world

For Djaja, racing is also about proving that Indonesian drivers can compete at a global level: "Because we're from a small motorsport country, it's not like when you go out, people already know where you're from.

“What I want people to know is that even with what we have in Indonesia, the series and stuff, we might not have the most circuits in the world, but then the quality of drivers that Indonesians produce is good.”

Djaja backed his claim by explaining that when an international driver joined PSCI last year, he was impressed by the quality of Indonesian drivers. He recalls an international competitor who reportedly was shocked that Djaja, in a GT4, almost matched the lap times of a GT3 car and with the general competitiveness of Indonesian drivers.

“We might not have as good circuits or as many circuits as other countries. But we always train as hard as possible, maximise the situation, the track, the car, everything, and make sure that we work hard and give the best performance.”

For David Djaja, motorsports is a constant cycle of disappointment and opportunity. He accepts the harsh realities of funding and setbacks, but refuses to let them define his potential. His eyes are firmly set on the Carrera Cup next. He will be ready to show his best when the time comes, proving that Indonesian talent is a force to be reckoned with.