| (Only relevant parts transla- ted.) Some people say that Mon- day is Blue Monday, but ac- cording to the observations of our reporter, the Blue M- onday 2 nights ago is defin- itely not blue at all. Last few weeks, the SARS crisis in Taiwan was very serious, and not one of the artistes are not afraid, wearing mask wherever they went, even forgoing their favorite pubs, and going home early to sleep, but after the crisis was brought under control, 'it's back to normal life', and many artistes once again start appearing in the pubs. Late one night in this week, within a little pub in the Chung Hsi- ao East area, one after another spotted entering were Jimmy, Alex To, Sun Xin and wife, and a number of artistes. Each of th-em carrying a relaxed mood, enjoying the beautiful Taipei night life, and none of then were wearing masks, it was very lively an- d there's no feelings of Monday Blues. Our reporter was enjoying in the pub when a familiar face flas- hed passed. It was Jimmy and a male friend, and 2 female fri- ends had also visited the pub. The four of them sat at a corner, and Jimmy busily took out his newly bought video camera on- ce he sat down and with his male friend beside him, Jimmy kept on pointing on the LCD screen. When he saw our reporter, Jimmy said that he'll be heading for Malaysia this Thursday to take part in a race, so he met with his friend to analyse the rac- ing routes of the circuit. But when the two guys were chatting happily, they had neglected their female friends. Jimmy said la- ughingly, "Both of them are not girlfriends la!" Jimmy saw Sun Xin on the other table and went to say hi, and asked him, "Aren't you filming a serial with Alex To?" After sayi- ng that, the both of them immediately called Alex out to meet. Not for long, Alex arrived in his sports car and found his long ti- me no see best buddy, Jimmy. Both of them couldn't stop chat- ting once they met eachother. Sun Xin also joined Jimmy's tab- le and the three of them had a great time chatting. Jimmy also didn't forget to take out his newly bought mobile phone with multiple functions and shared it with Alex. 3am in the night, our reporter was leaving, but all the artistes were still having a great time catching up with eachother. The late nights of the pub, it is like another different stage for the artistes, creating a colourful and interesting nightlife of Taipei. (4/6/2003) |
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| _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ All rights reserve to Jimmy Lin Fans' Zone June 2003 |
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| Jimmy Accepted Invitation To Race In Malaysia |
| The newest and most recommen- ded racing event in Asia, Porche Carrera Cup Asia will be held on 7th and 8th June in Sepang Raci- ng Circuit. Eariler this March, Aar- on Kwok had also taken part in this event and had achieved 12th position. This time, Porche Asian Centre specially invited Jimmy who also loves the sport of car ra- cing, and he accepted the invitati- on excitedly. In this event, Jimmy will be driving the car from the Porche 911 GT3 Cup for the race. Jimmy said, "I'm very happy that I can be the guest racer for Porche Carrera Cup As- ia in Malaysia station. I can't say how well I'm able to fare, but just hoping that I can learn more from the experiences of the other race- rs taking part in this race, sharing experiences with each other." Jimmy already has 6 years exper- ience, and had ever took part in various types of car races, includ- ing formula races, sports car rac- es and rally races. His winnings are uncountable. Other than sin- |
| ging and acting, he is also very serious in car racing. He said, "Many reporters ask me, if I have to choose only one between car racing and showbusiness, whi- ch will I choose? To me, both of them are equally important. Basically, I have already came up with a way to manage my ti- me and I will arrange them care- fully, so that I am able to work on my showbiz career as well as able to take part in car races. To put it simply, there's only one pri- nciple, that is to be able to bala- nce both equally." Jimmy's opponents are all the highest standards and very exp- erienced car racers in Asia but the General Manager of racing events Ian Geekie is filled with confidence in Jimmy. He said, "Jimmy has a rich experience in car racing, he has taken part in various kinds of races and had obtained good results. I believe he can adapt to his new car very soon." (1/6/2003) |
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| Spotting Stars In A Pub |
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| Jimmy Racing In Malaysia, But No Confidence Of Getting Good Results |
| Jimmy steps into Sepang Racin- g Circuit for the first time, carryin- g the attitude to learn more, and dare not hope to beat all the rac- ing experts in the racing events on 7th and 8th of this month. Jimmy arrived in Malaysia on 5th of June. Lately because of the SARS crisis, many of his filming projects, albums and other proj- ects had to be cancelled. At the same time, Zhuhai has also po- stphoned 5 racing events, and he sighed saying not knowing till when he has to wait. Having chanced upon the invitat- i on from Porsche Asian Centre to take part in the 1st round of th- e Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in Sepang, it relieved the itch in Ji- mmy who immediately agreed to take part in the race. In this new and rapidly developi- ng racing event, Jimmy will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup model racing car specially for VIP race- rs, and showing off his skills in Sepang Racing Circuit. This time, Jimmy's opponents are all big shots, even King of Races, Guang Qiao Chang who had won uncountable races is also one of the invited racers. The 2nd and 3rd round of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia will be held on 7th and 8th of June in Sepang Racing Circuit. This rac- e is one of the Asian racing festi- val events. Jimmy will be driving a white Po- rsche sponsored by Mobil 1, and as early as 9am, his presence could be seen on the circuit, trai- ning and warming up for the rac- e this weekend. Although report- ers saw that there is already a 6 or 7 inches long crack on the re- ar mirror, Jimmy with lots of raci- ng experience just laugh and said that it's no problem. Jimmy said, "Early this morning today, I have done the preparati- ons for the car, and felt that the conditions of the car are all very good. Just now, practising has also gone smoothly. But becau- se it's my first time racing in Sep- |
| fang International Circuit, I still need some time to familiarise with the racing tracks." He adde- d that he is not giving himself any pressure coming to race in Malaysia, with so many strong opponents, all the more he don't dare to expect that he can reach the 3 best positions. "As all the competitors are all very experie- nced professional car racers, a- nd they are very familiar with this circuit, I would seem more inex- perienenced in their eyes, and definitely don't expect that I can achieve too good results." Jimmy has 6 years racing exper- ience, and these few years, he had raised from an amateur rac- er to a professional racer, and to him, currently, he has viewed car racing as his second career, an- d hope that he can achieve even better results in future. Although he is not too confident with the race this time, but in Zh- uhai Renault Formula Race this year, he was first placed with his total points achieved, and there is hope that his result can peak even higher. Talking about his filming matter- s, Jimmy expressed that he had completed filming for 'TLBB'. Currently there's many producti- ons discussing with new proje- cts, among those which include- d the classic adapted movie, "Ji- ang Shan Mei Ren". "However, all of these are still undergo negotiations. Actually I prefer to film in modern idol dra- mas, but viewers prefer to watch me in period dramas, so there's little chance for me to come clo- se with the kind of filming direct- ions I like." (07/06/2003) |
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| Jimmy Afraid Being Ban By China For Pasting Flag On Race Car |
| Jimmy is currently in Malaysia, preparing for a race held in KL this weekend. He disclosed that he is a bit nervous before the race, not because he's afraid that he'll lose in the race, but he's worried about putting up the flag on the car, wondering if he may get ban by China. "This race has lots of experts in it, but I will definitely do my be- st." He said that he is China's Jia Tong Racing Team's spoke- sperson, other than featuring in advertisments, he has to race for the team for 2 years. In this Porsche Carrera Asian Cup this time, there's lots of very strong opponents, which caused him to feel pressured. However, although Jimmy represent China's Jia Tong Tyres in races, in order to show his patriotism, he specially pasted a lit- tle Taiwanese flag on his Porsche 911 GT3, to prove that he is a pure Taiwanese. But after showing his patriotism, he began to worry that China would not be happy about it, and may affect his future work in China. Jimmy is a 'VIP Driver' in this event, and the organiser voluntee- red to provide him with the car. This time, the Porsche 911 GT3 car provided is worth 200,000 Euros, about NT$7,530,000. He also disclosed that the weather is very hot, which may affect his racing performance. He said that the temperature in Malaysia is as high as 30 degrees celsius, and during the race, the tem- perature in the car can reach as high as 50 degrees celsius, feeling like he's being grilled alive. If he's not an experienced car racer, a usual person would not be able to tolerate such kind of temperature. (7/6/2003) |
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| Jimmy Admitted Car Racing Stressful |
| Do artistes involving in car racing find it stressful? Jimmy adm- itted, "Definitely car racing artistes receive lots of attention, ev- en when they got last in the race, it will be reported." In the be- ginning, Jimmy's result were unsatisfactory, and others even regarded that he's just following the trend. However, the last 2 years, he began to achieve outstanding results. Other than ga- ining respect, Jimmy himself is able to adapt. "Take this race for example, it's a form of recogniton." Jimmy is participating in the Porsche Carrera Cup (PCC) race for the first time in Sepang F1 Circuit. He's being sponsored by Mobil 1 and under the invitation from Porsche Asia Centre to take part in this race. The car he'll be driving is a Porsche 911 GT3. There seem to be some similarities and differences between a car racer and an artiste. " Car racers and artistes both recei- ve people's attention, and like in a concert, there's lots of spe- ctators watching you in the race from the grandstand. Howev- er, car racing is much more exciting than being an artiste, and requires even more commitment." (So which gives a better sense of satisfaction?) "On comparision to appearing on the cover of a magazine in the status of an artiste, I feel that to ap- pear on the cover of a racing magazine as a car racer gives a greater sense of recognition." Jimmy who loves model cars since he was a child frankly dis- closed that this is his first time racing in Sepang Circuit. Why does he loves racing? During the interview, he said that it is just like why he likes acting, it's very difficult to explain. "The sp- eed of a race car is very fast, gives me a sense of challenge and thrill." Jimmy who already has 6 years of racing experience, and has arisen from an amateur car racer to a professional racer, said that the feeling of overtaking his opponents in a race is no lo- nger the main target anymore. "Car racing allows me to make my judgments more calmly, and controls my state of mind. Winning or losing is just a diffe- rence in milliseconds, therefore it's very important to make the right judgments." So is the feeling of hits and misses different from the past? "There will usually be lots of sudden situations faced in a race, and may even lose the ability to race when there's a problem with the car, so I have to learn to control my state of mind to fa- ce the situations. Car racing is not really just about 'overtaking others', it's actually even more difficult to surpass yourself! To surpass yourself, you'll need true ability and experiences." Jimmy said that the race results he's most satisfied with at the moment includes being the overall champion in the 2001 Tai- wan Super Car Challenge, and champion for Zhuhai Renault Formula Race. He smilingly said that upon stepping into a ra- ce car, he would feel that he and the car unite as one, and exp- ressed that hopefully, there will be sponsors willing to spons- or him to race in the different racing circuits in the world. Car racing usually gives people the impression that it is a very high risk sport, isn't Jimmy afraid of the risk of accidents? "Th- ere's risk in all kinds of competition. The technology now is so advance, with protective helmet and thick suits for a race, mor- eover the design of the circuits are very good." He illustrated that soccer has more accidents occuring than car racing. Starting out as a pop idol, Jimmy has never worry that car raci- ng would affect his entertainment career. He pointed out that car racing is already a resolution, or even his greatest love. H- aving an optimistic nature, he said that racing is his dreams. "I understand the meanings brought from car racing is differe- nt from other artistes." Currently, Jimmy has joined China's Jia Tong Racing Team, and will take part in rally races for 2 years. He is very happy to be able to be a part of PCC, "The different thing about this race is that all the car racers are using the sa- me models of cars, using the same tools, so every racers ski- lls can be shown very clearly." Talking about his love life, he expressed that he's busy with acting and racing, and currently he has no girlfriend. He also said that his lovelife is now he and his car. He doesn't even has enough time for car racing, so the lesser relationship matters the better. There are now more newcomers in the entertainment scene, does he feels pressurised? He expressed that he has been in this circle for 11 years now, no longer feels the pressure. He's very happy that more newcomers are coming in, so ever- yone can work hard together. Lately, we are all seeing Jimmy acting in period serials, he explained that perhaps it's the mar- ket's demands. He also deny that his baby faced look will res- trict his roles, and said that he's most satisfied to portray in righteous roles. (7/6/2003) |
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| Today's Race Was A Mad Rush |
| Yesterday, Jimmy was driving a 7 million HKD worth Porsche provi- ded by the sponsor in the PCC. Even though he had made suffic- ient preparations, due to changi- ng to the wrong tyres, he manag- ed to get 16th position and clock- ed the time of 2:49.8 He said, "It was an erroneous st- rategy, but my results manage to beat Aaron Kwok slightly who to- ok part in the last race." Yesterday morning, it was rainin- g in KL and the tracks in Sepang were slippery, thus all the comp- etitors changed their tyres to rain tyres during the morning practic- e, including Jimmy. During his practice, under the slippery cond- itions, Jimmy achieved 12th pos- ition at a timing of 2:23. Although he's not satisfied, but he can still |
| accept it. "In the afternoon, the weather in Sepang began to turn sunny. In an impulse, I made a wrong jud- gment and changed the rain tyr- es to the smooth tyre. Unexpect- edly, the tar tracks turned oily with the rainwater and the heat from the sun, it was even more slippery than during the rain, ca- using my result to drop." He sai- d. Jimmy was one of the earliest racers to change his tyres, and also the one with the greatest difference in his results, which made him quite upset. "Everyone's result dropped, incl- uding Charles Kwan, Thailand's C. Nattavude are all beaten by the weather, at least a difference of 8 seconds." (8/6/2003) |
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| Jimmy Driving Towards Good Results |
| Yesterday, Jimmy took part in the PCC held in Malaysia, and com- peted with many international top car racers. During the warming up in the afternoon, due to a sud- den rain, the car he was driving skidded across the tracks and caused quite an alarm. Fortunat- ely he was unhurt. Jimmy expre- ssed confidently, "Today, I will achieve for good results!" This prestigious race is Jimmy's dream after all these 6 years in racing, but due to the SARS crisi- s, it was postponed. However, th- is also enabled him to have mo- re time to prepare for it. And what made Jimmy happier was that he is able to drive the new Porsc- he 911 GT3 Cup model car. Just standing beside this cool car, he could feel success coming his way. He said, "The capabilities of this car are very good, and very stylish. I will also be wearing a racing suit with matching colours as the car. Winning a position is not important, but I will surely re- cord the whole process of the ra- ce, because the feeling is just to- o great!" Yesterday, among all th- e 20 over racers, Jimmy's result was placed middle and it was b- etter than he had expected. But due to the rain, laughingly, h- |
| e said, "My speed was very fast, with the sudden rain, I skidded." Asked if he would re-enact the scenario of driving into a padi fi- eld like that in Shanghai, he lau- ghed, "No la, there's no padi fie- ld here." But it's the truth that the- re's not one insurance company willing to insure him. He 'faced t- he fact', expressing, "Since befo- re, not one insurance company is willing to accept me." In the past, his father was stron- gly against him in racing, but no- w, he has changed his viewpoi- nts as Jimmy had really been very careful, and has not neglec- ted on his entertainment career. He emphasised, "In the past, I ever said that racing is placed 1st and acting is 2nd, but now, both of them are placed 1st." Thus for this race, he quickly fin- ished filming 2 commercials w- hich includes suit and Jia Tong Tyres. He said, "The dates of the races are known in advance, so I can arrange some work in bet- ween. Just like this time, I even have excess time to take a short break." Following this, he will h- ead for China to work on comm- ercials and filming projects. (8/6/2003) |
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| No Plans Of Being A Full Time Racer Yet |
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| Challenging on Sepang F1 Cir- cuit for the first time, things wer- e not going smoothly for Jimmy on Sunday morning, leading to a minor collision in the 2nd rou- nd, which caused damage to the exhaust pipe, and dropping from 10th position to 14th. During the qualifying round on Saturday, Jimmy was placed 16th, and after the start of the round 2 race, he tried hard to gi- ve chase and successfully got into the first 10 within the first lap. However while at a bend, his car was hit at the rear by an- other opponent behind him, ca- using him to spin. All the spect- ators were alarmed but fortuna- tely there wasn't any serious ac- cident. However, this caused Ji- mmy to lag behind from the rest of the competitors. But Jimmy remained steady and calm, gra- dually overtaking the rest of the competitors with his nimble dri- ving skills, eventually managing to catch up. At the finishing poi- nt, he finished off at 14th positi- on, at a timing of 24:53.702. An- d Porsche General Manager, Ia- n Geekie expressed that he wa- s extremely satisfied, Jimmy's performance was very good an- d deserved to be commended. During the 3rd round of the race in the afternoon, Jimmy clocked an impressive timing of 22:24. 274 and achieved 11th position, showing an even better perfor- mance than the race in the mor- ning. In the interview, Jimmy ex- pressed that he was happy with the result he had achieved in Sepang F1 Circuit, but not too satisfied with the positions. Actually, Jimmy's car was only repaired at the very last minute, and as time was very tight, thus he wasn't able to start at the st- arting point. It was after all the |
| racers have started off, Jimmy could only start directly from the pit stop, and under the condition of being unable to warm up his car, it was to his great disadva- ntage. However, he was still ab- le to achieve a very outstanding result, and showed great perfo- rmance. As it was the first time Jimmy drives a Porsche in a race, and also the first time racing on the well known Sepang F1 circuit. Under all these new 'first times', he had to face various situatio- ns. His results were affected due to the damages to his car. On Sat- urday, after the qualifying race, he had to handle all the intervie- ws after he alight from his car and had forgotten to drink water. Eventually, he felt very unwell th- at night and showed signs of dehydration. He expressed that he was extr- emely happy of being able to have the chance to race in Mala- ysia, and especially, for this tim- e, he was in Malaysia in the sta- tus of a car racer, and not as an artiste. In addition, he is able to drive his dream car Porsche, and in such a challenging racin- g circuit, his feelings of being in Malaysia is especially special this time round. Although he didn't have sufficie- nt preparation, having 2 days of practices, he felt that he is bett- er familiar with the whole area. But he pointed out that if he has an opportunity to race in Sepan- g again, he's confident of achie- ving better results. Jimmy received sponsorship fr- om Mobil 1, and participated in this race in the status of a VIP racer. He held a press confere- nce after completing the 2nd ro- und of the race on Sunday mor- |
| ning and shared his views and feelings about being able to be a part of this race. He express- ed that before the race, he was filled with confidence, and was confident of being able to achi- eve the first 10 places, but une- xpectedly, a minor accident oc- curred, thus he only managed to get 14th. He said, "The car is under repair at the moment, the next round at 3pm should be of not much of a problem. I'm not injured. Actually, I have no worr- ies about racing here. The circ- uit in Malaysia is very safe, and the capabilities of 911 GT3 are very good, excellent safety me- asures!� Other than sponsoring for Jim- my in this race, Mobil 1 will also provide him sponsorship for hi- s coming October race in Beiji- ng. Following that, Jimmy will represent Jia Tong racing team to take part in a rally race in Ch- ina and Renault Formula race in Macau. As for whether he had ever tho- ught of becoming a F1 racer, he said laughingly that he had never thought of this question because for F1 racers, they ha- ve to be full time car racers, an- d have to go into racing at a yo- ung age. He felt that there are many young racers in China w- ho are more suitable than he is to take up this heavy responsi- bility, he's better off as a spect- ator. However, he said frankly that he hopes that he'll have a chance in future to compete wi- th his idol, Michael Schumach- er. Just completing the filming for TLBB, Jimmy seemed to be pu- tting most of his time into car racing, is he neglecting his ent- ertainment work? He said fran- kly that as he's getting more a- |
| nd more sponsorship, he wo- n't deny that he would put more of his time into car racing in fu- ture. However, currently, he ha- s no thoughts of becoming a full time car racer as he believ- es that there's still many fans who like to watch him act and sing, thus it's impossible for h- im to disappoint everyone just because of his own interest. Currently, he's negotiating with a new serial "Jiang Shan Mei Ren". If everything went on sm- oothly, the serial will start work in July. However, when the topic was brought into his new album, he expressed that currently, he doesn't have any contract with any record label, and the musi- c market now is no longer the same as before. He had also been proceeding with the prep- arations of the new album all these while, and still under ne- gotiations with some compani- es, therefore, he still needs a period of time. As for how long would his fans need to wait, he couldn't come up with a sure a- nswer either. As he spends most of his time filming in China, he doesn't ha- ve much time to be able to driv- e in Taipei. Thus, out of the 5 sports cars he ever owned, no- w he only keeps 3. Since he loves Porsche so m- uch and able to have the chan- ce to drive it on a renowned in- ternational circuit, would he re- quest for the sponsor to prese- nt one to him? He immediately laughed out loud and passed this question to Porsche Gene- ral Manager, Ian Geekie, wher- eas Ian Geekie was at loss of how to answer. Seemingly, giv- ing a Porsche as a gift is sure- ly difficult to answer! (8/6/2003) |
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| Jimmy Returned In Triumph |
| Jimmy had bravely overcam- e his obstacles and passed through a dangerous crisis safely. He ended the Porsc- he Carrera Race in KL yest- erday and when he arrived in Chiang Kai Shek Internati- onal Airport, he flashed a tri- umphant smile and expres- sed, "I've finished an impos- sible mission, my car faced some problems, and even collided, I almost couldn't complete the full race." During the 2 days racing in KL, Jimmy had met many in- ternational car racers. On th- e first day of practice, his pe- rformance was pretty good, and was placed among the middle. On the 2nd day, at t- he start of the race, his car seemed weird, and he was placed 16, but once he start- ed off, he got to the first 5 pl- aces. However, as he was- n't familiar with the circuit an- d had a bump with another |
| racer, he lagged to 10th, an- d in the end, achieved 14. During the 2nd round in the afternoon, his car wasn't be- having right, and had to be repaired for a very long time. By the time he started off, all the other racers were alrea- dy far ahead of him. He striv- ed with all his might to catch up with them and eventually got 11th, and the judges co- nsidered this as a miracle. Because under such a situ- ation that Jimmy was facing, it was absolutely impossib- le that he was able to achie- ve such a result. But Jimmy expressed that this is a very valuable experience. He ha- d accepted Beijing's racing offer, and soon, he will be h- eading for Beijing to take pa- rt in the race. At the same ti- me, there will be a new seri- al which will also be film in China. (10/6/2003) |
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| Press Conference Held To Clear Rumours |
| Rumours arised that Jimmy met a- n accident when racing in Malaysi- a. Yesterday, upon his arrival in Taiwan and out of the airport, he received lots of concerned phone calls. Some heard that Jimmy was injured, some thought that his car was badly damaged and he suffe- red injuries, and while he was bu- sy answering phonecalls, he deci- ded to hold a press conference to- day and tell everyone personally, "Thank you for your concern, I'm p- erfectly fine, safe and sound, just that the exhaust pipe of the car wa- s damaged, not like what the rum- ours had described." Other than entertainment work, Ji- mmy's greatest love is car racing. Although his driving skills are very professional, his father and mana- ger, Xia Yu Shun always hope that he would keep safety in mind in e- very race. Last year, his car accide- |
| ntally went into a field when he wa- s racing in Shanghai. This time, he encountered a minor collision in Malaysia. Although the car was sli- ghtly damage, Jimmy was unhurt, and it was just a false alarm. He s- aid, "Everytime I take part in a race, I would always put safety at priorit- y, encountering such minor collisi- on is a common situation. I don't know why this could spread to so- und so serious. Thanks for every- one concern, I'm alright and so is the car." Although Jimmy would be holding a press conference today, his fath- er, relatives and friends hope that he could 'lower' his passion towa- rds racing. Even his personal assi- stant, Jun-ping also can't help say- ing, "There are many other thrilling sports, just don't understand why he loves car racing so much." (10/6/2003) |
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| I'm Really Alright! |
| Because of his passion tow- ards car racing, Jimmy has obtained his family's agree- ment after he promised to ta- ke care of his own safety. He conscientiously improve and train in his driving skills, and after having gained a rich ex- perience in racing after ma- ny competitions, he is curre- ntly a very well recognised c- ar racer among the Asian entertainment circle. However, in many peoples' impression, car racing is a very high risk sport, therefor- e, every time, Jimmy is invol- ve in a race, attention are all placed on him. After completing the race in Malaysia, Jimmy returned to Taiwan yesterday and held a press conference, clarifyin- g about rumours that he wa- s injured, which sparked off after exaggerated reports fr- om the press, causing him and his assistant handling never-ending concern phone calls. Thus, Jimmy made his appearance in Taipei to dis- solve the rumours that had been circulating. He special- ly jumped around in front of the press saying, "See, I'm really ok!" He also showed the live scenes taken from his camera in the car during the race, and assured every- one not to worry. Jimmy said that the weather at that time was very warm, he was almost under the co- ndition of getting a heat stro- ke when participating in the race. Later, during the race, a car behind him bump agai- nst his car at the exhaust pi- pe, causing him to spin out of the tracks. By the time he returned back on track, his speed has already slowed down a lot, and in addition to that, damaged exhaust pipe- s, but Jimmy didn't give up, and overtook one car after another. Eventually, he achi- eved 14th position. During the 3rd round on the same day, his car didn't see- m right again and he lost the opportunity to warm up his car. While the mechanics did their utmost to repair it, all th- e other competitors had alre- ady started off, and Jimmy was the last to start off. Once again, he tried his best to ca- tch up with them and achiev- ed 11th position in the end which caused all the specta- tors to drop their jaws, unab- le to believe what was happ- |
| ening. Jimmy said, "Position is not important. To be able to co- mpete with the well-known racers from around the world is very honourable to me." He said that the car behind him had committed a 'techni- cal foul' in the collision, thus affecting his results in the ra- ce. Jimmy's racing experien- ce was only 6 years, but he was able to compete with the well-known car racers fr- om around the world in this international race, and even the organisers praised that he's such a 'rare' instance. Laughingly, he said, "Other than involving skills in car ra- cing, it also needs some tal- ents." He expressed that although the speed in racing is very fa- st, it actually very safe. Beca- use just the car alone, lots of maintenance, skills and mo- ney are put into it. As for the collision on the circuit, Jimm- y also emphasised that duri- ng the race in KL, it's just a very minor collision, other th- an hitting the exhaust pipe and the car spinned for a ro- und, he and his car are alrig- ht. But just a minor collision and it caused such over reportin- g. Jimmy also laughingly sa- id that he really want to thank everyone for their concern to- wards him, 'it seems that I'm still important". The speed and thrill of car racing deeply attract Jimmy, and following on, he would take part in another race in China. It seems that Jimmy is focusing more on car raci- ng than on acting now. He said, "If there's good film pro- jects, I will still film, but prob- ably not period shows, mod- ern shows, I will consider." Jimmy, who hasn't made a public appearance for some time, had shown to lose a lot of weight now. For the few d- ays he spent in Malaysia, he had to tolerate the outdoor temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and as high as 50 degrees celsius in the car. He felt so stuffy that after he return back to his hotel room on the first day of the race, he was dehydrated and vom- itted, immediately seeked treatment. After the few days, he didn't have proper meals, thus losing quite a few kilog- rams. (11/6/2003) |
| Jimmy Only Loves Car Racing, Don't Like Pretty Girls |
| Jimmy likes car racing more than acquainting with pretty girls! He sa- id, "Each year, car racing enable me to pocket an 8-digit pay, and w- hat makes me most happy is that I'm able to take my showbiz career into equal consideration, just that I don't have too much time to find a girlfriend." As his car was hit by another racer during his race held in KL, it was rumoured that another Taiwanese opponent who was the one who collided into him did it on purpose, and that by putting up the Taiwane- se flag on his car had raised prote- sts from China. About the rumour, during the press conference yesterday, Jimmy spec- ially clarified. He said, "In such int- ernational car races, it's not unco- mmon that such minor accidents would happen, but definitely, it's not something that a car racer wo- uld do on purpose. This time is re- ally just unfortunate, my car spin after being hit, damaging the exha- ust pipe which later need to be re- paired, thus affecting my results." About putting up the logo of the Ta- wanese flag, Jimmy disclosed that it was the organisers who pasted it so as to identify the different regi- ons represented by the competito- rs. He said, "Car racing and other sports are all the same, shouldn't divide into regional barriers. In act- |
| ual fact, there hasn't been any pro- tests happening because of this race." Due to his outstanding performan- ce and undying determination and sportsmanship, a car and petrol company decided to sign a new contract with him on the spot. In hi- s future races in China, these 2 companies would fully sponsor for him. Other than that, a tyres co- mpany from China had also sign- ed a 2 year contract with him, and would be paying him an annual 8- digits salary. In the past, Jimmy's father was str- ongly against him with his deep passion for racing. But these few years, after he was repeated conv- inced by Jimmy and knowing that the safety measures are put up in races, car racing can also be a sa- fe and thrilling sport. Every year, he has to participate in 10 over racing events, and have to accept filming projects, does he still have time to fall in love? Rece- ntly when he was in a pub with Ale- x To, he was seen with 2 pretty gir- ls beside him, is one of them his girlfriend? He said, "I really didn't bring those, I didn't even know th- em either. They just happen to sit next to me, and the media report- ed that I actually brought them alo- ng, but nevermind la, I've already got used to it." (11/6/2003) |
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| A Sports Car Worth 5 Million To Wait Upon Jimmy |
| Yesterday was a pre-recording of a brand new TV programme, "Wheel- s Family" and Jimmy was invited to make his guest appearance. The production specially arranged a 5 million NT dollars worth silver BMW M3 modified sports car for him, tha- nking him for willing to make his appearance in this programme wit- hout hesitation and totally didn't make any offers negotiations. Just returning from a race held in Malaysia, although his car was hit in the first round, but it didn't affect his performance at all. Racing in an unfamiliar track for the first time, and he was able to achieve 11th position. He was the leading racer among the few Taiwanese compet- itors. His steady performance impr- |
| essed the organisers so much that they signed a contract with him on the spot, and he would be 'Beijing VIP car racer' in the next race. China's 'Jia Tong Tyres' not only approached him to be their spoke- sperson, they even signed a 2 year contract with him and Jimmy was very satisfied with the high offers, and this earns him more money th- an acting. He also said, "In acting, there's always lots of major and mi- nor injuries, even more risky than car racing." Due to his love in racing, when he's driving sometimes, he may unkno- wingly increase his speed. He said laughingly, "Fortunately I've never been stopped before, that was clo- se." (17/6/2003) |
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| Roads Sealed For Race, Jimmy Displayed His Skills |
| The first ever car race held on sea- ed up street roads in Taiwan will be held in Peng Hu in late july. Vice President of Taiwan, Annette Lu a- nd Jimmy, who had just returned fr- om another race in KL specially fle- w down to the island in the afterno- on for the opening ceremony of the event. In a modified car, Jimmy ma- de his grand appearance with an impressive stunt. The other comp- etitors for this first summer seas- on 'Ju Dao' Cup race also display- ed their skills during the press co- nference. This race in Peng Hu is the first ever kind of race to be held in Taiwan and Jimmy was invited as the spokesperson for this event. Together with the Vice President, t- hey announced the inauguration of the event. (21/6/2003) |
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| Jimmy And Ruby Together For An Outing |
| the public had expected. When Jimmy was promoting for 'Q- TDS', he also admitted that he ke- eps contact with her through the phone. This shows that even tho- ugh they had broke up, there's no ill feelings, and even gives encou- ragements to each other in their career. However, yesterday, Jimmy prot- ested, "I have no past relationship with Ruby. So please! Needless to mention about 'reconciliation'! We only meet up once this time after a very long time and get caught on film, it's just my bad luck." He said that that night, he took the initiative to contact her since the production for 'Jiang Shan Mei Ren' have the interest of putting them to work together, so he wanted to seek her opinion. He said, "We are really only friend- s, when Ruby released her pictori- al book, I even went to present her flowers in the status of a friend." About the future, he said reserved- ly, "That's very hard to say." Ruby felt helpless when she hear- d about this news and expressed that both of them had always kept in contact, and it's an open friend- ship. "If Jimmy wants to woo me, he would have expressed it alrea- dy. Just like Stanley Tong, Alec Su, he's also my good friend." (24/6/2003) |
| Old flame sparking a new bl- aze? Sunday night, Ruby Lin and a group of friends went to Fu Ji Harbour for a seafo- od dinner. And Jimmy had a- lso just returned from Malay- sia, thus they all arranged to enjoy the sea breeze and cu- isine. This made everyone curious about what is their relationship now after ever b- eing rumoured as an item in the past. Last night, Jimmy solemnly expressed, "We ar- e just ordinary friends." And Ruby said that they are defin- itely not having a relationsh- ip. Both of them said frankly that on Sunday afternoon, they h- ad actually met up for dinner, but there was still 5 other fri- ends including Yao Yuan H- ao who was rumoured to ha- ve a love interest in Ruby. Although there was a crowd on that Sunday, Ruby put on a baseball cap, in casual w- ear, and Jimmy put on his s- unglasses, and wore his hat low. Thus they didn't raised attention from the public. The group of them chose their s- eafood from the stall first, fo- llowing on, Ruby and her fri- ends went into the restaura- nt. After waiting for Jimmy a- nd Yao Yuan Hao to foot the bill, they all started enjoying their food. After about an hour, the grou- p of them came out from the restaurant walking towards the parking lot and had fun driving in the beach jeep. Jimmy and Ruby sat togeth- er chatting, and following th- at, Ruby went into Jimmy's red truck. The 7 of them divi- ded themselves into 2 cars. Lately, both of them were ap- proached to film 'Jiang Shan Mei Ren' in China, so they s- pecially went into the same car to discuss about the po- |
| ssibility of working together in this film. Then, they all we- nt up to a friend's house in Mount Yang Ming for drinks and enjoy the night view, only returning back to Taipei at n- ight. It was known that when Ruby went pass a stall at the harb- our which attracted her atten- tion, she pulled Jimmy to st- op and had a look. While th- ey were walking, Jimmy took out his digital camera and took photos of her, which m- ade her laugh delightedly. When she was asked about her relationship with Jimmy, she replied simply, "Just m- eeting up with good friends over a dinner, no big deal a- bout it." She said that she h- asn't been back in Taipei for a very long time, and having meals with Jimmy was just a friendly gathering. Jimmy's reply was even direct, he ju- st expressed, "This is our p- ersonal gathering, there's n- othing to hide or unable to make known to the public." Many years ago, Jimmy and Ruby were ever a rumoured couple, although they event- ually went on separate ways, they still kept in contact, call- ing up each other during sp- ecial festivities. If they happ- en to have some free time, they would meet up for mea- ls or chat. However, as both of them are very busy with w- ork, even though their work are based in China, they are in totally different locations, thus there isn't much time to meet, needless to talk about 'reconciliation'. Are Ruby and Jimmy really still good friends? Actually, there are clues to these. Re- call back to 2 years ago, Ji- mmy was the mysterious g- uest in Ruby's press confer- ence and not Alec Su whom |
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| Jimmy Sped Away Shaking Off Paparazzi |
| Two nights ago, Jimmy in his myste- rious Ford SVT F150 once again ap- peared on the streets in Taipei. This red vehicle has a capacity of 5400cc, 380hp and given the nickname of 'L- ightning Pickup', was parked near Warner Movie City. And without hesi- tation, he immediately began a spe- eding chase against a reporter from Apple Daily at the first moment whe- n he sensed that he was being stal- ked. That night, around 9pm, Jimmy met his good friend Peng Wei Hua or co- mmonly known as KK for a chat in Re-mix restaurant on the ground lev- el in NEO19. Their laughter can eve- n be clearly heard from the entrance of the restaurant. However, Jimmy who was wearing a coffee coloured cap seemed to sense something, and frequently, both of them would look out of the restaurant. At 9.20pm, very suddenly, Jimmy ran out of the restaurant, towards the direction of the Apple Daily reporter, running aft- er him. But coincidentally, there was another photography reporter outsi- de as well and Jimmy mistaken him as the same reporter who was stal- king him. He caught the reporter and asked, "Mister, do you have a name card? Aren't you following me?" This reporter stared at him blankly, and till then did Jimmy realise that he w- as a familiar media friend, and had confronted the wrong person. At around 10pm, both of them left Re-Mix and walked towards the par- king lot. KK opened the boot of his car and gave Jimmy something. Jimmy also passed KK some items. During the exchange Jimmy burst out laughing. At the start of the engine, making a roundabout into Song Ren Road fr- om Song Shou Road to Song Xin R- oad, he turned a few rounds trying to shake off the reporter. He kept conti- nuing till he reached Chong Hsiao E Road and Jen Ai Road nearby, and eventually stopped his car after turn- ing into An Ho Road. However, he s- uddenly sped straight ahead, only s- topping this crazy chase after passi- ng three traffic lights. After the half hour chase, the reporter was exhau- sted. Jimmy is truly made for a car racer. Around 11pm, Jimmy went into his car again. He thought that he had g- ot rid of the reporter and had slowed down his speed. After driving a short way in the city area and on the high- way, he showed his skilful driving te- chniques, all the way along the high- way to Tamshui. When he reached the petrol kiosk to refuel, he coincidentally met a friend along the road side and chatted. At this moment, the reporter saw anot- her friend alight from the friend's car and went into Jimmy's car. After the refuel, the 2 cars drove away and di- sappeared on the road not long afte- r. (26/6/2003) |