Profiles

Legend of Sister Thirteen on 2nd ring

By Liu Dan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-03-31 11:38

The Thirteen Kin of the Second Ring has become a moniker for a group of youths addicted to motorcycle racing on the second ring road of Beijing.

Thirteen is the number of minutes it takes to complete the 32.7 km circle at 150 km/h.

On February 10, 2006, a scene was unfolding on the traffic-monitoring screen in Beijing Traffic Directing Center: Two cars with no plates were chasing each other on the second ring, weaving in and out of traffic and knocking over several tollgates.

In order to catch the racers, police cars blocked the road and caused a two-hour traffic jam. The two young drivers, nicknamed "Thirteen Kin", were hit with a 500-yuan fine and a week in jail.

Now one woman who has taken the name "Sister Thirteen" will enter the first Beijing beeline motor race to be held on April 15, The First reported.

The race is designed to give illegal street racers a legal outlet for their activities, an official said. Currently about 300 people have added their names to the entrance list, alongside Sister Thirteen.

Yao Yao, or "Sister Thirteen" a former hair styling teacher and three-star hotel manager, is a thin, fair skinned girl who drives a small jeep. But her small stature hides a large ego when it comes to her racing.

Yao Yao, nicknamed "Sister Thirteen", in her car. [The First]

"I have a innate talent for driving," she says. "I get excited when others admire me as I make good time on the street."

"Although I haven't calculated how long it takes me to drive around the second ring, I guess I could do it in less than 10 minutes if I was going 180 km/h," she says, "I am itching for the competition with Thirteen Kin."

But her wish may not be realized, as the sponsor of the contest has not been able to get the Thirteen Kin to enter the race.

"Street motor racing not only needs speed, but also passing skills," she says. "About 9 p.m. is the best time for racing on the second ring."

"I want to break the record," she says.

Yao has the advantage of experience. Compared with the Thirteen Kin of the Second Ring who are all in their 20s, she already has a 10 year history of motorcycle racing.

"In our circle, most of us are around thirty, while the motor racers, like Thirteen Kin, are too young," says Yao. "We have a group of about 20 professionals. We have a lot of free time to race."

But racing can be dangerous, and even Sister Thirteen hasn't escaped unscathed. In September 2003, she was involved in an accident with a 40 year-old man that shook her up enough to keep her off the streets for two months.