Thunder usually comes after lightning, but not for this cat

Even the fastest drivers in real life may be daunted at the lap times he clocks round several of the world’s most prominent race tracks—and he does so effortlessly in the comfort of his living room. Winner of the 2010 National Forza Motorsport 3 WCG series, and subsequently second-runner up at the Asian WCG, also the champion of the TNP Cyber Challenge: Gran Turismo 5 in 2011, Muhammad ‘Ali Ishak is a speed demon round the virtual tarmac. Known better as Thundercat to the competitive gaming racing enthusiast, the very candid and good-humored racer has a strange concession to make despite the growing list of accolades already in the boot, and that is he has yet to earn his driving license in real life!

 Muhammad ‘Ali Ishak 'Thundercat'

“I do not drive yet—but I do kart though,” he jokingly defends, citing school and work commitments as the primary reasons as to why he has yet to pick up the driver’s certificate. Growing up in Singapore, Ali, 28, wasn’t always a competitive racer. “I was a competitive CS (Counter-Strike) player as well,” he concedes, “but my genre of preference has always been racing simulation games.” It was love at first sight when Ali was first bestowed the power over man’s favorite four-wheeled motor-vehicle in the form of a RC car gifted to him by his father. “I grew up loving cars. I first started with Gran Turismo back in 1997, but when Forza Motorsport debuted in 2005, along with the introduction of XBOX Live, I was immediately hooked.”

Turning to professional E-Gaming proved to be the next chapter in the story. However, the road to greatness is lined with hard work and immense dedication, as Thundercat would like to have us know. “All genres (in competitive gaming) take dedication, skill and passion, but I believe the racing genre requires more precision skill, concentration, consistency and above all, patience.” On average, Ali spends around 2 to 6 hours a day honing his skills around the track, but he also admits to engaging in an all-day-all-night session to get the corners right and the timings down to the precise tenth of a second. “Sometimes I forgo my sleep, call it an addiction but I see it as dedication,” he laughs.

Thundercat at the WCG Asian Championship 2010

Medals from WCG National and Asian Championship 2010

“In racing you need to be an opportunist. I can drive more than 100 laps just to be familiar with a track and another 100 more just to salvage every possible opportunity to shave 0.1 seconds off your lap time.” As it stands, discipline and patience are the foremost called-for characteristic of any race gamer, but they are these very same attributes that put many competitive-wanabe-gamers off. “This is the reason why the racing genre is a niche,” explains the experienced egamer, “it takes a lot of practice to get where I am but people rather play something that would give them instant satisfaction.”

However, despite the smaller audience, Thundercat is an avid proponent of competition and looks forward to the day the racing genre is looked upon as fondly as other blockbuster titles such as Halo, Gears of War or even Modern Warfare. “Do not be disheartened when you don’t win,” advises Ali to newcomers of the industry, “always remember that in competitions there must be a little bit of fun. You should always ask questions and learn from your mistakes. When you step into professional racing, you will be known for the way you drive in game.” Stressing much on qualities such as dedication and consistency, Ali places the biggest emphasis on honesty, “always be honest, don’t cheat, hack or exploit. You should always retain a level of professionalism by maintaining a level of sportsmanship.”

Thundercat and his fiance

As with any discipline of sports, the professionals work hard to earn their stripes and one can be sure the yellow bricked road to success is hardly ever stroll in the park. The pursuer can be sure to encounter plenty of heartbreak and frustration, as Thundercat cringes at one of the most “painful” experiences he had to endure in his last decade of racing. “Back during the time I was on Gran Turismo and saving data was through a memory card, I had chalked over 24 million credits after many sleepless nights playing the game over the weeks and months. But when I returned from school one day I found that I had lost all my credits and cars to the default settings. I turned to my little brother who was 5 at that time and asked him whether he had touched my console and he nodded. I was so mad, and punched a hole in my bedroom door, it is still there today,” he recalls in partial nostalgia and disbelief, “talk about hardcore gaming!”