"'Superrace Freestyle' took the lead in raising the domestic popularity of motorsports."
On the afternoon of the 5th at the Westin Chosun Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, the Tving original 'Superrace Freestyle' production press conference was held. The production press conference included EP Lee Woo-hyung, PD Choi Young-rak, MC Park Joon-hyung, celebrities appearing as team managers DanAhn, Yoon Bo-mi, Kwak Beom, Kyung Soo-jin, Jung Hyuk, Seung-hee, Jo Jin-se, Um Ji-yoon, Yoon Ha-jung, and drivers Lee Chang-wook, Park Si-hyun, Choi Kwang-bin, Kim Si-woo, Hwang Jin-woo, Han Min-gwan, Kim Dong-eun, No Dong-gi, Park Gyu-seung, who shared stories together.
'Superrace Freestyle' is a real growth-style car racing entertainment show set on the '2025 O-NE Superrace Championship' stage, where Korea's top-level drivers challenge for a final winner's prize of 100 million won.
When asked why they chose racing as the subject, EP Lee Woo-hyung explained, "There are many sportainment programs that combine sports. We recently felt that interest in racing has been rising a lot, and we realized that our company CJ has racing IP. When I encountered it, it was more fun than I thought. Because the races themselves are fun, I thought if we lowered the entry barriers to show people parts they don't know and make it fun, people could definitely enjoy it. I'm not starting as an expert, but I approached it thinking we should present it entertainingly on video."
When asked about the differences from 'Top Gear Korea,' which is also car-themed, PD Choi Young-rak noted, "You can think of 'Top Gear Korea' as a program centered on cars, where cars are the protagonists. 'Superrace Freestyle' is a program centered more on the racers' characters and the narratives built from those characters. I think it's different from 'Top Gear Korea' starting from the approach."
A notable point is that, besides the drivers, celebrity team managers appear and pair with drivers to lead the races. PD Choi Young-rak said, "For driver-manager matching, the production team selected celebrities who matched our drivers' images and proceeded with matching. We matched them expecting a good fit between each sponsor and the combined driver-manager pairing."
Regarding the role of the celebrity team managers, EP Lee Woo-hyung said, "'Superrace Freestyle' is a survival program. Naturally, the content will be centered on competitions where the drivers put their pride on the line. Managers are important, but the program will help viewers get to know and appreciate drivers they previously didn't know about, and find them charming. The help of the managers was also necessary. Since the drivers haven't done much program-related filming, managers helped with variety-show entertainment and various on-camera moments, allowing for chemistry. I enjoy the races themselves, but I also enjoyed hearing them chatter behind the scenes. The atmosphere helped in many ways, so I think there was synergy."
PD Choi Young-rak also said, "Managers don't just play a backstage role as team managers; in our program they have to carry out a mission, and there are missions every round that require the managers' roles. In each round, we apply a unique freestyle rule, and when the racing progresses, managers devise strategies together, give direction with directors and drivers, and take on those roles as well."
MC Park Joon-hyung's contributions are also eagerly anticipated. Park Joon-hyung said, "To be honest, I don't know why they picked me as MC. My eyesight isn't good so I can't see cue cards well," adding, "My role is to interview and observe what was tuned when a car is tuned because I like cars. In Korea car culture hasn't been around for a long time. For people who don't know much about motorsports and cars, it's about explaining tuning in an easy-to-understand way."
When asked why Park Joon-hyung was cast as MC, PD Choi Young-rak said, "Not many people like cars this much or want to spread tuning and car culture. In that sense, I think Park Joon-hyung is almost top-tier, and other people can help with other commentary and parts." He added, "Honestly, half of it is for slander in the editing process," revealing the remark to laughter.
Particularly, DanAhn is the only celebrity manager with racing experience. DanAhn said, "I have racing experience from 10 years ago. Rather than an official debut, I took on a project challenge on the 'Top Gear' program. I was lucky to finish second in the last of three races and got on the podium, and Park Gyu-seung won first and popped champagne. I saw it again after 10 years, and it brought back memories. As a former dancer, I talked a lot about racing. It was nice to see. Team managers can't professionally do everything a manager could do, but there are many roles team managers can perform. Missions are for the main competition, so the roles managers must perform are important. I have racing experience, but even without it there are managers who love cars, so not only me but the team managers can play a big role in the team's victory."
Han Min-gwan, who is participating in the program as an 18-year veteran racer rather than a comedian, shared a field episode: "There were various unexpected situations, and I was very surprised by troubles that arose from problems I didn't know about when purchasing the vehicle. There were many unexpected twists and reversals during the races. When viewers watch the broadcast, they'll probably think, 'That's why Han Min-gwan talked about reversals.'" His manager Kyung Soo-jin also said, "There were many unexpected situations. Because it's the managers' first time, their reactions will look spectacular on broadcast. The cars aren't complete; they are being tuned and upgraded, and those changes affect the races, so that seems to be one of the fun elements of Superrace. I hope people enjoy those parts."
When asked about viewing points for people unfamiliar with racing, Jung Hyuk said, "Interest in racing slightly grew after the release of the movie 'F1: The Movie,' but there was a lack in terms of whether people would find it fun. To use an analogy, when we used to bring toy cars or Gundam models, we assembled them a lot. Watching them transform and become stronger gave us a thrill. Those elements, within different budgets, will let viewers enjoy seeing upgrades that happen within this budget."
Yoon Ha-jung said, "I usually like driving, so I worked hard hoping this opportunity would attract interest from many people regardless of gender. During filming, unexpected situations occurred that showed it wasn't easy. I needed concentration thinking about how to make it more fun. I thought it'd be like driving normally, but I rode a lot and even just riding was tough. I realized how much discretion the drivers put into their efforts."
Kwak Beom said, "My love for cars started with 'Top Gear.' You have to like cars to be interested in vehicle explanations. People who are just beginning to like cars wonder about prices. From there, 'Superrace' begins. How to fix them, who will win if they all go at once, which racer is the best. Combining these fun elements to make a vehicle entertainment show is exactly 'Superrace Freestyle.'"
Coincidentally, domestic fans' interest in racing has increased recently due to the success of 'F1: The Movie.' Park Joon-hyung said, "When they first contacted me, they said the same thing. They said the timing seems right because of 'F1: The Movie.' Motorsports have been in Korea for 20 to 30 years but weren't well known. K-pop also existed for a long time but recently exploded, and the timing now is perfect. I really hope it goes well this time. I hope this opportunity makes people know that cars are not only for transportation but can be a sport and a hobby. I haven't even thought about season 2. Season 1 hasn't even come out yet. But I hope it grows bigger," he said, expressing sincere wishes as a fan.
Finally, Han Min-gwan said, "I've done more car-related programs than anyone here. When I heard a racing program was coming out, I thought, 'Someone is jumping off a bungee without a rope. What a scary idea.' I went in with a light heart, but seeing the production team's preparation and passion made me want to work really hard. It created a picture I've never seen before. When you watch it you'll be surprised. Please give us a lot of support. Please be sure to watch."
Kim Dong-eun also said, "Of the programs I've filmed, this seems to be the largest in scale. It seems like they prepared a lot. Many people worry that race-related programs don't do well, but now it's the OTT era and interest in racing began to grow with the movie 'F1: The Movie.' I think 'Superrace Freestyle' will be successful. The drivers are not in real races, but they are working as hard as they would in a race. The directors made it feel like a real race by setting up meals and schedules. They're seriously hardworking, so I think a lot of interest will come."
No Dong-gi said, "I was most worried about whether the program could show the true side and real nature of racing motorsports while running a broadcast. I discussed those parts a lot with the writers. I think the variety and broadcasting aspects will become an opportunity to promote motorsports, enough to outweigh my personal ambitions. There are these 10 formidable drivers here, but there are many other drivers beyond us. I hope it becomes an opportunity for the development of motorsports so that all Korean drivers can race much more impressively," and added, "I'll take the 100 million won," expressing his ambition.
Park Gyu-seung said, "In soccer, spectators can see players running and their expressions, but in motorsports the car is seen and the driver is hidden, so I think 'Superrace Freestyle' can be the connecting role that brings the background of what drivers think during a race closer to spectators. I think the teamwork and storiesformed by combining efforts with managers will move people's hearts. As someone who loves motorsports, I'm looking forward to it. My mindset toward it is sincere when I race—I'm earnest, excited and having fun—so please give it lots of attention."
Meanwhile, 'Superrace Freestyle' will premiere on Tving and Wavve on the 7th.
[Photo] Tving
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