LEE Chong Wei stayed on track for a World Super Series Masters Finals hat-trick when he cruised confidently into the final in Taipei yesterday.

Chong Wei, winner of the first two events in 2008 and 2009, secured an easy 21-17, 21-18 win over Boonsak Ponsana of Thailand in 43 minutes.

Awaiting Chong Wei in the final is veteran rival Peter Gade Christensen of Denmark who battled to a 21-19, 21-18 win over Chen Long of China in their last four encounter which lasted 59 minutes.

Chong Wei should not face any problems securing the US$40,000 (RM122,720) top prize for the third time as he has never lost to Christensen in the tournament.

He beat the Dane in the group stage in Taipei, having also beaten Christensen in the group stage and the final of the 2008 Masters Finals and in the semi-finals last year.

"I am prepared for Peter Gade. He is a good player and it will be tough to play him," said Chong Wei.

"The final is a different game and past results will not matter. But I am playing well and am ready for the challenge.

"It will also be good to win my third Super Series Finals title and it will be even more meaningful this year as all the top eight players in the standings are here."

Victory will set the tone for Chong Wei who is seeking a treble at the start of 2011. He is aiming for a seventh Malaysia Open crown at Putra Stadium on Jan 18-24 and the Korea Open Premier Super Series on Jan 25-30.

Chong Wei can expect another US$30,000 if he wins the Malaysia Open while a huge windfall awaits in the Korea Open where victory is worth US$90,000.

Results -- Singles: Lee Chong Wei (Mas) bt Boonsak Ponsana (Tha) 21-17 21-18; Peter Gade Christensen (Den) bt Chen Long (Chn) 21-19, 21-18.

Doubles: Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Den) bt Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng (Chn) 21-10, 18-21, 21-19; Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae (Kor) bt Chai Biao-Zhang Nan (Chn) 21-15, 21-11.

Women's Singles: Wang Shixian (Chn) bt Yip Pui Yin (HK) 21-15, 21-14; Bae Youn Joo (Kor) bt Wang Yihan (Chn) 21-18, 16-21, 21-16.

Doubles: Cheng Shu-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Cheng Wen Hsing-Chien Yu Chin (Tai) 22-20, 21-19; Wang Xiaoli-Yu Yang (Chn) bt Miyuki Maeda-Satoko Suetsuna (Jpn) 21-16, 21-16.

Mixed Doubles: Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei (Chn) bt Ko Sung Hyun-Ha Jung Eun (Kor) 21-14, 21-19; Sudket Prapakamol-Saralee Thungthongkam (Tha) bt Songphon Anugritayawon-Kunchala Voravichitchaikul (Tha) 21-13, 21-16.

THE Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM), formed and launched by the Sports Ministry in May, 2007 is now in dire need of a new lease of life.

Neglect following two changes of Sports Ministers since the body was formed and the lack of support from relevant agencies has forced the association into a massive overhaul.

The MAM has been left with just four staff and scarce funding that has forced many programmes to be halted, while plans came to a standstill. But 2011 brings a breath of fresh air to the association.

One programme that the MAM does effectively is the facilitation of tax exemption for motorsports-related vehicles and equipment via the Finance Ministry.

Controversially launched in 2007 amidst debate over the overlapping of duties with the Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) -- the governing body for motorsports in the country -- the MAM seems now to have found it's position within the overall structure of Malaysian motorsports.

Since current chief executive officer Datuk Razlan Razali took over in May last year, the MAM has shifted premises to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), which Razlan serves as chief executive officer as well.

The MAM's push for development programmes in motorsport over the past two years has been limited due to the discontinuation of funding from the Sports Ministry at one point.

"When I took over, we saw the dire need for restructuring and a realignment of strategies in order to work in a more effective way," said Razlan.

"Overheads were high and most of these costs were going to wages of staff, who were all working to promote the development of motorsports. So, when there was a disagreement on the fact that much of the funds were going towards overheads, the funding stopped.

"But the structure then was in place before I came into the picture, so what I could do was to restructure to make it relevant and effective. Moving to the SIC's premises also helped since about 70 percent of motorsports events are held there."

The MAM staff are now on the SIC's payroll, while overheads and other administrative costs have also been absorbed This, Razlan said, leaves any funding that comes to the MAM to be used solely for development programmes.

"What the MAM can focus on now is the facilitating of the tax exemption programmes, which not many people know of yet. The association will also continue to facilitate proposals requiring government funding and we'll continue conducting courses for clubs," said Razlan.

"We do sanction several events both within the SIC and in other parts of the country. But this year, the focus will be on the realignment of strategies. The response to these changes from the Sports Ministry has already been very positive."