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Carrera Cup Asia
It was a good day for Thai motorsport today as motorsport veteran Charoensukhawatana Nattavude took victory in Round 3 of the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia, followed across the line by fellow countryman Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak. Nattavude’s victory gave his team, China’s SCC Racing, their first win in regional motorsport in only their third race. However, Nattavude was the first to congratulate his protégé Vutthikorn who drove a faultless race and only lost the lead to his mentor in the closing stages when he made just one error.
Said Nattavude of his fellow Thai: “I teach him a lot, so I’m very happy for
him. He really is a very good driver, and it was a great race. He made a mistake
in the end though, so I got by.”
Reigning British GT Champion Jonathan Cocker, winner of Round 2 and who had
started from pole, had to settle for the final podium place despite having
ploughed back up the field after losing several places in the opening laps.
Cocker made an audacious move on Team Jebsen’s Darryl O’Young just meters from
the chequered flag to deny the Hong Kong driver third place.
“At the last corner, I was right on him. I saw there was room for a car, and
that was it!” said the 18-year-old Briton.
A disappointed O’Young had to settle for 4th, but he demonstrated how far he has
come since last season and will definitely be one to watch for the rest of the
year.
Reigning champion Matthew Marsh finished 5th, followed by Danny Watts in 6th who
had started from 13th and tore through the field to 7th place by the end of the
opening lap.
In Class B it was once again Alain Li of Hong Kong who took the win, followed by
fellow Hong Kong driver Philip Ma. However, it was William “Chip” Conner, who
had hit the pit lane speed limiter in error and knew he had ground to make up,
who set the fastest lap in the Class. His 1:08.974 lap put him right up with the
Class A drivers.
In the race, Malaysia’s Rizal Ramli made a cracking start from 5th on the grid,
but couldn’t quite get by Marsh. Cocker looked to be clean away for the second
time today, but by the end of the opening lap it was Vutthikorn who led the
field.
Ramli meanwhile was sticking to Marsh like glue and managed to take the A-Ha
Racing driver on lap four. Nattavude was next to pounce, passing the reigning
champion. In the meantime, Vutthikorn concentrated on extending his lead from
the chasing pack.
Nattavude got by Ramli on lap 6 after the Jaseri Racing driver made an error,
and closed the gap on the race leader to less than half a second. The chase was
on as the drivers closed in on the race leader, with Nattavude in an unenviable
position between a brilliantly defending Vutthikorn, who didn’t put a wheel
wrong throughout, and a determined Ramli. Ramli himself was under huge pressure
from O’Young, who had got by Marsh on lap 6, and the two came together at one
point with Ramli sustaining damage which put him out of contention, eventually
finishing 9th.
The closing laps were the stuff of legend as Vutthikorn bravely tried to keep
his “master” at bay, with the mighty Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machines two abreast,
but it was the elder Thai who had triumphed by the chequered flag. Cocker’s
last-second dash by O’Young to rob him of a hard-earned podium had the crowds on
their feet.
Series newcomer, Gene Lee of South Korea made a spirited comeback after his
disappointment in Round 2, finishing 8th overall and clocking the fastest lap of
the race – an astonishing 01:07.580.
The results put Nattavude to the top of the championship leaderboard with a two
point lead over Jonathan Cocker, with Vutthikorn just two points behind him. In
Class B, Li tops the points on 27, with Team Thailand’s Sontaya Kunplome on 19,
and Philip Ma with 15.
Rounds 4 and 5 of the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia will be held at
Thailand’s Bira Circuit on June 10-12.
Supporting the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia are two of the most recognised
names in international motorsport, Mobil1 and Michelin. Mobil and Porsche have
been partners since 1996. Close co-operation in research and development has to
led to every new
Porsche engine being filled with Mobil1 high-performance lubricant. Porsche
Infineon
Carrera Cup Asia drivers also have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres
supplied by series partner Michelin. The consistent performance and leading
technology of Michelin tyres constantly improve the performance of many teams in
international motorsport. The partnership between Michelin and the Porsche
Infineon Carrera Cup Asia has emerged from a worldwide agreement signed between
Porsche AG and the Michelin group.
The Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia runs as part of the Asian Festival of
Speed, organised by Malaysian-based Motorsport Asia Limited.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system
solutions for automotive, industrial and multimarket sectors, for applications
in communication, as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon
operates through its subsidiaries in the US from San Jose, CA, in the
Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in
Japan from Tokyo. In fiscal year 2004 (ending September), the company achieved
sales of Euro 7.19 billion with about 35,600 employees worldwide. Infineon is
listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York
Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at
www.infineon.com.
Round 3 Results
1 36 C. NATTAVUDE (THA) A SCC Racing Team 22:53.998
2 18 Vutthikorn INTHRAPHUVASAK (THA) A Team Thailand 01.128
3 38 Jonathan COCKER (GBR) A GruppeM Racing 01.211
4 88 Darryl O’ YOUNG (HKG) A Team Jebsen 00.100
5 1 Matthew MARSH (HKG) A A-Ha Racing 00.978
6 20 Danny WATTS* (GBR) A Porsche Asia Pacific 08.621
7 89 Nigel ALBON (GBR) A Eurokars Racing 02.840
8 21 Gene LEE* (KOR) A Porsche Asia Pacific 07.591
9 55 Rizal Ashram RAMLI (MAS) A Jaseri Racing Team 03.425
10 6 Dilantha MALAGAMUWA (JPN) A AI Racing 00.165
Class B
11 11 Alain LI (HKG) B Alain Li 23:23.363
12 98 Philip MA (HKG) B Philip Ma 17.487
13 8 William E. CONNOR II (HKG) B William E. Connor II 16.611
14 28 Sontaya KUNPLOME (THA) B Team Thailand 1 lap
*Non series registered.
Fastest Lap Class A: Gene Lee/KOR/Porsche Asia Pacific – 01:07.580/143.83kph
Fastest Lap Class B: William E. Connor II/HKG – 01:08.974/140.92kph
Pole Position: Jonathan Cocker/GBR/GruppeM Racing
Formula BMW Asia
Fifteen-year-old Indian Formula BMW Junior and Rookie, Armaan Ebrahim (Team
E-Rain), astounded the Asian racing fraternity today by taking a brilliant
victory in Round 4 of Formula BMW Asia. The youngster made history by becoming
the first Rookie ever to achieve this result, in just his fourth outing in the
car. He drove the 20-lap race with a maturity way beyond his years. Second was
fellow BMW Junior Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus), followed by series leader
Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) in a heart-stopping race.
Al Khalifa remains at the top of the championship leaderboard, but it is now
Ebrahim who is in second, just 17 points behind, with Charlie-Ro Charlez
(MAS/Team Meritus) in third on 45.
Said Ebrahim, who has been tipped for a test with India’s A1GP Team and who has
aspirations to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Narain Karthikeyan: “I
never thought I’d win this quickly. I’ve been getting more experience and have
learned from the first three races. Today I put my head down and am much more
confident. You can expect more from me, but I have to thank BMW for giving me
this opportunity and JK Tyres my primary sponsors for having faith in me.” Not
only did Ebrahim credit the comprehensive Formula BMW Education and Coaching
Programme with his extraordinary progress, but also some well-chosen words of
advice from father Akbar, who was India’s first ever Formula 3 driver.
In the race, Al Khalifa was slow off the start and lost his pole position
advantage immediately, with fellow countryman Hamed Al Fardan (Team Meritus),
starting from third, seizing the lead almost immediately. Ebrahim was up to
second by the end of lap one ahead of Boughey, and began to close the gap on Al
Fardan. Mid-way through the race, the Indian made a valiant effort to take the
lead, but just couldn’t quite pull it off.
Al Khalifa was on a charge to make up the places he lost off the start, setting
the fastest lap of the race, and there was almost nothing between the top four.
Ebrahim finally managed to grab the race lead on lap 16, while behind him Al
Fardan was coming under pressure from a determined Boughey. The two battled it
out over the next three laps until disaster struck for Al Fardan on the final
lap of the race when the two came together taking him out of the contention and
denying him a precious podium finish. That handed third to Al Khalifa, a
position he later declared rightfully belonged to an inconsolable Al Fardan.
Aaron Lim (MAS/Minardi Team Asia) was the second Rookie finisher and a
tremendous 4th overall in his second ever motor race, followed by fellow
Malaysian Charlez. Ebrahim’s win puts him on an equal 67 points with Charlez in
the Rookie Cup standings, followed by An on 40.
Background:
Formula BMW is the world’s leading entry-level class in Formula racing. In 2005
the series will be held in Germany, Britain, Asia and the USA. Up-and-coming
drivers as young as 15-years-old are given the opportunity of entering motor
racing with the high-tech, standard FB02 race car.
This racing car has been seen on the grid since 2002 and has set standards
particularly on the safety technology front. The single-seater is propelled by a
140 bhp BMW engine up to 230km/h and exceeds by far the safety requirements for
its class. BMW Motorsport has developed the FORS Formula Rescue Race Seat
especially for Formula BMW. The HANS safety system is also mandatory.
In 2005, Formula BMW will be staged five times as part of the Formula One
support programme. All the series offer a multifaceted Education and Coaching
Programme as well as sponsorship for promising racing talents. The best-known
alumni of this talent hothouse are Formula One drivers Ralf Schumacher and
Christian Klien.
BMW Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen: “Formula BMW offers talented young
drivers more than just a car. In the Education and Coaching Programme we have
designed specially for them, they learn everything they need to know to hold
their own in the big wide world of motor racing. Formula BMW has shot out of the
blocks to become the top entry-level class for Formula racing worldwide.”
In December 2005 the Bahrain International Circuit will host the first Formula
BMW World Final. Young racing drivers from the four regional Formula BMW series
will compete against each other. The winner will get the chance to test a BMW
WilliamsF1 Team car.
Round 4 Results.
1 17 •*Armaan EBRAHIM (IND) Team E-Rain 22:55.594
2 68 *Robert BOUGHEY (THA) Team Meritus 02.442
3 7 Salman Rashid AL KHALIFA (BAH) Team E-Rain 00.472
4 2 •Aaron LIM (MAS) Minardi Team Asia 04.805
5 88 •Charlie-Ro CHARLEZ (MAS) Team Meritus 03.719
6 61 •*AN Suk-Won (KOR) Team E-Rain 03.881
7 29 •*Michael Tony PATRIZI (AUS) Team Meritus 10.052
8 4 •Dejan de ZOYSA (SRI) Minardi Team Asia 02.293
9 22 Jonathan CHAN (HKG) Minardi Team Asia 09.691
10 58 Mitsunobu ENDO (JPN) Team Meritus 02.458
11 9 •*WANG Jian-Wei (CHN) Ao’s Racing Team 05.056
12 99 #SONG Ge (CHN) Ao’s Racing Team 07.592
13 38 Hamed AL FARDAN (BAH) Team Meritus 1 lap
DNS 20 #CHIA On (HKG) Ao’s Racing Team -
*Scholarship driver
•Rookie Cup
# Non-Series Registered
Fastest Lap: Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 01:07.730/143.51kph
Pole Position: Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 01:07.679/143.62kph
Formula BMW Asia Rookie Cup Results: 1. Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain), 2. Lim (MAS/Minardi
Team Asia), 3. Charlez (MAS Team Meritus), 4. An (KOR/Team E-Rain) 5. Patrizi
(AUS/Team Meritus), 6. de Zoysa (SRI/Minardi Team Asia), 7. Wang (CHN/Ao’s
Racing Team)
Formula BMW Asia Points Standings after Round 4:
1.Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 67 points, 2. Armaan Ebrahim (IND/Team
E-Rain) 50 points, 3. Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) 45 points, 4. Robert
Boughey (THA/Team Meritus) 42 points, 5. Hamed Al Fardan (BAH/Team Meritus) 26
points, 6. Michael Patrizi (AUS/Team Meritus) 22 points, 7. An Suk-Won (KOR/Team
E-Rain) 22 points, 8. Aaron Lim (MAS/Minardi Team Asia) 18 points, 9. Wang
Jian-Wei (CHN/Ao’s Racing Team) 11 points, 10. Mitsunobu Endo (JPN/Team Meritus)
8 points, 11. Dejan de Zoysa (SRI/Minardi Team Asia) 8 points, 12. Jonathan Chan
(HKG/Minardi Team Asia) 5 points.
Rookie Cup Standings after Round 4:
1. Armaan Ebrahim 67 points, 2. Charlie-Ro Charlez 67 points, 3. An Suk-Won 50
points, 4. Michael Patrizi 33 points, 5. Wang Jian-Wei 28 points, 6. Aaron Lim
27 points, 7. Dejan de Zoysa 20 points.
Statistics
Winners 2005: Al Khalifa (2), Boughey (1), Ebrahim (1)
Pole Positions: Al Khalifa (4)
Podiums: Al Khalifa (4), Charlez (2), Boughey (2), Al Baharna (1), Patrizi (1),
Al Fardan (1), Ebrahim (1)
Championship Points: 1. Salman Al Khalifa (BAH/Team E-Rain) 67 points, 2. Armaan
Ebrahim (IND/Team E-Rain) 50 points, 3. Charlie-Ro Charlez (MAS/Team Meritus) 45
points, 4. Robert Boughey (THA/Team Meritus) 42 points, 5. Hamed Al Fardan
(BAH/Team Meritus) 26 points.
Rookie Cup Winners: Charlez (2), Ebrahim (2)
Rookie Cup Points: 1. Armaan Ebrahim 67 points, 2. Charlie-Ro Charlez 67 points,
3. An Suk-Won 50 points
ATCC
German's Franz Engstler ruled the opening rounds of the Asian Touring Car
Championship (ATCC) by winning both Race 1 and Race 2 at Asian Festival of Speed
in Sepang today to take firm control of Asia's most prestigious racing series.
Driving a BMW 3201, Engstler blasted from the top of the grid to lead the race
from start to finish around the fast 2.706-km Sepang Circuit North Track and
immediately announced himself as firm favourite for the overall title for the
premier Division 1 for FIA Super 2000 cars.
A seasoned driver with German Formula 3 and German Touring Car titles under his
belt, Engstler showed superb concentration and patience after Race 1 was forced
for a fresh rolling
re-start behind the pace car after Mashlino Buang of Team Petronas Syntium
Proton (PSP) had a suspension failure at Turn 1.
Team PSP pride was, however, restored after Mohd Fariqe Hairuman took second
place in both Race 1 and 2 in the Proton Impian; and showed a lot of potential
to announce himself as the main contender to Engstler's title challenge in the
13-round championship.
Local driver Eric Yeo performed magnificently to finish top in Division 2 for
the 2000cc production cars when he finished third and fifth overall and now
faced a dilemma pertaining his future participation in the series.
"When we started today, it was just to try out and test our capabilities. Now,
looking at our performance today, it makes a lot of sense to run in the whole
championship. But, that will require a lot of money and sponsorship.
"We will now immediately start looking for sponsors to allow us competing in the
whole championship, which actually was not in our initial plans," says Eric, who
uses the same Honda Civic EP3 in the Malaysian Super Series Championship and
Supersaloon Championship.
The ATCC, which is run along with the Formula BMW Asia and Porsche Infineon
Carrera Cup Asia as part of Asian Festival of Speed travels to China, South
Korea, Thailand and Macau.
AFOS now proceeds to Bira, Thailand on June 12 for Round 3 and 4 of the ATCC,
Round 4 and 5 for the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia and the fifth and sixth
round of the Formula BMW Asia.
At a special ceremony earlier at the circuit, Motorsport Asia Limited formalised
an agreement with 8TV appointing the private television station as the Host
Broadcaster of the event. Under the agreement, 8TV screens a total of 36
30-minute highlight shows for each throughout the season.
Overall Results
ASIAN TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHP
Race 1 (19 laps) *
1. Franz Engstler (BMW320i) 36:03.552
2. Mohd Fariqe (Proton Impian) 36:14.322
3. Eric Yeo (Honda Civic) 37:05.303
4. Rueben Wong (Honda Integra) 37:13.071
5. Lo Ka Chun (Honda Integra) 37:13.933
*Race 2 (20 laps)
Overall Results
1. Franz Engstler (BMW320i) 24:19.006
2. Mohd Fariqe (Proton Impian) 24:21.702
3. R.S. Prutirat (BMW 320i) 24:51.369
4. Ao Chi Hong (Honda Integra) 25:13.586
5. Eric Yeo (Honda Civic) 1 lap behind
Supporting the Asian Touring Car Championship are three most recognized names in
international motorsport; Michelin, KW Suspension and Speedmetal Lubricants.
ATCC drivers have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres, high-tech
racing suspension and lubricants.
Off The Streets -Tsuiso Terror
By: Skagee:
Though tired and toasted, I'm truly exhilarated by the event last Sunday. All the hard work done by our team had totally paid off by the response we had received from the drifters and host alike!!
I would like to thank Jerry AE86 ,Tee180sx and Tan KE72 for helping design the
course; we had countless design lay out drawn out prior to the setup and had a
good laugh at some design drawn!! Besides those mentioned I also would like to
thank , Stanley AE86 and Ah Fai for their helpful inputs and help at designing
the sprinkler/track wetter (??) system. I have found new respect for Ah Fai,as
he's certainly amazes me with the brilliant ideas that he came up with!!Billy
MarkII and Shaun GTO for entertaining us while working, making us laugh till our
tummy hurts.Vincent 1580 for helping out with the finishing touches on the lay
out and burning up those 18 inchers!!!Kevin A31 and Justin FC for taking time
off work to help load the tires onto the truck and help set up the track ,my
apologies for ruining your office shirts and leather shoes. Ari for making the
detour to get the garbage bags. Jonathan MivecWira for the cones ( heeheehee).
Taufik and Mas running around getting things done, watching Mas lunge the tires
were a sight to be hold. and of course Helmi and Imran for everything. I would
like to also thank Spacecowboy for his fantastic organisational skills, though
mischievious at times , you prove to be invaluable to the whole team, a big
thanks buddy.
Of course, my thanks goes to the marshalls too, these guys were slaving out in
the hot sun throughout the whole event. Without you guys , I seriously wouldn't
know what we would do!! Don't forget about tonight ok??
Last but not the least, the drifters. Thank you for attending our humble event.
The enthusiasm showed by you guys were inspiring. I would like to thank the
Banting drifters, Angle Drifters, TOS Drifters, Team Drifters,Kelang Drifters ,
TFCC Drifters( with their private tent , pit girl and Pit Bomba man..heehee) and
all the other drifters that aren't affiliated to any group or club. Thank you so
much for your participation.
I would like to thank the sender of all the SMS I had received with words of
encouragements prior to the event.You know who you are
My apologies for not being able to recognise some of the numbers but thanks for
the support , nevertheless.
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