As the 2007 Super Taikyu Endurance Series reaches its halfway mark, the PETRONAS Syntium Team is prepared to embark on the season feature and highly anticipated Tokachi 24-Hours endurance race this weekend. Set at the Tokachi International Speedway on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, the circuit measures 5.091 kilometres in length and promises a race that will be filled with the thrill and spills of a 24-hours endurance race.
PETRONAS Syntium Team
2007 Super Taikyu Endurance Series
Tokachi 24 Hours Endurance Race
Round 3, 15th to 16th July 2007
Preview
Kuala Lumpur / Tokyo, 11 July 2007
In addition to being the PETRONAS Syntium Team’s first participation in a 24-hours race event, the round will also feature a drivers’ line-up that will include the appearance of the father-and-son pairing of Hans-Joachim and Johannes-Emanuel Stuck. Taking on the Tokachi 24-hours challenge at the wheels of the BMW Z4M Coupe in the blue-ribbon ST1 class, both father and son will complete the quartet driving alongside Malaysian Fariqe Hairuman and Japanese driver Masataka Yanagida.
Already a winner in their own right, the Stucks travel to Japan on the back of a class win at the recently concluded Nürburgring 24-hours race last month, adding a boost to the PETRONAS Syntium Team’s campaign in the 2007 Super Taikyu Endurance series.
DAVID WONG (Team Principal):
The team has made a strong start to the season following our performance in the first two rounds, in spite of the obvious difficulties we faced with the unpredictable weather conditions at Sendai and the problem we suffered during the pit stop at Suzuka. On that note, I think we have started to build a solid and strong base for the rest of the season. Moreover, Fariqe and Yanagida have both demonstrated the competitive pace the BMW Z4M Coupe is capable of, which is extremely encouraging, especially as we head to Tokachi this weekend.
Fariqe’s performance and pace has been impressive and he has already earned the respect from the other teams, drivers and the fans. With the added boost of having someone like Hans who is a three-time 24-Hours of Nürburgring winner and two-time 24-Hours of Le Mans winner together with Johannes onboard the team for the Tokachi 24-Hours race, we can expect some thrilling and action-packed racing, giving the competition that extra punch.
GEN SUZUKI (Team Manager):
As the highlight of the Super Taikyu Endurance Series, the Tokachi 24-Hours Endurance race has also earned the reputation as being one of the toughest round in the calendar. The race is very competitive and demanding on both team and drivers. On the back of two extremely challenging rounds at Sendai and Suzuka, and using what we have learned from that experience so far, I think the team is well prepared, especially with Hans and Johannes joining us for this race to drive alongside Yanagida and Fariqe.
Fariqe Hairuman (left) and Masataka Yanagida (right)
MASATAKA YANAGIDA (Driver):
Looking at the way we have been performing in the first two rounds of the championship, and the way the BMW Z4M Coupe handles, I think we have a big chance in the race. We know the car definitely has the pace, so we can expect to challenge the other cars that have been racing in this event in the past. I am also looking forward to the opportunity to race with Hans and Johannes, as they are both really good drivers and it will be a lot of fun.
FARIQE HAIRUMAN (Driver):
Although I have some experience racing in endurance races, I have never competed in a 24-hours endurance race like this before. The Tokachi 24-hours race is already Japan’s, if not the region’s premier endurance race of its type and to be able to do this is like a dream come true for me. To be able to race along side my teammate Yanagida as well as someone like Hans, who is already an endurance race master and Johannes Stuck is definitely something extraordinary and I am really looking forward to it!
more on the Drivers
Fariqe Hairuman
Masataka Yanagida
Hans-Joachim Stuck (or visit Hans-Joachim Stuck - Official Website)
Johannes Stuck
THE TOKACHI 24-HOURS RACE
Arguably the feature event in the Super Taikyu Endurance Series, the Tokachi 24-Hours Endurance race is also the longest in the championship calendar. As the third round of the 2007 Super Taikyu Endurance Serries, the 14th edition of the race will take place at the Tokachi International Speedway from 14 – 16 July.
Introduced in 1994 as a local race for racing enthusiasts, the event has since grown in stature to position itself as one of the premier events in the Japanese racing calendar for both enthusiasts and manufacturer-backed teams. This is evidenced by the growing number of entries lining up the grid each year.
Moreover, the Tokachi 24-Hours has also earned the reputation as being the ultimate laboratory for automobile manufacturers who use the event for its research and development efforts. With increasing number of participants from outside of Japan, the Tokachi 24-Hours compares itself to other endurance races like the Dubai 24-Hours and the historic Nürburgring 24-Hours race.
Entries are classified on the basis of the vehicle’s engine aerodynamic volume displacement and drive systems and are sub-divided into five classes.
<table border="1"><tbody><tr><td>Class</td><td>Description</td></tr><tr><td>ST-1</td><td>Class 1 vehicles, 3501cc and above</td></tr><tr><td>ST-2</td><td>Class 2 vehicles, 2001cc – 3500cc</td></tr><tr><td>ST-3</td><td>Class 3 vehicles, 2001cc – 3500cc</td></tr><tr><td>ST-4</td><td>Class 4 vehicles, less than 2000c</td></tr><tr><td>ST-Sport</td><td>2 seater vehicles under 2200cc</td></tr></tbody></table>
With entries from the powerhouses of motorsports, including Porsche, BMW, Nissan and Honda, the 2007 edition of the race will also see the PETRONAS Syntium Team compete with the BMW Z4M Coupe in the blue-ribbon ST1 class.
more on the
Super Taikyu Endurance Series
