One of the greatest aspects of motorsports is perhaps also one of the angles that the spectators rarely view as they see the racecars shred slicks on the tarmac, and that is the plethora of emotions and effort invested by the team in getting the car to the starting grid in the first place.
Team JPM Dragon-i can attest to that though, as the team very nearly didn’t make it to the starting grid but managed to get everything in order a mere two weeks before flag off to take second spot in the Sports production Class of the 2010 Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race, the highest placed local team in that class.
Piloting the team’s Porsche 911 GT3 RS, the same car they have used since 2007, was TJ Chin, TP Chin and Jeffrey Wong. By the end of the 12-hour mark, the drivers had clocked 271-laps for a new team record in the endurance race.
Although the usual gremlins had showed up on the starting grid itself, the team’s biggest task was getting everything prepared in less than two weeks after managing to secure sponsorship from fine-Shanghainese dining establishment Dragon-i Restaurant.
Such was the tight budget the team were operating on, the only spares they had for their race car come race day were brake pads, which ended up being used on the car anyways.
Motorsports is no Sunday drive, especially an endurance race. On the grid itself, minutes before the start of the race, the team’s Pastel Yellow Porsche developed brake and electrical problems, leading to the car running with the third brake light permanently on from the start.
Four hours into the race, a major exhaust leak lead to severe power loss that in turn lead to lap times 10-seconds slower than before. However, the team managed to overcome the barrier and get the car running back in top form.
One thing that the team could count on was the experience they have gathered from their participation in the race since its inception back in 2000.
During a small buka puasa gathering to celebrate the team’s success, team manager JP Chin voiced his hopes for the MMER and local motorsports in general, particularly the need for more local participation in the series.
One of his chief sentiments, shared by many a motorsport enthusiast in the country, was the lack of spectators and local entries in the enduro. He was quick to relate the two to each other, justifying that more local entries would inevitably lead to more spectators.
“If a foreign outfit came with just 15 team members, then that would be all the people from their side at the race. But if more local outfits were present, then not only would the team members be at the track but they would probably invite their family and friends to come watch and cheer for their team,” said JP Chin.
Addressing the root of local teams lack of participation would most likely be the cost factor. Cutting down on the participation costs would surely encourage more local teams to line up on the grid.
Local sponsorship too is another factor that is holding back the development and participation of local teams. JPM Dragon-i is a fully local outfit, sponsors included, which makes their achievement all the sweeter.
As for JPM Motorsport’s latest ventures, JP Chin mentioned the Berjaya Hill Climb Challenge that will be held over the 29-31 October weekend later this year.
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