PATTAYA: It was a bitter sweet day for Team Proton Axle driver Syafiq Ali, who won the Asian Touring Car 1500 Max Series drivers’ crown at the Bira Circuit near here today.
The youngster, who was trailing teammate Fadzil Alang going into today’s final two races, finished second in Round 11 to clinch the overall title but his joy at winning the title was soured when Faidzil was involved in an accident which saw his car roll over three times.
Faidzil made a good start but was then punted into a series of barrel rolls when Thailand’s C. Pisanu tried to block him. Thankfully for the Malaysian driver, he escaped with hardly any injuries. He, however, could not continue racing and this handed the championship to Syafiq.
Faidzil said “I was coming alongside Pisanu when he turned suddenly into me. There was nothing I could do and it cost me the championship.”
It was not the way Syafiq wanted to win the 1500Max crown but his consistent performances throughout the championship proved he deserves the accolades.
“It’s my first year racing touring cars and I am elated to have won the championship. I learned a lot as the season progressed, and have to thank the team for giving me the car and the opportunity to do it.
“It’s also been a pleasure racing Faidzil and we have had some good battles through the year. I am very relieved and happy that he is okay after watching him roll through the air above me.”
After 12 rounds of racing, the Proton Axle drivers, who were using Proton Neos, finished way ahead of the competition. Syafiq took first place with 119 points, Faidzil was four points behind while Taiwan’s Chen Hong Shu was a distant third on 37 points.
Team Principal, Alex Yoong, said: “Faidzil’s accident looked terrifying as he rolled 3 times down the start-finish straight. It is a testament to how strong our Proton cars are that, he was unhurt.
“It was not the way we wanted to win the championship but overall, we had a great season. To win the series so soon after our formation is a fantastic achievement and the crew deserve a special mention for giving us great cars to work with.”
For the uninitiated, the 1500Max is a competition for normally aspirated cars below 1599cc, such as the Honda Jazz, Peugeot 206, Toyota Vios, Proton Gen 2 or Saga, Suzuki Swift, Chevrolet Aveo and the like.
Regulations ensure equality between the different makes while a strict power to weight ratio has been worked out, so that all cars will have an equal chance of winning. This was to ensure nobody gained an advantage and kept the action close and exciting.
RACE RESULTS
Round 11: 1. C Traitani, 2. Syafiq Ali, 3. B Suttilack
Round 12: 1. C Traitani, 2. B Suttilack, 3. C Hatai
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Syafiq Ali (Malaysia) 119pts
2. Faidzil Alang (Malaysia) 115pts
3. Chen Hong Shu (Taiwan) 37pts
4. C Traitani (Thailand) 36pts
