Twenty three drivers have confirmed their participation in the GT3 Asia series held during the Asian Festival Of Speed season opener held this 15-16 May weekend at Sepang International Circuit. The drivers, from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Canada, Chinese Taipei and Sri Lanka, will be competing in some of the best Supercars seen on the roads today.
The final batch of cars has arrived at the circuit via air freight and is ready for the race this weekend. The series has been a part of the Asian Festival Of Speed for three years and is a collaboration between the Supercar Club of Hong Kong and Motorsport Asia.
SPS Motorsport will be the biggest team this season with seven Lamborghini Gallardos. Michael Choi will be driving a brand new Gallardo LP560 GT3, which did a best lap time of 2’07” during the official test held in April.
Choi will be among three drivers competing in a new Gallardo, including the reigning GT3 Asia Champion, Malaysian driver Tunku Hammam. Hammam confirmed his change of car early last week as soon as the shipment was confirmed.
The Malaysian is back again to try to retain his championship crown, but he will be faced with a tough challenge from his counterparts, including good friend, Singaporean driver, Mok Weng Sun.
Mok, along with fellow Singaporean David Lai of Team Porsche Club Singapore both planned to race in the latest Porsche 997GT3 R, but the factory was unable to deliver the new cars until the end of the year. Mok will therefore compete in a 2009 Porsche 997 Cup S with a modified 4 litre GT3R engine, with which he did a stunning 2’07” in testing last month.
Meanwhile, to effect his change of cars, Lai will compete the season with Team Clearwater Racing in the Lamborghini LP560 GT3.
The fourth driver in the new LP560 will be Sri Lankan race regular, Dilantha Malagamuwa, competing for Dilango Racing Sri Lanka.
Elsewhere, another ten year Porsche veteran, Samson Chan will make a switch to a Ginetta GT3 this year, joining new team-mates Frank Yu and Eric Cheung. The trio will be racing as Team Craft, with Mark Goddard as the new team manager. Goddard has a long history in formula single seaters, including F3 and Formula BMW, along with his experienced crew, Team Craft will prove to be a strong team challenger.
Among the cars competing are several Ferrari F430 GT3’s and Porsche 997 GT3’s joining the line-up.
This year, the GT3 Asia, will unveil two new trophies, the GT Team Champion and the GT Master Trophy.
The FIA sanctioned GT3 Asia Series 2010 season will begin during the AFOS event in May and will be competing at some of the best race circuits around Asia including the new F1 circuit in Korea, Fuji and Autopolis race tracks in Japan.
The Asian Festival Of Speed Malaysia Event will also see over 800 cars from the various Car Clubs around Malaysia lining up at the grandstand for the Car Club Gathering & Display alongside the Autoshow, ICE Competition and various booths.
There will also be three cars from the ICE Display joining the grid during the Opening Ceremony along with the KL Drumline Corps, 20 lovely GT Grid Girls and the beautiful “AFOS Angels”.
The Opening Ceremony will be made even more exciting with a planned group shot with the GT3 Asia and GT4 Asia Cup drivers all lined up alongside their GT cars with the participants of the Car Club Gathering & Display lined up on the grandstand behind them.
For the first time, AFOS will host a ‘Roti Canai’ Eating Competition, sponsored by Kayu Nasi Kandar. The competition is open to all spectators and three rounds will be held at the grandstand. Participation is RM10 and the winner, the person who eats five Roti Canai in the fastest time or the most in three minutes, will walk away with RM150!
Entrance to the Asian Festival Of Speed is FREE and the Pit-Walkabout access is only RM10 per person.
For more information, log on to www.afos.com
