Racing non-stop for 1,000km is no easy task, especially when the opponents driving next to you are determined to take the checkered flag ahead of you. But in an endurance race, it is also a priority to actually finish the race itself, which is why we would like to congratulate all the men and women that had successfully crossed the finish line at the recent 2013 Sepang 1000KM endurance race.
But of course, the ones who truly deserve a big round of applause is Honda Malaysia Racing Team’s car #27 driven by Eddie Lew and Aaron Lim as they had not only survived the ordeal, but had also emerged victorious in the 181-lap race.
Starting the race behind their team mates sitting in the pole position, car #26 driven by Tengku Ezan Ley, Tengku Mahaleel and Mohamad Farriz Fauzy was forced into the pits soon after the race started due to a broken drive shaft. This had given #27 the opportunity to lead the race for a while before Proton R3’s #12 Preve driven by Tengku Djan Ley took the lead.
Pairing up with James Vee for this challenge, the #12 Preve was running strong up front and showed great potential to dominate the race. However, their lead only lasted until the 23rd lap, as the engine blew up and left them no choice but to retire from the race.
Not long after the race started, dark clouds started to engulf Sepang International Circuit and the leadership kept on changing throughout the race. A tough fight ensued between Tedco Racing’s #19 Satria Neo piloted by Fitra Eri and Mark Darwin, #16 Satria Neo driven by Desmond Khoo, Andrew Haryanto and Chunkie Chandra, and Type R Racing Team’s #21 Toyota Altis.
The battle went on until the final hours and as the cars approached the finish of the 181st lap, HMRT’s #27 Honda Jazz took the checkered flag, followed by Tedco Racing’s #19 Satria Neo. Third place falls to the trio of YC Wong, WS Lai and KK Soh in the #21 Type R Racing team’s Altis.
SEPANG 1000KM 2013 – TOP 10 FINISHERS
Sepang Circuit – 5,543 meter
(181 laps)
1. Aaron Lim/Eddie Lew (Honda Jazz) 8:24.41.686
2. Fitra Eri/Mark Darwin (Satria Neo) 8:24.53.671s
3. Boy Wong Yew Choong/Soh Kee Koon/Lai Wee Sing (Toyota Altis) 8:25.03.886s
4. Desmond Khoo/Andrew Haryanto/Chunkie Chandra (Satria Neo) 8:25.50.950s
5. Syafiq Ali/Takayuki Fujita (Satria Neo) 2 laps behind
6. Chin Hwa Lip/Admi Shahrul Ahmad Safian/Lim Hock San (Suzuki Swift) 5 laps behind
7. Jean-Charles Dahout/Muhammad Hiqmar Danial (Proton Satria) 9 laps behind
8. Leong Chun Hong/Leong Chun Kok/Leong Chun Kee (Suzuki Swift) 12 laps behind
9. Tengku Ezan Ley Tengku Mahaleel/Farriz Fauzy (Honda Jazz) 2:39.326s 14 laps behind
10. Gnow Chui Luen, Yee Kok Jun, Foo Yung Chieh (Satria Neo) 15 laps behind.
