Even with lesser cars on the grid compared to Round 1, the Round 2 of the 2015 Malaysian Championship Series definitely did not disappoint as the fight was as intense as ever between the racers on the grid. And not to forget, there were a couple of changes made to the series that had totally brought a new breath into the sport today.
For starters, we are beginning to see a rise of participants in the Touring Production category, with one of them being Mark Darwin himself. Far from being a stranger in the Malaysian Touring Car category, the young driver now pilots a Honda Civic FD2 for the race and took the spotlight immediately by not only clocking the fastest time in qualifying with a 2:28.207, but also by maintaining the position to take home a win for the TP category.
With a 30kg weight ballast on board after having won in Round 1, the duo of Alan Wong and Chris Tan were faced with a challenge as they struggled to maintain pace throughout the qualifying session. It definitely did not look well for them as they only managed to clock a best time of 2:31.925, putting them on the 13th spot on the grid.
However, by being extra careful during the race and implementing a proper strategy, they were able to avoid the massive pile up that took out a number of cars during the opening lap and climbed up a number of places. They were able to cross the finish line with a second place in hand.
It all went pretty straightforward for Proton R3 Motorsport’s Preve and Suprima S as they secured the first two grid spots for the MTC category. James Veerapen is now paired up with Fariqe Hairumann secured pole position with a 2:35.030 while Syafiq Ali trails closely behind with a 2:35.275.
However also with a 30kg ballast on board, James and Fariqe in the Suprima S was overtaken by Syafiq, allowing him to take the win for the MTC category in the Preve.
Both Proton R3 displayed amazing pace, and was quite hard for Fitra Eri to catch up with the duo. Making the best out of the situation, he defended his position from the fast-catching Faidzal Alang and secured the third position on the podium.
Malaysia Championship Series – Round 2
Top Five Finishers after 1 Hour
Touring Production Class
- Mark Darwin (Honda FD2) 22 laps (1:01.06.137s)
- Chris Tan/Alan Wong (Honda FD2) 22 laps
- Keifli Othman/Fahrizal Hassan (Honda Integra DC5) 22 laps
- K.K. Soh (Honda Integra DC5) 22 laps
- Kenny Lee (Toyota 86) 22 laps
Malaysia Touring Car Class
- Syafiq Ali (Proton Preve) 22 laps
- Fariqe Hairuman/James Veerapen (Proton Suprima S) 22 laps
- Fitra Eri (Satria Neo) 22 laps
- Faidzil Alang (Satria Neo) 21 laps
- Alvaro Mourato/Gilbert Ang (Proton Satria Neo) 21 laps
