05 August 2010, BY Sepang International Circuit
SEPANG, AUGUST 5, 2010: As the Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race draws near, the teams are busy setting and testing their cars in preparation for the 12-hour long endurance race.
The main point of concern is their car’s reliability and endurance, which can be affected by many different factors. Adding the fact that the cars are required to use a different make of tyres this year, the team mechanics and the drivers are hard at work testing out the tyres durability.
“Our main source of worry right now is the tyres. Last year, we were using Michelin tyres and this year we are required to use Pirelli tyres,” said Mofaz Racing Team driver Fairuz Fauzy.
Fairuz, who will be partnering his brother Farriz Fauzy and former German F3 driver Rizal Ashram Ramli, said the change of tyres basically means that all the team taking part in the 2010 MMER will have to start from ground zero.
“We all have to calibrate the cars according to the tyres. So far, quite a few teams have been struggling with the tyres as they tend to wear out after only eight or nine rounds. Imagine how it will be in a 12-hour race. It is really a big challenge for us and the other teams in getting the best out of the tyres and trying to ensure that they last longer,” he said.
Aside from Fairuz, who is the Lotus F1 Racing test driver, this year’s MMER will witness the participation of many other top names in the world of motor racing, including winners of the prestigious 24 Hours LeMans Race.
Fans will be able to watch the likes of Frank Biela, Marco Werner, Peter Kox, Christopher Haase, Daryl O’Young, Matthew Marsh, Dominik Farnbacher and Alex Yoong battle on the circuit.
The list also includes top Super Taikyu drivers of Tatsuya Kataoka, Nobuteru Taniguchi and Masataka Managida from the PETRONAS Syntium Racing Team.
The MMER 2010 will be the first MMER outing for Fairuz.
“It’s good to participate in the race, I’m really looking forward to race with my brother, Farriz and Rizal. We were teammates before in Formula 3, so I know that I have very good teammates for the race,” he said.
His teammate, Rizal echoed Fairuz’s sentiments.
“We have a very reliable car, and we have a very good team. Right now we are focusing on getting the best out of the car. Although my previous experiences in the MMER had not been all that great due to mechanical failures, I am confident that we will be able to finish the race this year,” he said.
The midnight start to the 12 hour race will put the driving skills of all the drivers to the test. But does the grid play a part in the final results?
“It’s a very long race. It doesn’t matter where you start, but of course it’s always good to start at the pole position,” said Farriz, adding that the team is confident on finishing the race and getting a spot on the podium this year, barring any mechanical difficulties.
“The most important thing is the car’s reliability. In our case, the Aston Martin is one of the best in this GT car category,” said Fairuz.
The Mofaz Racing team’s Aston Martin will be up against other powerful cars such as the Honda S2000, piloted by the Japanese trio, Masatama Kawaguchi, Masayuki Ueda and Adam Han from team Tracy Racing as well as the Lotus 211, piloted by Ahraff Dewal and Zender Low from Aylezo Empire Motorsports.
Yet another strong contender in the Sports Production class is Team G1-JPM ‘s Porsche GT3, piloted by another family combo, JP Chin and TP Chin.
The 2010 MMER will begin at midnight on Saturday, ending at 12 noon on Sunday.
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