Preview Sepang 1000-km Endurance Race 2010

GIRLFIGHT AS FRIENDS TURN FOES SEPANG 1000-KM RACE   

They were all once working hand-in-hand under one camp at RedBull Rookies Racing Team; but come the second edition of the Sepang 1000-kilometer Endurance Race (S1K) this week, lady drivers Kiki, Puteri Ayu Jasmin Abdul Hamid, Philippa Yoong and Hiroko Nakamura of Japan will find themselves battling against each other.

Puteri, who was mentee to the trio of Philippa, Hiroko and Kiki, or Nurul Alis Akhbar a few seasons ago, would now be leading the charge new RedBull Rookies this time round; armed with a year of competing in the Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race (MMER), the S1K last year and plenty of tips from her new coaches-turn-rivals.

“It’s strange for me; but yet it is common in motor racing. Anyway, it will always be a friendly battle. I sincerely would also like to thank them especially Philippa whom had helped me a lot in racing,” said Puteri, who has the unenviable task of partnering three first timers, which included two ladies from Brunei, whose racing experience before 2010 was at simulators and Sony Playstation.

The second edition of the S1K, which is Malaysia’s second biggest motor racing endurance race after the MMER, would be held this week with the race to be flagged off at noon this Saturday (June 5). The drivers and teams would have their qualifying session of Friday. Registration and the official free practice will be on Thursday.

To cover 181-laps of the 5.543-km track, the 2010 race had attracted 54 cars, which would be grouped into two categories – Class 1 for cars above 1900cc, which should see a close contest between the Honda Integra DC2 and the Satria GTi, and Class 2 for cars below 1600cc that would see the Satria Neos challenging the hugely favoured Honda Civic EK machines and the Toyota Lenvins.   

Acknowledging the stiff competition, Puteri, Carmen Lim and their partners from Brunei - Noradzlianayati Abdul Radzak and  Melline Jaini, had openly admitted that they would be underdogs at the S1K in view of the huge experience of their rivals;  stressing that their main concern would be to complete the 181-lap race.

That, however, had been a mission superbly achieved by the previous RedBull Rookies teams, which started at the 2008 MMER race when Philippa was the team leader. Guiding through Puteri and Leona Chin in their racing debut, Philippa played the steering role in taking the team to sixth in Class B and the girls to prominence.

The following year at the new SIK following the revamp of the MMER, Puteri and Leona were ‘masters’ for the team, which had Diana Chin and Nurhayati Omar as the rookies. The quartet finished a creditable 21st overall in a grid of 52 cars.   

Closely associated to RedBull Rookies Racing Team and regularly seen with Philippa and Hiroko during training sessions for the aspiring lady drivers, Kiki is making a comeback in motor racing; partnering Australian James Mitchell and Desmond Khoo for Team Televas Racing in a Honda Integra DC2.

“It has been five years and I’m thrilled to be back racing for real,” said Kiki, who had made cameo appearance in local movies as racing drivers and hosting a series of motorsports on TV that occasionally saw her taking the wheels of race cars.

Being away for so long, Kiki said that she would not to anticipate how she would fare at the race; though she had promised herself to give her very best and enjoy the experience.

While Kiki’s team will be sharing her driving responsibilities among three drivers, Philippa and Hiroko – team-mates at the MMER in 2005 and 2007, would be driving with just two of them in a Satria Neo for Axle Motorsports – a team owned by her ex Formula 1 driver, Alex Yoong.  

“It feels good actually to race with them,” said Philippa when asked on the prospect of squaring off with Puteri and Kiki. “But, I would not actually be competing against them as we will be in different classes,” she said, adding that while her Satria Neo would be in Class 2, both RedBull Rookies and Televas Racing would be competing in Class 1 in their Honda Integras.   

“I actually have not seen Puteri for the last two years after we partnered together at the MMER. But, she was full of prospects then,” Philippa said, adding that she was sure that Puteri had progressed to become an even better driver now with all the training with her racing team.

Indeed, looking at Puteri practicing in Sepang, she is not the same driver partnering Philippa two years. But then, she is no more a rookie; but the team leader of RedBull Rookies 2010.

For details and media passes, contact the National Press Officer Norlina Ayob at 019-3174555 or e-mail norlina.ayob@sepangcircuit.com.my