SIC Kicks off the new Malaysian GT Series at MSS

The dominance of Singapore’s Mok Weng Sun in the Malaysian Super Series Supercar Championship looked set to spill into the new Malaysian GT Challenge, which officially took off today at Sepang Circuit.
 
Representing Team Porsche Club Singapore Racing, the two-time Supercar Championship overall winner topped today’s time sheet in free practice sessions and the crucial qualifying session that would put him in pole position for tomorrow’s opening race.
 
Mok, the Supercar defending champion and the 2008 Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race overall winner, clocked  2 minutes 6.932 seconds around the 5.543-km, edging out second placed Tunku Hammam Sulong by more than half a second.  
 
The Malaysian driver clocked 2 minutes 7.498 seconds in his Lamborghini LP560. Sri Lankan Dilantha Malagamuwa, who like Mok is a two-time MSS Supercar champion, was third fastest with a time of 2 minutes 12.603 seconds.
 
The Malaysian Touring Car Challenge (MTCC) series – Malaysia’s version to the popular international touring car championships, which also kicked off today at Round 2 of the MSS – kicked off with a slow start with only two entries; but with prospects of a bigger entry in the upcoming round.
 
“I know that there are a few more who wanted to compete; but could not get their cars ready for this round,” said Harry Chai, the 2006 Supersixteen vice-champion who entered a Honda EP3. The other was two-time Supercompact champion Perajun Krishnan, who competed in a Honda Integra DC5.
 
Using ‘challenge’ instead of ‘championship’ on grounds of technicalities, the new MTCC for cars between 1601cc and 2000cc was a revamped of the old MSS Supersaloon Championship, which also ran sub-2000cc cars but with loose regulations.
 
The MTCC race was run together with the Asian Touring Car Series (ATCS), which ran the same sub-2000cc machines and had 14 entries. Liu Lic Ka topped the qualifying session with a time of 2 minutes 27.406 seconds in a BMW 320si.  
 
Perajun clocked 2 minutes 31.130 seconds to finish a commendable fifth in the overall time sheet while Harry failed to clock a lap time due to mechanical problems and would start at the back of the grid for Race 1 tomorrow.     
 
In the Supersixteen Championship, which entered its second round today, championship leader Damien Dielenberg in prime position to extend his lead and take a firm control on the championship battle.
 
He clocked an awesome qualifying time of 2 minute 35.523 seconds – a massive 3.2 seconds faster than his rival, Soh Kee Koon, who took 2 minutes 38.725 seconds around the 5.543-km track. K. Indran was third with 2 minutes 39.409 seconds.
 
Dielenberg, who raced in a Honda Civic EK machine, won both races in the opening round on May 30, giving him a perfect score of 50 points. Kok Pak Chiang is second with 33 points. Winson Eu is third with 32 points.