World Class Entries for MMER 2010

While acknowledging that there will be world class competitors including former Le Mans winners standing between him and his first win in the Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race (MMER), Sri Lankan top driver Dilantha Malagamuwa is optimistic about his chances to cause an upset and ending his long wait at 12-hour endurance race.

“Asian drivers are as good as any other drivers in world. We are ready to compete with any team this year; and we are targeting to win. It’s good that the event had attracted some of the world’s top names … it’s going to be a great race this year,” said Dilantha on the 2010 MMER.

To be held at Sepang Circuit from August 5 to 8, it would be 11th edition of the MMER; and on paper, the Audi Race Experience Team Joest – featuring 2008 overall champion and former Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion Daryl O’ Young; partnering former Le Mans 24-Hours winners Frank Beila and Marco Werner – looked set to walk away with the title.

In their Audi R8 LMS machine, the team looked unbeatable in the a new-look MMER, which had introduced the GT Class, Sports Production Class and Touring Class in place of the open class, A1 Class and A2 Class that it had for the first time this year.

While the premier GT class will be contested by the GT2, GT3 and Cup cars, the Sports Production class would feature the GT4 cars and FIA Group B cars with diesel engine above 1900cc. Cars grouped under the Touring Production class would be the over 1900cc Group N cars under FIA Article 254; the over 1900cc Group A cars under FIA Article 255; and the above 1900cc non FIA homologated cars and the above 1900cc touring and saloon cars with diesel engines.

After last year’s revamp, it was another massive step forward by the promoters in an effort to put the event at par with the other world class endurance race through strict conformity to various articles in the FIA sporting regulations. For 2009, the organizers made the event exclusive for cars above 1900cc with the sub-1900cc competing in their own race at the Sepang 1000-kilometer Race.

The new changes were aimed at wooing in more top foreign teams from the international endurances races; and clearly it had shown immediate effect with the entry of the Audi works team, the top VIP Australian Petfoods Racing Team featuring drivers Tony Quinn, Klark Quinn and Paul Weel and the return of the Japan-based PETRONAS Syntium Team.

A two-time Malaysian Super Series (MSS) champion and a regular at Sepang Circuit, conducting private advanced courses at the circuit, Dilantha - who would have Japan Super GT driver Kota Sasaki as one of his driving partners - said he was looking forward to the 12-hour endurance race especially after his newly-bought Lamborghini LP560 performed well at its first test during the second round of the Malaysian GT Series.

“We ran the car ‘out-of-the-box’ and it ran very well. I am very happy with the performance and what we need to do now is just more practices for the race,” he said when met at the Malaysian GT race where he scored a double victory in his new Lamborghini.

Like Dilantha, Singaporean Mok Weng Sun – former champion with O’ Young in 2008 with Porsche Club Singapore Racing – is aiming for the top prize; but is also wary of the stiff competition in view of the top class entry for this year’s race.      

Staying loyal to Porsche Club Singapore, Mok – who came in third overall last year - would be having world class support with him as well in the veteran GT racing pro and multiple time Porsche Carrera Cup Australia champion Craig Baird and Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz.

Asked on the ingredients needed to win, Mok said: “Well, a reliable car that’s quick, 3 drivers that can drive a stint consistently quickly, an efficient and adaptive race crew, a race strategist with a view of the "Big Picture" and ‘Luck’!,” he said.
PETRONAS Syntium Racing – which scored a sensational 1-2 with the Super Taikyu drivers – would again have a two-pronged assault for the coveted crown with the partnership of Tatsuya Kataoka, Farique Hairuman and Melvin Moh in the first car; and Nobuteru Taniguchi, Masataka Managida and Imran Zaharias Shaharom in the second car.

Former F1 driver Alex Yoong – winner of the A1 class last year with Fugazi Racing – would be taking a shot at the main prize this time round; partnering former Porsche Carrera Cup Asia driver Matthew Marsh and top Asian driver Marchy Lee for Hong Kong-based KK Performance Team in a Lamborghini LP560.

Also competing in a similar Lamborghini machine would be Malaysia’s top driver and 2002 overall winner Tunku Hammam Sulong. He would be partnering former Le Mans winner Peter Kox and FIA GT3 European champion Christopher Haase for Arrows Racing.

The Sports Production Class would see Lotus Racing test driver Fairuz Fauzy in action with his brother and 2004 overall winner Farriz in a Aston Martin. Former German F3 driver Rizal Ramli is the third driver.

The Touring class would feature the recent winners of S1K – Kenny Lee and his Ultra Racing Team taking their fight for a second major trophy against the inaugural S1K winner of Boy Wong, Soh Kee Koon and Tek Kean Kang of Type R Racing Team.

MMER 2010 entry list