R3 Faidzil Alang Takes New Partners for Sepang 1000-kilometer Race

Proton R3 Racing Team may not be at this year’s Sepang 1000-kilometer Endurance Race (S1K); but its top driver Faidzil Alang Abdul Rahman - the man who helped the team to the prestigious Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race (MMER) overall title in 2006 and topping Class B in 2008 – will be there in Sepang to compete at the second edition of the race this Saturday (June 5).

While admitting that he would have love to have the whole Proton R3 crew working behind him again for the race, Faidzil said that he was just as please to work with his new team and partnering Shazull Hisham and Romie Asmawi Abd Jais, who is providing his Honda Integra DC2 race car.     

“Sincerely, all three of us were not supposed to be racing this year. But, one day, we met at Man Panjang’s workshop and things just simply happened. AMN Motorsports agreed to manage the team, Man Panjang is the chief crew and Romie agreed to supply the race car … so, we will be at the race … we are a team of friends. Like a Friendship Team,” said the Ipoh-born Faidzil.

A close friend to Faidzil, Man Panjang, who real name is Noor Azman, was part of the victorious Proton R3 team that won the overall title twice including in 2006 with Faidzil, Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel and Damien French in Lotus Exige 300RR. In 2005, the team had Tengku Djan, Japan’s Genji Hashimoto and Tony Riccirdello of Australia behind the steering wheel with Faidzil leading the Neo challenge.

“You see in Man Panjang, we have one of the top technical brains in motor racing in Malaysia. Any team will be privilege to have people of his experience and skills,” said Faidzil, who won the MMER Class C crown in 2008 with Shafiq Ali and Mohd Hafizi Hafiz, former Proton Production Car champion.  

Introduced last year following a major revamp of the MMER on grounds of safety and enhancing excitement, S1K races cars below 1900cc with engines between 1601cc and 1900cc running in Class 1 and those below 1600cc in Class 2, which is effectively Class C of the old MMER. 

Registration and drivers’ briefing would be held tomorrow and the drivers would enter qualifying on Friday to decide their grid positions for the race on Saturday. A total of 58 cars had entered the race; beating the 52-car mark recorded for the inaugural year. 

Of the 58, 22 are in Class 1 and 36 in Class 2, which would include the Faidzil’s Honda Civik EK; registered under the entry of AMN Motorsports – the event management company had managed Proton R3 Team at the 2008 MMER and the S1K last year.

Commenting on last year’s race, Faidzil said that luck was not on their side; as their Proton Satria Neo R3 racecar had a broken fuel pump within the first hour of race. “We had that problem all through the race week; and we fitted a new fuel pump for the race … but, it just got broken again. So, we retired very early … we managed only 15 laps,” said Faidzil, who partnered Hafizi and former Team Malaysia A1GP driver Aaron Lim.  

With AMN Motorsports by his side, Faidzil has expressed confidence that the team would perform creditably at the second edition of the S1K. “Naturally, the target is to win … I have won overall and the open class; I have won Class B … now, is the time to win the Class C,” said Faidzil, whose best result for Class A for cars above 1900cc in the MMER was fourth in 2004; partnering Tengku Djan and Singaporean Dennis Lian in a Lotus.  

Hafizi, who celebrity wife Dynas Mokhtar having just delivered a baby girl, had understandably decided not to race this year. The AMN Motorsports strongman, however, is expected to be as busy, managing pre-race preparations and organising the team crew with team manager Najmi Razak.

Always the man careful with his words, Najmi said that their participation in the event was more as a show of support for the development of Malaysia’s motorsports. “It’s also about a group of die-hard and passionate motor racing wanting to enjoy the racing experience.

“I would not put a firm prediction of how we would fare; but we will definitely do our best. We are truly fortunate to secure good support as well despite deciding very late on our participation for the event,” said Najmi, adding that apart from AMN Motorsports, the other partners to the team included their loyal partner X1-R, FA Racing, Longman Corse Engineering, Lochi and Motorsport Playground.

“Basically, we got together a very good team. Most importantly, this is a group of die-hard and very passionate people when comes to racing. It should be an exciting experience and enjoyable time at Sepang,” Najmi added.

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

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