FAN FAN WINS IN JEMPOL WHILE GREEN TAKES THE 2012 CROWN

JEMPOL, SUNDAY, 9 December 2012 - THIS was what Fan Fan had planned when he started the second leg this morning. With a healthy lead he took a fast and easy approach to the remainder of the 68 KM stages which made up Leg 2. There was however a fight for the remainder spots in the top ten.

Missing from the start list for leg 2 is Kenneth Koh, he was unable to fix his broken gear box as he came to the rally minus the Proton R3 crew, whom are in full force at the Sepang circuit where the team ran 2 cars. The fight in the top 10 was between Francis, Dinie, Ahmad Shafie, Siraj, Azmeer, Mike, Abdul Gaffar and Mohd Rafizal. The lot were separated by just 9 minutes! So it was game on in the heat and dust of Jempol.

It was Siraj whom fell victim to mechanical gremlins first in SS8. Then on SS10 Dinie Nazmies hard fought rally came to a halt only after 100 meters into the stage with a broken gearbox. Another victim of the gearbox onslaught was Mohd Rafizal on the very last stage. He was posting competitive stage time on his return to the championship after a long break. With the three retirements, Ahmad Shafie with his ailing Subaru Impreza was elevated to 4th. Francis Keng had a late scare when he overcooked a right hand corner and bent his rear wheel on the second last SS. It was sign for Francis to slow down.

Indonesian Robi Agusman and compatriot Muhammad Zulfikar Pane restarted the rally under the super rally rules and was happy sampling the Malaysian stages in preparation for the 2013 season. Further down the field, Jamaluddin Tukmin and younger system Rozita managed to creep into the top 10 after a frustrating rally which he was unable to fight for a class win after when he came with the wrong tyres. It was a successful outing for the Tetipad Malacca Rally team when all of its 5 cars made it to the finish with their female driver finishing just outside the top 10.

The prize giving ceremony was graced by Y.B.Dato’ Shamsulkahar b. Abdul Deli the ADUN Serting with Brian Green and Fleur Pederson officially being crown the 2012 Malaysian Rally Champion.

Round 4 winner was Fan Fan and Francies Keng, while Mike Ariokiasamy from MRU motorsports was second and third respectively. 4th place went to Ahmad Shafie of Tetipad Malacca Rally team and Azmeer Yusri finish fifth. Well done to the 18 crews whom finished the rally and crossed the finish ramp.

The Final round of the 2012 Malaysian Rally Championship was organized with faultless precision and ran like clockwork. Thanks to the organizers and its dedicated crew and without the supporting competitors, the Rallying scene will be folded into the history books; let’s hope that will ever happen. Come April 2013, the 4 round championship promises to be another challenging season. Hope there will be an increase in the number of competitors, stiff competition among the competitors and more support from the government and sponsors will be the main attraction of the championship.

APRC/MR12 - YOUNG FOCUSED ON CHAMPIONSHIP PROSPECTS AT MALAYSIAN RALLY

 
8 July 2012, JOHOR - Michael Young, the 19-year-old rally driver from Opotiki, New Zealand, heads to the 2012 Malaysian Rally next weekend focussed on consolidating his championship prospects.

Young currently has a commanding lead in the Junior Cup category of the 2012 FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship with the Malaysian event counting as the third round of the series. The only Kiwi in the four-strong junior class, Young has twice the number of points of his nearest rival, Japanese driver Akira Bamba, after contesting APRC events in Whangarei and Queensland.

“We are leading the championship after two rounds with a good lead on the other junior competitors,” says Young before he left New Zealand on 8 July. “The hard work has been done; we must now think about the championship and focus on finishing this tough event. But of course I want to win again!”

Young and his co-driver Tasmanian Daniel Willson are in the interesting situation of having rallied more frequently in Malaysia than they have in any other country.

“We have good experience of Malaysian roads - this is my fourth event in Malaysia although I haven’t rallied in this part of the country before. If we are in a position to win, we won't hold back!”

Young and Willson meet up with their team, Japan-based Cusco Racing, in the Malaysia’s southern-most city, Johor Bahru, on Monday before the event runs over the weekend of 13 to 15 July.

“We will test with the team on Tuesday and have a lot of preparation to do with the Proton Satria – we need to replace the clutch and the drive-shafts after the Queensland event which was rough on the gear. Also Malaysian rallies are very low speed so we will be using lots of clutch and changing from second to first a lot.”

Young and Willson have the opportunity to complete a two-pass reconnaissance of the rally route on Wednesday and Thursday before Friday evening’s official start ceremony. All competitors then start the event at 9:30 pm around the 2.5 km super special stage around the Angsana shopping complex which also houses the service park for all rally crews. With an 11 am start on Saturday, they tackle 155.4 km of special stages to the north of the city before Sunday’s 79.88 km of competitive stages and the finish ceremony in the afternoon.

Young is passionate about competing in the Asian events, despite the challenges of the tropical climate and tree-lined plantation roads typical to the Malaysian event.

“I love the whole experience of Malaysia; the food and the people are awesome. The rally will be very tricky coming from a New Zealand winter to the heat of at least 30 degrees. And remember that temperature is almost double inside the car.


“The roads are often rocky, rough and extremely slippery if wet! Through the plantations, they’re lined with palm oil trees and deep ditches, so we have to be super aware of those challenges which can end our rally very easily.”

Competing under the Mike Young Motorsport banner, Young drives a two-wheel-drive Proton Satria 1.6-litre rally car built and prepared by Cusco Racing and is fortunate to have the support of Yokohama Tyres which provides as many tyres as Young needs throughout the event.
 After Malaysia, Young heads to Japan in September for the final round of the 2012 APRC Junior Cup. The APRC Junior Cup was first introduced in 2011 with the intention of increasing opportunities for young talented drivers from within the region. It's open to drivers aged 28 years or younger as at 1 January 2012 driving currently homologated two-wheel-drive cars with a maximum engine capacity of 1600cc, and competitors must enter at least two rounds to qualify for points.

Results from the Malaysian Rally can be found on the website www.malaysianrally.com. Young has also established a new website www.mikeyoung.co.nz which will feature news, image and video content, or find 'mikeyoungmotorsport' on Facebook.

ENDS/

KARAMJIT IS STILL KING

13 MAY 2012, KANGAR - Karamjit Singh is the undisputed winner of the Kangar round of the Malaysian Rally 2012 championship.

Over two legs, Karamjit, the defending overall champion, found himself fending off the challenge of the rest of the field to win both the rounds, covering a total distance of an estimated 125km race over 16 stages.

Together with co-driver Nicole Ann Gill in their Mitsubishi Lancer, the pair clocked a total time of 1hr 20:50.7secs with New Zealander Brian Green and co-driver Fleur Pedersen in a Subaru Impreza who did a total time of 1hr 22.50.03secs.

Third was Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya of the MRU Racing team in a time of 1h 26:15.9secs. On Saturday in the opening round, Karamjit was hardly in trouble as he raced away to take the crown and on Sunday, it was also business as usual for the man whom they call the Flying Sikh.

He got off to a flying start in the opening stage on Sunday, which is Stage 9, covering a distance of 8.02km and he was in his element. From then on it was smooth sailing, minus a little hiccup here and there.

"But in the end we came good. The stages were a bit too straight for my liking and it could play havoc with the handbrakes. But we kept clear of trouble and I am happy," said Karamjit.

The action shifts to Johor Baru for the third round of the 2012 Malaysian Rally which also co-incide with the Asia Pacific Rally Championship(APRC) where some big names from the region are expected to take part.

But by then Karamjit will have a "new" car to handle. A three-year old Mitsubishi Lancer which his team GSR Repsol Air Asia have bought for him from New Zealand.

"I am looking forward to driving the new car and it will be a totally refreshing experience. I have not test driven it yet but I am sure it will be fast," said Karamjit.

And the return of China's Fan Fan, last year's winner of the Malaysian leg of the APRC in Johor Baru, will only add competitiveness to the championship.

Fan Fan's million ringgit Mitsubishi Lancer was supposed to have raced in Kangar but because of it's late arrival due to customs clearance, the car did not see action in Kangar.

"But I will be back. The car is still in Malaysia (Kangar and then Kuala Lumpur) and I will be ready to race in Johor Baru," said the Beijing based Fan Fan.

KARAMJIT VICTORIOUS ON DAY 1

12 MAY 2012, KANGAR - Karamjit Singh or better known as the Flying Sikh does what he do best - Winning rally that is.

He swept to victory in the opening day of the Kangar round of the Malaysian Rally in Kangar leaving his opponents wondering what it will take to dislodge him.

Together with co-driver Nicole Ann Gill in their Mitsubishi Lancer they completed the 62 km course across the sugar plantation of Chuping to win in a total time of  40mins 39secs leaving New Zealander Brian Green and Fleur Pedersen in a Subaru Impreza  in second place in 41mins 22.6secs.

Third was the 2010 Malaysian Rally champion Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya also in a Subaru Impreza in  42mins 59.3secs.

The day had started off reasonably well for Karamjit in the 2.68km special stage where he finished thirdfastest but from then on there was no looking back.

He brushed aside the challenge of the rest of the field to win comfortably and then declared that he is looking forward to the next round in Johor Baru in two months time.

"I have a new car, a Mitsubishi Lancer  which we brought from New Zealand. It is now in Port Klang and once we take it out from there will will prepare the car. I am looking forward to driving it.

It will surely be better given it's condition as compared to the present car," said Karamjit who is driving under the GSR Repsol Air Asia banner.

But for now Karamjit is still the man to beat.

Even China's Fan Fan, the winner of the Malaysian round of the Asian Pacific Rally Championship last year, could not catch up with him.

But then again, Fan Fan ran into some problems yesterday. His Mitsubishi Lancer which he brought from China was delayed by the Port Klang strike recently and it was ony an hour or two before the rally flagged off yesterday that his car arrived in Kangar.

"Obviously we could not get the car certified because of the late arrival and we had to get him another car. Obviously he struggled with some one else's car. It's a pity really because he is such a talented driver," said Gunaseelan Rajoo, the team leader of the GSR Repsol Air Asia Team under which Fan Fan is driving.

EXHILARATING ACTION AWAITS MRC FANS IN PERLIS

11 MAY 2012, KANGAR - China's Fan Fan, the winner of the Malaysian leg of the Asia Pacific Rally Championship last year, is down for the second round of the Malaysian Rally Championship in Kangar over the weekend.

And his participation has added a touch of glamour and add to the competitive spirit as the rest of the field gather in the Northen capital ovet two days of action across the sugar cane plantations of Chuping.

Fan Fan, who was a familiar name in Malaysian Rally in the nineties, has pushed competitive rallying into the background to concentrate on his online business in the past couple of years.

"But I guess he has a bit more time on his hands now and that's why he accepted our invitation to race in Malaysia this weekend. He is such a talented driver and his victory in the Malaysian leg  of Asia Pacific Rally Championship in Johor Baru in April last year, is ample proof of that.

"I am sure he will be give the rest a fight in his Mitsubishi Lancer. No doubts about that," said Gunaseelan Rajoo, leader of the GSR Repsol-Air Asia team under which Fan Fan and his co-driver Fang Jun Wei will be racing in.

But for now New Zealander Brian Green and co-driver Brian Fleur of the MRU Racing team are the leader after their impressive opening round performance in Manjung, Perak two months ago.

There is also the 2011 Malaysian Rally Champion Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya in his Subaru Impreza who is now lying second overall and given his experience, on and off the track, he and his co-driver Sean Gregory are always going to be a threat.

"I have always believe that if you prepare the car well and drive to the best of your ability without the need to take uneccessary risks, then there is always a chance, "said Muhammad Rafiq.

And then there is Karamjit Singh, the undisputed King of Malaysian Rally with twelve overall titles under his belt.

But a disastrous opening round, opening day performance in Manjung where his Mitsubishi Lancer broke down early in the race, meant that even his victory in the second day was not enough to see him in the top five overall classification as the 15-car participation list heads for Kangar.

"We have lot of catching up work to do from now on. No more breakdowns and we have set ourselves a target of finishing first in every race from now on," said Karamjit.

The Kangar round will also see the young driver Kenneth Koh with the veteran Jagdev Singh alongside him, racing in a brand new Proton Satria Neo, which he hopes will help provide his fledgling career a boost.

Kenneth, 22 is a former Malaysian Rally Junior champion and  was placed fifth overall in the 2012 Malaysian Rally Championship.


"I am still learning but I will get better each year and I hope the new car will give me the extra push," said Kenneth.