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Sepang’s Merdeka Millennium Endurance race (MME) will be held in a month’s time and for the first time in four years, Malaysia’s top lady driver Phillipa Yoong will not feature in 12-hour race.
Team X-1R RedBull Racing, again the first team to announce the drivers’ line-up, however, is not unduly worried with the absence of their anchor driver.
With Phillipa – the younger sister of Malaysia ex-Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong – taking time off due to her pregnancy, Malaysia’s most distinguished all-women racing team has roped in the services of top class Japanese driver Hiroko Nakamura to join her compatriot Kazumi Mikami and actress Deanna Yusoff in their 2006 campaign.
“Phillipa can’t compete this year because she got married earlier this year and she is expecting soon. However, Philippa will continue to play a coaching role for Deanna,” says Team X-1R RedBull manager Najmi Razak.
Entering its seventh year, the 2006 Merdeka Millennium Endurance race will be held in from 25th to 27th August with an expected participation of more than 300 drivers and 1,000 team crew; coming as far as Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Unlike the past three years, the 2006 race would be held on August 27 with the race to be flagged off at 12.07am to mark its seventh edition. Qualifying will be run on Friday (August 25) and only the best 77 cars would make the starting grid according to their respective classes.
A regular in the event, Najmi’s all-women team made their debut in 2003 under their visionary Women In Motorsports programme with Phillipa and Deanna partnering TV host and youth ambassador Maznah Zulkifli under the banners of Projet Racing Team where they finished 37th overall.
Spurred by their impressive sixth placing in Class B for cars between 1601cc and 1900cc last year, the team is aiming to finally climb the podium for the first time since their participation in the 12-hour endurance race since 2003.
“Deanna been improving her lap time as she had been practicing regularly at SIC Sunday Open track days for the past one year. She also had some advance driving training courses in Silverstone track in the UK last November.”
“Deanna is a far better, better driver now and she is the captain of the team. As for Kazumi and Hiroko, I have no worries at all. They are regular racers and they had wide experience in competitive racing in Japan,” Najmi added.
A runner-up for Miss Japan 2004 beauty pageant and a former race Queen, Hiroko has the driving skills and guts to match her gorgeous looks. She had been competing in Japan’s Toyota Vitz Championship for the past three years while Kazumi plies her expertise his the Porshe Carrera Cup Japan.
With the departure of Maznah in 2004, Philippa and Deanna partnered rookie drivers in two different cars in the following year; but both cars failed to finish the race due to mechanical problems. They recruited Kazumi last year for a single entry in a Satria GTI Class B machine that finished sixth in the category.
“This year, the team will again be racing in the Class B; but in a brand new Satria GTi R3, which is prepared by Proton Motorsport & Loon Power and with an entirely new suspension system provided by Kayaba Malaysia,” said Najimi, adding that the new machine had a lot of promise.
He said Deanna’s time had been improving consistently and that she had broke the 2 minutes 43 seconds barrier in the new car. “And, that is about one second faster than our team’s best qualifying time at last year’s MME,” he added.
Despite their increased strength and capabilities, Najmi, however, still believes that his charges would remain as underdogs in their battle against the men in view of the anticipated increased standard in competition.
“MME is entering its seventh year this season; and every year, it gets tougher and tougher especially with more and more international drivers coming into play. But, we will be ready for the challenge,” he said.
“One thing for certain, our car will be having excellent engine protection by X-1R. Body-wise, Red Bull energy drink will be providing us the sustaining power for us to sweat it out to finish this grueling 12-hour race.
“And with some luck, we should be finishing better that our 6th placing last year. Like the saying goes, in order to finish first, we have to first finish,” added Najmi.
Bro,
Quite a few mykarters (sabelt included) would like and can drive but no car mah! Deanna did a few mykart rounds last year and now drive for X1-R…bolih tahan jugak..hehehe!
[quote=naza]Bro,
Quite a few mykarters (sabelt included) would like and can drive but no car mah! Deanna did a few mykart rounds last year and now drive for X1-R…bolih tahan jugak..hehehe![/quote]
i remember she embarrassed quite a few guys… cabut!!
there’s few cars for rent, honda EK and proton GTI fully race tuned wth/wthout pitcrew..got to find Big sponsor..Anybody wanna to drive pls find sponsor..Any idea?aNy ‘lobang’?
Confirmed my participation in Class C. Honda EK. Third year in MME. Need strong support and sponsors from motorsport fans especially my-karters. Tips and suggestion for the coming endurance race (12 Hour race in Sepang) are welcomed. Thanks.
[quote=luen]how much $$$ that we are talking about roughly?[/quote]
U need a team? RM5k per driver. RS Auto sponsored by NASA oil. Owner of the car need another 2 experience drivers.
Why dont you have a talk with Akina Teo? He’s quite an experience driver but expects someone to offer him a seat for free.
[quote=sabelt][quote=luen]how much $$$ that we are talking about roughly?[/quote]
U need a team? RM5k per driver. RS Auto sponsored by NASA oil. Owner of the car need another 2 experience drivers.
Why dont you have a talk with Akina Teo? He’s quite an experience driver but expects someone to offer him a seat for free.
[/quote]pay and drive? tats cool.. dun mind 5 grand if it’s a scooby :))
[quote=sabelt]Confirmed my participation in Class C. Honda EK. Third year in MME. Need strong support and sponsors from motorsport fans especially my-karters. Tips and suggestion for the coming endurance race (12 Hour race in Sepang) are welcomed. Thanks. [/quote]
Dude,
That Honda EK you r driving is rented? If so, how much RM ah?[quote=naza][quote=sabelt]Confirmed my participation in Class C. Honda EK. Third year in MME. Need strong support and sponsors from motorsport fans especially my-karters. Tips and suggestion for the coming endurance race (12 Hour race in Sepang) are welcomed. Thanks. [/quote]
Dude,
That Honda EK you r driving is rented? If so, how much RM ah?[/quote]
Very lucky this time. They offered me to drive without asking any money. Just sponsor them for accommodation and foods. Maybe we should look forward for my-kart team next year. Proton 1.8 pon cukup, as long as the car is competitive enough to qualify and finish pon ok already. I have one GTI bodyshell lying at my friend’s junkyard in USJ. Just provide 4G93 engine and other safety equipments, ok jalan!
Huffiz : EG je la. Met the owner of the trackcar yesterday (the one that offered 5k for a seat), and he did 2m42s consistently on night practice. 🙂
[quote=TheFazz][quote=naza]Bro,
Quite a few mykarters (sabelt included) would like and can drive but no car mah! Deanna did a few mykart rounds last year and now drive for X1-R…bolih tahan jugak..hehehe![/quote]
i remember she embarrassed quite a few guys… cabut!!
[/quote] she embarassed a few guys did she??…i wonder who?? 🙂[quote=TheFazz][quote=saa73]she embarassed a few guys did she??…i wonder who?? 🙂
[/quote]um… you? :)[/quote]
Fazz, now you better cabuuuuuut! hehehe….ouch! thats below the belt!
[quote=naza]Fazz, now you better cabuuuuuut! hehehe….ouch! thats below the belt![/quote]
i am gone – like the wind – bro. 🙂
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