When you combine a tight circuit with high-stakes racing, chances are you’ll see some nail-biting action. And that was exactly what ensued at the third round of Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival Season three.
The event at Stadium Batu Kawan, Penang, saw over 15,000 spectators over the two days at the edge of their seats, with plenty of drama, celebrations and heartbreaks to entertain the crowd.
PROMOTIONAL CLASS
Shukri Yahaya had a brilliant start in Race Two, passing singers Nabila Razali and Wany Hasrita in the first lap. Pole sitter Janna Nick made the most out of her position to lead the race for two laps, but had to yield to Shukri who was clearly setting the faster pace.
Later in the race, Janna made slight contact with Shawn Lee while fending off the latter’s charge, which unfortunately spun her around into oncoming traffic, undoing one of her best drives this season. The mishap was made even worse when actor Syafiq Kyle was unable to avoid contact, crashing straight into Janna’s car.
On his win, Shukri said “I wasn’t expecting to win but I pounced on the opportunity when Wany and Nabila made a slow start. It was my first win this season and I’m really pleased with that.”
Promotional Class Results:
- Shukri Yahaya
- Nabil Ahmad
- Shawn Lee
- Diana Danielle
- Nabila Razali
SPORTING CLASS
S&D Tama Motorsports’ and motoring journalist Tom Goh led the pack at the start of Race 2, but the race was stopped prematurely on lap two after a six-car pile-up which unfortunately marked the end of the race for four drivers.
After the restart, Tom Goh continued his dominant drive, building up a two-second gap while Haji Sutan of SMS Motorsports and Dream Chaser’s Bradley Benedict Anthony were occupied in the battle for second position. Bradley Benedict eventually passed Haji Sutan on lap nine, and began hunting down Goh.
At the final stages of the race, Shanmuganathan Arumugam spun his vehicle on the track which brought out the safety car for a second time, erasing the gap created by Tom Goh.
After the safety car returned to pit, Bradley Benedict mounted a last minute challenge, which put him into the lead two corners before the chequered flag to claim his first victory of the season.
Sporting Class Results:
- Bradley Benedict Anthony, Dream Chaser
- Tom Goh, S&D Tama Motorsports
- Haji Sutan Mustaffa, SMS Motorsports
- Adam Khalid, Crestmax Motorsports
- Kenneth Koh, Panglima City Racing Team
SUPER SPORTING CLASS
Compared to the other classes, the Super Sporting class was relatively “calm”. However, that does not mean there were any discount on the high octane racing.
Freddie Ang of Telagamas Toyota led the race from the start to the cequered flag, with William Ho from Toyotsu in close pursuit throughout the race, unfortunately unable to find the space to overtake in the tight circuit.
“I had a good start and just tried to pull away. William was close behind but I managed to maintain a
good pace to the finish,” said Ang who is currently placed third in the overall point standings and still in the fight for the overall championship.
For William Ho, finishing second was also a strategic decision to take his fight for the championship to the two final races. “There are still two races to go and I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risk that would have jeopardized my chances in the championship,” said Ho.
The race did not go as smoothly for Malaysian Drift King Tengku Djan Ley, as his mistake in the first lap resulted in a brush with the concrete barrier. The damage sustained from the incident forced him to enter the pit, only rejoining the race two laps down and essentially concluding his challenge this race.
Super Sporting Class Results:
- Freddie Ang, Telagamas Toyota
- William Ho, Toyotsu
- Boy Wong
- Syafiq Ali, M7 Japan Project Team
- Mark Darwin, Laser Motor Racing
The Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival will continue in a double header at the Sepang International Circuit, with round four scheduled on the 17th to 19th of April 2020.
