Post by dcruz on Aug 6, 2006 22:08:47 GMT 7
SIC TO MAKE 2006 MERDEKA RACE THE BIGGEST EVER
Back with a midnight start and offering increased prize money for the winners, Sepang International Circuit is ready to make the eighth edition of the 12-hour Merdeka Millennium Endurance race its biggest ever.
As early as May, registration for entries had poured in and the 2006 Merdeka Millennium Endurance race is certain to have another full entry of 77 starters as it had been since its second edition in 2001. The maiden race in 2000 had 52 entries.
“It looks like that we would be getting more than 77 cars again. So, again, the actual starting grid will depend on the team’s qualifying. My best wishes to all of our competitors,” says Datuk Ahmad Mustafa, General Manager of Sepang International Circuit.
While noting that the increased prize money was a factor for the overwhelming response, Ahmad believed the bigger pull for the competitors was due to the growing prestige and popularity of the event, which is hailed as Asia’s Biggest Race with the participation of more than 300 drivers and 1,000 crew members and team personnel.
With an increase in prize money of up to 66 percent, winners in the premier classes A and the open category to take home RM50,000 each as compared to RM30,000 in the previous years. Winners of Class B will take home RM40,000 as compared to RM25,000 last year while the Class C champions will win RM33,000 as compared to RM20,000 in the previous MME races.
Cash prizes for second and third priced winners in all four categories had also been increased significantly with those in Class A and the open category winning RM25,000 and RM15,000 respectively. The second placed winner for Class B and C will receive RM20,000 and RM15,000 respectively while the third placed winners will get RM10,000 and RM8,000 accordingly.
Each of the three drivers in fourth, fifth and sixth places for all four categories will win tickets for the 2007 Formula One Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix; bringing the total value of prizes for winners at the 2006 Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race exceeding half a million ringgit in cash and kind.
According to Ahmad, while some competed to win, many participated the endurance race just for the fun of racing and getting together with friends or simply just to test their personal capability and their cars whether they could survive the 12-hour challenge of man and machine.
“That actually made the event very unique and very interesting,” said Ahmad, adding that as at July 12, SIC had already have more than 50 confirmed entries for the event and there was still more than a month before the organisers closed registration on August 16, 2006.
With seventh edition of the endurance race to be flag-off minutes after midnight on Sunday on 27 August, competitors will have the qualifying session on Friday, August 25 August in determining their grid positions for the race.
As in previous years, competitors will be grouped into four categories with those using the fully modified cars competing in the Open Category. Class A will be for production and sports cars above 1900cc while Class B will be for machines between 1601cc to 1900cc. Drivers with cars below 1600cc will be grouped in Class C.
Internationally popular with competitors coming from as far as Japan, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia, each car will have three drivers who will compete to complete as many laps as possible around the 5.543-km F1 circuit within the 12-hour period.
Featuring GT driver Genji Hashimoto, Australian Tony Riccirdello and Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel, Team Amprex Motorsports Proton R3 won the race last year after completing 279 laps; narrowly beating defending champions Eddie Lew, Farriz Fauzy and Hiroki Katoh of Honda Malaysia Racing Team, which completed one lap less with 278 laps.
The team, however, would be competing as rivals this year as Tengku Djan aimed to defend his title with a new partnership in their Lotus R3 machine. Hashimoto, on the other hand, would be challenging for the coveted crown in a Lamborghini Murceilago.
2004 overall winners, however, had kept their partnership intact with Super GT driver Hiroki Katoh joining forces with Eddie Lew and Farriz Fauzy for Honda Malaysia Racing Team in their bid to wrest back their title.
Similarly with the champions of 2003 as Firhat Mokhzani, Eric Yeo and Chin Tzer Jinn would be competing for a third consecutive year for G1 Symphony Racing in their quest for top honours this year.
Organised as part of National Day celebrations, the event recorded its highest entry in 2003 with 104 participants. Last year, the organisers had 79 entries; forcing seven entries to be eliminated after qualifying.