Mitchell Cheah & Naquib Azlan Make Successful Debut For Wing Hin Motorsports In Thailand Super Series

Mitchell Cheah and Naquib Azlan made a successful debut for Team Wing Hin Motorsports in Round 1 of the Thailand Super Series. The pair achieved commendable results, securing a strong 2nd and 5th place overall finish in their championship debut in the Super Compact class. Their performance not only marked a class win in the normally-aspirated category but also showcased their potential in the series.

Starting from 6th place on the grid, the Wing Hin Motorsports duo piloted their Toyota Yaris to an impressive 2nd place finish in Race 1 on Saturday. However, Race 2 on Sunday presented challenges as Naquib navigated through a first corner incident, and demonstrated skill and agility to maintain his position amidst the chaos. Despite the hurdles, Naquib climbed to 3rd position before the compulsory pit stop, highlighting strategic prowess and adaptability under challenging conditions.

“In a 1-hour race and with conditions being extremely hot (42 degree Celcius), the plan from the very beginning was to find a sweet spot in terms of reliability, consistency and outright performance in the Toyota Yaris. We have a strong line-up of drivers in Cheah and Naquib and they are also matured and experienced enough to know when to push and when to sit tight and plan their attack on track,” said Wing Hin Motorsports Team Principal William Loh. “And that was precisely what played to our advantage this weekend.”

“This is our first year in the Thailand Super Series and it is intended to be a learning year for us, therefore, coming away with a podium and 5th place finish in the very first round is an outstanding result. We could not be happier with this outcome given the high level of competitiveness in the class,” he added, acknowledging the learning curve and the team’s commitment to providing opportunities for young Malaysian drivers to excel in higher racing classes.

Looking ahead, Wing Hin Motorsports is gearing up for Round 2 at the Bangsaen Street Circuit in July, where the team will introduce a Toyota Supra GT4, marking its debut in GT racing and reinforcing its mission to nurture Malaysian racing talent.

In Race 1, Cheah and Naquib showcased composure and determination, securing a notable 2nd place overall finish after navigating through a challenging 1-hour + 1 lap race. Starting 6th on the grid, Cheah maintained track position until he came in after 28 minutes for the compulsory pitstop and driver change. Naquib rejoined the race in 8th but gradually made his way up to 5th, 3rd and eventually 2nd by the 44th minute as he chased down race leader T. Thanaroj in the Honda CRZ who was 3.7 seconds ahead. Naquib and Thanaroj traded quickest lap times but it wasn’t enough for him to take the lead and Thanoraj eventually kept a steady 3-second lead driving across the finish line.

Race 2 presented a different set of obstacles, with Naquib starting from 6th position and facing early setbacks due to a first corner incident. Despite the setback, Naquib displayed resilience, gradually climbing back up the ranks and making strategic decisions during the pit window. His decision to stay out for almost 9 minutes extra when the pit window for the compulsory driver change opened brought him as high as 3rd position, before handing over the second driving stint to Cheah who rejoined in 6th. Cheah continued the momentum, ultimately securing a commendable 5th place finish amidst intense competition.

“It was a hectic first stint which began when I got tagged at turn 1 and lost a lot of positions. From there it was pushing to the max, trying to get as much positions as I could. The initial plan was to box early but the pace was strong so we decided to extend my stint, saving us crucial time,” said Naquib.

A problem with race leader J. Achitaphon’s Honda CRZ just minutes after Cheah’s stint, however moved the Wing Hin Motorsports Toyota Yaris another position up to 5th. Tragedy also struck P. Thananthorn who inherited the lead which promoted Cheah into 4th. With 10 minutes to the finish Cheah came under pressure from Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand’s Na Dol V. for track position and eventually conceded 4th for 5th place. The race was won by M. Chaiya with S. Thanapattra and A. Norrarat in 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

“I would like to thank all the Thai teams, drivers and race fans for welcoming us as guests to the Thailand Super Series. It is an incredibly competitive racing series and to finish as high up as we did, is definitely a great start to the season,” said Naquib.

For further updates and information, visit www.thailandsuperseries.net.