MRC ’09 Round 4: Day One Updates.
Day One of the Malaysian Rally Championship 2009 Round 4 at Sepang came to a conclusion yesterday, with Saladin Mazlan of Felda Rally Team leading defending champion Karamjit Singh by 24.4 seconds.
Saladin powering ahead of Karamjit.
Driving a Proton Gen.2, Saladin took full advantage of a failing turbocharger in Karamjit’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII, as Karamjit’s partner, Jagdev Singh reflected, “We were fast enough in the short, twisty stages but we were no match for Saladin on the long stretches.”
Saladin is naturally pleased with the outcome, noting, “We are very happy with today’s result. The car is running very well and if we have a good day tomorrow we can finish first Overall and in the P12 and 4WD categories.”
Directly behind Saladin and Karamjit is the Subaru Impreza of Muhammad Rafiq Udhaya in third place. When asked about his performance, Rafiq commented, “Today was only our second time racing this car, so we are still getting used its power. But we are very happy with our performance so far.”
Coming in fourth was Gunaseelan Rajoo of GSR Pennzoil Racing Team. Amidst heavy rain and slippery terrain, Guna made no mistakes and eased his way to the finish line, as many of his competitors were undone by the treacherous conditions.
The Felda Rally Team lost two of their four cars with Azmeer Yusri Yusoff hitting a tree, and Mohammad Zekri Ibrahim skidding off the track. Out of 25 cars starting the race, only 16 crossed the finish line for the day.
Leading the 2WD and P11 categories is the Hong Kong pair Clayton Check and Tracy Li, with Mike Ariokiasamy Ratnam partnering his 22-year-old daughter Maruthi. “Maruthi is vey new to Rally. She got her first taste in the Rally Sprint a few weeks ago and now the MRC, but she is a fast learner and enjoying the challenge,” Mike said.
Meanwhile, in the Junior and P10 categories, Faidzal Alang maintains his lead over his competitors.
Held at Ladang KLIA, Sepang, the rally took its competitors through 12 stages yesterday stretching 286.65 km long. The race continues today for another 194.43 km.
KON
