Former Singapore A1GP World Cup of Motorsports Denis Lian penned his team as the hot favourite for Round 3 of the Malaysian Super Series (MSS) tomorrow as he set an amazing pace in qualifying today to secure pole position for Sunday’s race. Clocking 2 minutes 5.295 seconds around the 5.543-km track in his Juno machine, Denis, who is partnering Kenneth Low for tomorrow’s one-hour endurance race was more than 3.5 seconds faster than his closest rival.
Driving a Radical SR8 machine, the Arrows Racing partnership of Noel Becker and Luca Pirri had 2 minutes 8.814 seconds as their best lap; edging out Hong Kong’s Angus Kirkwood to third in the timesheets. Nur Ida Natasha Seatter, the current championship leader with a total haul of 60 points with his father Stewart Seatter, decided to go solo for qualifying today; but could only managed the fifth fastest time at 2 minutes 14.404 seconds in her Radical SR8 machine.
Touring Production class current leader Damian Dielenberg and Tommy Lee lived to the top billing with a time of 2 minutes 32.039 seconds in their Honda Integra DC5 machine; topping their closest rival Perajun Krishnan and Hideharu Kuroki by only 0.008 seconds. Currently second in the championship standings with a 10-point deficit at 60 points, Perajun and Kuroki clocked 2 minutes 32.799 seconds; followed by Gerald Tan in third with a best lap time 2 minutes 34.599 seconds. Syafiq Ali, who currently leads the Malaysian Touring Car class championship, was upstaged by his Proton R3 Racing team-mates as James Veerapan and Tengku Djan Ley topped qualifying with a time of 2 minutes 38.675 seconds. Partnering Masdenial Ali in a Proton Satria Neo for Round 3, Syafiq only managed the fourth fastest time in the class with a best lap time of 2 minutes 39.830 seconds and looked set to have a mammoth task in tomorrow’s race.
Two-time MSS Supersixteen champion Lai Wee Sing, who is also a two-time Sepang Drag Battle champion, was second in the timesheet with a time of 2 minutes 38.683 seconds in his Proton Satria Neo.
The high-profile partnership of Wong Yew Choong and Soh Kee Koon – two of Malaysia’s top drivers and returning to the track for the first time this season – was third fastest with a time of 2 minutes 39.503 seconds and look very capable of upsetting the form book. The MSS tomorrow would be run in two one-hour endurance race with the GT Open class running first at 3.10pm before drivers from the Touring Production and Malaysian Touring Car classes taking their turns at 4.30pm.
MALAYSIAN SUPER SERIES CARS – ROUND 3
Top 3 Qualifiers
GT OPEN CLASS
1.Denis Lian/Kenneth Low (Juno) 2:05.295s
2. Noel Becker/Lucca Pirri (Radical SR8) 2:08.814s
3. Angus Kirkwood (Radical SR8) 2:08.834s
4. Rhommell Singh/Rocky Siow (Juno) 2:11.451s
5. Nur Ida Natasha Seatter (Radical SR8) 2:14.404s
TOURING PRODUCTION CLASS
1.Damian Dielenberg/Tommy Lee (Honda Integra DC5) 2:32.039s
2. Perajun Krishnan/Hideharu Kuroki (Honda Integra DC5) 2:32.799s
3. Gerald Tan (Honda Integra DC5) 2:34.599s
4. Chris Tan/Alan Wong (Honda Civic FD2) 2:34.878s
5. Faizal Hassim/Faisal Asri (Honda Integra DC5) 2:34.915s
MALAYSIAN TOURING CAR CLASS
1.James Veerapan/Tengku Djan Ley (Proton Perve) 2:38.675s
2. Lai Wee Sing (Proton Satria Neo) 2:38.683s
3. Wong Yew Choong/Soh Kee Koon (Toyota Altis) 2:39.503s
4.Syafiq Ali/Masdenial Ali (Proton Satria Neo) 2:39.830s
5. Rally Marina/Marshal Jahja (Proton Satria Neo) 2:46.498s
