Team Petronas Syntium has done it again. For the third time, it has claimed victory to the gruelling Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER) - first in 2009, then in 2011 and 2012. The leading endurance race in the region spans over 12 hours, posing a test to both human and machine.
This year, six GT teams compete for overall victory together with an array of cup racers and spruced-up production racers aiming for class victories in the Sports Production and Touring Production classes.
From the qualifyiing yesterday, starting pole from grid is Team Clearwater Racing’s Ferrari 458. The Singapore team, made up of Mok Weng Sun, Gianmaria Bruni, and Matthew Griffin maintained a strong pace throughout the early hours, at its best claiming a one lap lead over the runner-up.
That however, did not deter or dishearten the reigning champions. Taniguchi, Yanagida from Japan, together with Malaysian Dominic Ang soon regained their pace and came close to 40 seconds behind the race leader in the 8th hour. The second team from Petronas Syntium, who was running the #28 car, was no pushover either - putting up a lead over the rest of the field and clinging onto the 3rd position.
Nightfall however, revealed a different outcome for the teams. The race-leading 458 succumbed to technical problems on its 237th lap, and went on to retire two hours before the end of race. That puts #1 car of Team Petronas Syntium in the lead, which it held onto till the 12th hour - claiming victory for the team the third year running. The #28 car came in second, 2 laps behind the winning car. LKM racing came in third with their Porsche GT3R, running a total of 310 laps, 9 behind the winner.
In the other classes, Nexus Racing took victory for SP class, running a total of 283 laps. In class TP, Malaysian Team Type R Racing clocked 270 laps, claiming the podium for its class. Details of the race results as follow:
Class GT – A
1) Petronas Syntium Team – N.Taniguchi / M. Yanagida / D. Ang (Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG #1)
2) Petronas Syntium Team – Farique H. / Melvin Moh / T. Kataoka (Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG #28)
3) LKM Racing – Y.L.Siu / K.Sawa / D.O’Young (Porsche GT3R #8)
Class SP
1) Nexus Racing - M.Fahrizal / A.D’Silva / D.Bilski (Aston Martin GT4 #27)
2) FXPrimus Aylezo – Zen Low / Patrick Ng / Marcus Chye (Lotus Evora #99)
3) M.Nazir / M.Ridzuan / Khairul A. (Nissan Fairlady #53)
Class TP
1) Type R Racing Team – Y.C.Wong / K.K.Soh / W.S.Lai (Honda Civic FD2 Mugen #21)
2) J.Hunter / G.Bullas / G.Johnson (Subaru Impreza STI #77)
3) Wing Hin Motorsports – A.Ida / T.Tsuchiya / M.Nitta (Toyota 86 #86)
