GT Asia Sepang Event Summary

Second win to cap a perfect weekend for Mok in GT Asia

Mok Weng Sun ended a perfect weekend with another pole to flag win in his Ferrari F458 GT3 in Round 4 of the GT Asia today.

The Singaporean driver claimed the win ahead of Malaysian Tunku Hammam Sulong and Hong Kong driver Eddie Yau, completing 18 laps in 40 minutes 32.765 seconds. Mok’s perfect weekend began when he claimed both pole positions during the two Qualifying sessions held on Friday and collecting the first race win of the weekend yesterday for Team Clearwater Racing.

“I got the double. I am really happy” exclaimed Mok during the Post Race Press Conference. “It was a brilliant race and I had a lot of fun”.

“There was dicing right from the start. Frank Yu was next to me, he pulled almost one third or half a car’s length ahead of me but I managed to brake a little later to stay ahead of him. I looked up into my mirror and I see my old friend, Tunku Hammam. I’ve been racing him for so many years and I just can’t get him off my back” said Mok with a laugh.

“It was a fantastic race, I put my head down and I drove hard”. Speaking about the upcoming race at the Fuji Circuit, Mok said “I’ve never raced in Japan, I’ve heard wonderful things about the Fuji Circuit”.

Hammam in his Arrows Racing Lamborghini LP560 clocked the fastest lap of the race with 2 minutes 09.565 seconds reaching 154.5 km/h. “When we started out I was in P5 and as the lights went green I just gassed as much and braked as late as I can and in the corner I managed to just be behind Mok. I was behind him the whole duration up to the pitstop”.

After Hammam did his stop, Mok came in for his stop and came out just behind the Malaysian driver. “When he came out, I was in front of him. He came out really fast and I just don’t believe his braking because I brake as late as I could but he was even later” ended an incredulous Hammam who vows to try and find an even later braking point.

Despite the blistering heat, Eddie Yau finished third to claim his second podium in the Porsche 911 GT3 R for Asia Racing Team. “The race was really good, it was really very hot. I was following Siu Yuk Lung for about 10 laps and defending from Samson Chan for the entire forty minutes so it was very tiring for me.

“Throughout the race there was a lot of overtaking and trying to pass one another, it was fun. Two podiums, I’m happy this weekend and I’m very excited for Japan. I’ve always liked Japan and I’m really looking forward to it”.

Yau started the race in sixth, kept a clean race and maintained a steady race pace leaving the battle between Dilantha Malagamuwa and Frank Yu ahead of him.

The duo kept changing positions at the start of the race when at turn 9, Malagamuwa touched the rear of Yu’s car catching him into a spin. Malagamuwa carried on with the race while Yu dropped down to twelfth place.

Then at turn 12, Malagamuwa, who was trying to catch up to the leaders, made a mistake, spun into the gravel ending his race on lap 6. “The rear was sliding all the time but I think I made a mistake. I was just pushing too hard to get close to the leaders before they could run away. The pace was good but I think I didn’t have enough patience” he said with a sheepish smile.

Although the car showed tremendous pace the weekend did not turn out as hoped for Yu and Craft Eurasia Racing in their Ford GT GT3. “It’s a bad luck weekend. I thought I had a pretty good start, got ahead of Mok but not ahead enough to cut ahead of him.

On his spin, “Dilantha was right behind me and we had a really good battle for a few laps but at turn nine he maybe outbraked himself and nudged me at the right place and I spun”. No hard feelings from the Hong Kong driver on the incident as he vows to come back stronger in the next outing.

“According to calculations, I could have been in good contention for first place but again that’s racing!” ended Yu who managed to catch up to the lead pack to finish the race in forth. He crossed the line ahead of Siu Yuk Lung in the Lamborghini LP560, Samson Chan in the second Ford GT GT3, Team Clearwater Racing’s David Lai with the Lamborghini LP560, Billy Fung in another LP560 and Sasha Chu in Asia Racing Team’s second Porsche 911 GT3R.

Christian Chia crossed the line tenth to claim the win in the GTM class, ahead of yesterday’s winner Eric Lo and Shim Ching.

Chia and Ching are both in Asia Pacific Motorsport’s Porsche 997 Cup 3.8. Chia who was happy to be back in Malaysia said of his race and two podiums “It was a great feeling and I am very happy. I didn’t really expect it but I fought hard throughout the whole weekend”.

In the GT4 class, it was once again won by the Concord Absolute Racing duo of Mark Williamson and Simon Waters while their teammate Ryan Marsden did not have a good finish to the weekend when he suffered from a suspected broken drive shaft.

“It was an eventful start. We got a pretty good start, the car was brilliant and really didn’t miss a beat. Concord Absolute Racing have done a fantastic job for us and we are very happy with the performance” said Williamson after the race.

“Mark gave me a good lead and a car that was working for once” said Waters with a laugh.

“It was a great race. Another great weekend and another great drive with my mentor and we are all looking forward to Japan”.

Frank Yee of S&D Motorsports too collected his second podium of the weekend and was happy with the result thanking his team for a job well done.

In the Lotus Supercup Asia class, Ahmad Othman Yahaya claimed his first ever win and immediately dedicating his win to his late father. “I’m happy I got first place and it’s my first win. Getting it on father’s day I’d like to dedicate it to my father and if he was still around I would say to him ‘I’m faster than you!’” he said with a happy laugh.

The GT Asia Series will continue with Rounds 5 & 6 at the Fuji International Speedway, Japan on 16-17 July 2011.

The GT Asia Series is supported by Michelin tyres, Graham London and Auto Art. The Series is organised by Motorsport Asia and Supercar Club Hong Kong.

-source: afos.com