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NEWS

Mitchell Cheah and Naquib Azlan earns podium finish in Thailand Super Series Round 3

Wing Hin Motorsports’ Mitchell Cheah and Naquib Azlan celebrated a double podium finish in Round 3 of the Thailand Super Series Super Compact Class at the Chang International Circuit.

After racing to a spectacular second overall finish in Race 1 on Saturday (24 August 2024), Cheah and Naquib were in for an even more exhilarating Race 2 today (25 August 2024) when all the on-track dicing action took place right to the final corner of final lap of the 1-hour race.

Again having to start from eighth on the grid, Naquib quickly made his way up the grid in the first lap. He even had an attempt for the lead by going on that very first lap but received slight contact and had to recover the car after being punted off the track.

He regained composure and rejoined the race in seventh, charging his way back to fourth after 12 minutes of racing. Then, fighting for third another contact bumped him off the track, this time with the Honda CRZ of T. Chanyaboot.

Naquib pitted 27 minutes into the race to hand over to Cheah who rejoined in seventh position. Cheah however, put in some incredibly blistering hot laps to progressively push him up the standings, and with one lap to go, was placed second just ahead of an attacking Toyota GAZOO Racing Thailand driver Norrarat Apivart in another Yaris.

The two drivers exchanged places for second place several times in the final lap and exiting the final corner, Cheah had been just ahead by a bumper’s length but the outright straight line speed Norrarat possessed saw him cross the finish line just 0.121 seconds ahead of Cheah to claim second place.

Winning the race and 7.9 seconds ahead was the pair of T. Thanaroj and S. Thanapattra in the YK Motorsports Honda CRZ.

“It was an incredible battle to the finish line. We knew we had a quicker car through the technical sections of the track but Norrarat had the outright straight line speed. It could have gone either way. It’s still fantastic to finish the race weekend with back to back podiums,” said Cheah.

NEWS

Naquib Azlan, Amer Harris secure 2nd place in GT4 Debut Race at Thailand Super Series

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Young racers Naquib Azlan and Amer Harris, representing the Wing Hin Motorsports team, have successfully secured second place in the GT4 class at the Thailand Super Series race, despite making their debut appearance in the series.

The Toyota GR Supra GT4 car used in the race was among the fastest among the four GR Supra GT4s.

The racing duo, Naquib and Amer, managed to complete the one-hour race just 4.5 seconds behind the champion Mercedes-AMG GT, defeating two Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport cars.

According to Naquib, “achieving second place is still a strong decision for both of us and the team. There is still a lot of potential to be explored in this new car, but we are happy to establish a good starting point and successfully secure a podium position in our homeland, Malaysia.

“Our goal is to reach the top position, and we are eager to progress towards it gradually.

Of the two races scheduled for round 3 at the PETRONAS International Circuit at Sepang, one had to be canceled due to extreme wet weather conditions.

Round 4 of the Thailand Super Series will be held in Malaysia on September 6-8, with three races scheduled for that weekend.

According to the Wing Hin Motorsports Team Principal, William Loh, “this is our first race and there is still plenty of room for improvement, as well as data that can be collected and evaluated.

“Both of our racers believe they can deliver better performances. We hope to come back stronger in the next three races.

Wing Hin Motorsports, which has previously won the Sepang 1000KM Endurance Race, also competes in the Super Compact class of the Thailand Super Series.

The transition to the GT4 racing class not only aligns with the goal of competing at a higher level but also helps to develop and provide opportunities for young Malaysian racers to shine on the international stage.

 

NEWS

Malaysia’s Hayden Haikal won first GT4 race in Thailand Super Series

Malaysia’s Hayden Haikal proved he has what it takes to move up the ranks in the Thailand Super Series Championship when he raced to victory in his first ever drive in a Mercedes-Benz AMG GT4. His victory also gave the newly-minted Racing Aurora – a Malaysian team – its first GT4 Class and international win.

The 19-year-old completed the 1-hour + 1 lap race around the 4.554km Chang International Circuit, 26 seconds clear of his nearest contender K. Kantadhee in a Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.

Having competed and finishing third in the Super Eco Class 30 minutes earlier, Hayden joined The Super Series Supercar GT4 race 27 minutes after the start, taking over from his Racing Aurora team mate Peter Hackett at the mid-point compulsory driver change. Up to that point, Kantadhee had been in the lead with an 8-second advantage.

In a series of events that unfolded during the stop, AAS Motorport’s Kantadhee was held back in the pit as mechanics worked to remove a delaminated wrap on his bonnet, while another contender, the ZW Zoomies pair of P. Prakhun and A. Warren in another Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport was slapped with a 2-second stop-and-go penalty for breaching the minimum pit stop time limit.

Unaware of these incidents, Hayden piled on the pressure at the head of the GT4 pack gradually extending his lead from a mere 8 seconds to finish well clear of any opposition.

“Pulling double duty (competing in the Super Eco and GT4 Class) and to come away with my first race win in GT4 is just a phenomenal feeling and I would like to thank Peter (Hackett), Racing Aurora and sponsors for making all of this possible,” said Hayden.

“I look forward to this being the start of a strong season ahead for both the team and I.”

Race 2 tomorrow (Sunday 5, May) will see Hayden starting the race before handing over to Hackett, who was the 2001 Australian Formula 3 champion.