Final weekend noticed the 2024 Sepang 1,000 km (S1K) endurance race being received by a privateer as all three works entries hit hassle. Amidst all of the chaos, the Proton R3 workforce managed to salvage a decent fifth in school within the new S70 R3 Malaysian Touring Automotive (MTC), the #82 entry pushed by Ariff Azmi and Alister Yoong being its sole finisher.
The nationwide carmaker had excessive hopes for its sedan main into the race, regardless that it didn’t function anyplace within the high 4 in qualifying. The lead #81 automobile was taken out of the race early doorways, nonetheless, as Syafiq Ali was spun from behind and crashed right into a wall on lap 8, forcing him into retirement.
Worse was to hit the #82 automobile, which was sidelined because of a technical difficulty, dropping over 40 minutes within the pits and dropping down the order consequently. Yoong – son of former Components 1 driver Alex Yoong – and Ariff fought again valiantly to complete in twenty seventh total and fifth within the high MTC class, an encouraging consequence after a five-year hiatus.
“Workforce Proton R3, its drivers and the Proton S70 R3 have added to Proton’s proud racing heritage by delivering a powerful efficiency on the 2024 S1K race. Whereas we focused one other total win, the workforce was conscious of the daunting job that lay forward to compete with a model new automobile in opposition to groups who had competed in races for the final three years and have been a lot additional forward on the automobile improvement curve.
“In the end, now we have no complaints though an accident early within the race brought about the retirement of automobile 81 whereas a technical difficulty in automobile 82 brought about it to lose time within the pits and dropped it out of total competition. So whereas the ultimate consequence might have been higher, lots of knowledge was collected over the weekend and ending fifth within the MTC class has set a baseline for R3 to launch its assault on the 2025 racing season,” mentioned Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah.
Proton says it has not selected the S70 R3’s subsequent aggressive look; nonetheless, the #82 automobile will likely be displayed on the Kuala Lumpur Worldwide Mobility Present (KLIMS) from December 5 to 11.
The 2024 race was received by Hirev Dream Chaser within the #1 Suzuki Swift Sport ZC32S pushed by Hayden Haikal, Rahul Raj Meyer dan Daim Hishamudin. Ranging from fourth on the grid, the trio was persistently within the battle on the high because the bigger carmaker-backed groups confronted technical troubles. Nailed-on favourites Honda Malaysia Racing Workforce (HMRT) suffered a double retirement, the #27 Metropolis Sedan grinding to a heartbreaking halt whereas main late on, simply ten laps from the top.
In the meantime, the #37 Toyota Gazoo Racing Malaysia Vios was scuppered by a fair longer stoppage than the #82 automobile, ultimately ending 53rd and seventh in school. Out in entrance, the #1 automobile accomplished the 181 laps in eight hours 14 minutes, over two and a half minutes forward of the #38 Wing Hin Motorsports Toyota Yaris; the #96 Tedco Racing Honda Match RS GK5 accomplished the rostrum.
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