PROTON R3 DUO WINS BIG AT MSS ROUND 2

Proton R3 Racing Team – 1st Place in MSS Round 2

Drivers Syafiq Ali and James Veerapan delivered a crushing victory for PROTON in the inaugural running of the one-hour endurance race format in the Malaysian Touring Car Championship.

Staring from pole position in Class 2 for production cars up to 1600cc, the PROTON pair claimed the chequred flag at Sepang International Circuit after completing a total of 22 laps, finishing one lap clear of any threat. In second place was the pair of Wong Yew Choong and Harry Chai who were more than two minutes behind in a Satria Neo.

The PROTON R3 Racing Team 1600cc Satria Neo was entrusted to Syafiq who started the race and drove for nine laps before pitting for a driver change. Veerapan then drove to the end of the one-hour limit completing an additional 13 laps.

The pair’s fastest lap time was 2 min: 39.089 seconds.

Introduced to replace the traditional sprint races, the new race format being implemented required the two drivers teaming up for a one-hour race that included a compulsory pit stop and driver change.

Victory in Sepang this weekend seals two straight round victories for the PROTON team after both Syafiq and Veerapan clinched back-to-back race wins in the opening round of the season in March.

“Syafiq and Veerapan consistently matched each other’s pace to drive home a textbook victory for the team. The Satria Neo also demonstrated exceptional performance and reliability over the one hour course,” said Team Principal Tengku Djan Ley Tengku Mahaleel.

Already proven on track and in gruelling competition such as rallying, the Satria Neo’s performance over the weekend reaffirmed its reputation as a race-winning contender.

“The win in Sepang and coincidentally in the two-wheel drive class at the International Rally of Queensland on the same weekend conveys a very strong message and underlines the Satria Neo’s potential of being a race winner,” said Head of PROTON Motorsports Datuk Abdul Razak Dawood.

At the same time, PROTON’s Director of Group Marketing, Branding & Motorsports John D. Chacko said: “This has been a phenomenal race weekend for PROTON both on and off the track. If anything, it clearly demonstrates not only the Satria Neo’s competitiveness but also versatility. Unlocking the full potential of the Satria Neo in competition will also go a long way towards reaffirming PROTON’s commitment to become better.”

Best shot on Satria Neo Proton R3 in MSS Round 2