MME 2008 : Australian Holden V8 Racing Team To Rule MME

Surviving only half the race last year due to engine problems, the Australian Holden V8 Supercar Experience Racing Team is returning to Sepang Circuit for the 2008 Petronas Primax 3 Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race with stronger determination and to go all the way to the chequered flag for the coveted crown.

“We are better prepared this year and we aim to go all the way to win the overall title. Last year, we were running fifth outright in my Holden before an engine problem forced a retirement after six hours. It will be a different story this year,” says team leader Mal Rose, who had been competing in the MME since the last three years.

Joined by fellow Australian V8 drivers Peter Leemhuis and Tony Alford, the team would be driving again the Australian Holden V8 race machine, which had been further upgraded in their bid to top Class O for the open category and the entire field.

“This year we have a new GRM (Garry Rogers Motorsport) Chev 5.0 litre engine with a sequential holinger 6 speed gearbox. This V8 Holden VY Commodore is an ex GRM race car and was last raced by Jamie Whincup in the Shell Australian Touring Car Championship and had recorded a host of pole positions and race wins including lap records.

“Since we returned from the Nurburgring 24hr in Germany in this year, we have been busy preparing the car; packing the shipping container to transport the cars and equipment to Malaysia,” said Mal, adding that the team would also be entering two Mitsubishi Mirage Cup race cars for Class C for cars with engines below 1600cc.

“Results have seen these Australian “Pocket Rockets” finished all their 24-hour and 12-hour endurance races since this team was established. We are confident of another impressive result here at Sepang. Overall, the team is hoping to win the overall title in the V8 Holden and win the class with the Mitsubishi Mirage ‘pocket rockets’,” said Mal.
 

 
A total of 98 cars had already registered for the race including 21 from Class O, which included the defending champion Hong Leong Kencana Racing Team featuring Mokhzani Mahathir, Sven Herberger and Lars Erik Nielsen as their drivers in their Porsche 997 RSR and two race cars from Japan Super Taikyu Series.

Class A for production cars above 1900cc has so far 27 confirmed entries which Class B (for cars between 1600cc and 1900cc) and Class C both had secured 25 entries each. With the circuit license only permitting a maximum of 77 cars to start the race, the organizers had set a quota of 20 cars each for Class O and A; 19 for Class B and a maximum of 18 cars for Class C.

Interested teams and drivers have until August 27 to submit their entries and last year, a total of 103 registered for the race. The official free practice had been set for August 28 and qualifying to be held on August 29.

Mal said the team would arrive early next week prepare and set up the cars and also to allow the drivers to adjust to the hot and humid tropical weather, adding that supporting the team again is DBA (Disc Brakes Australia), Castrol Oils, Australian CV reconditioning, Rehyr8 , XenonOz, The Supercar Experience & Donut King.

In his debut at the 12-hour endurance race in 2005, Mal finished second in Class B for cars between 1601c and 1900cc; driving a Proton Putra prepared by Kuala Lumpur-based Danville Motorsports, with Leemhuis and a Malaysian driver. Last year, Leemhuis and Alford partnered Keifli Othman in a Honda Integra DC5 in Class A to finish 10th overall with Mal and the Holden machine.

This year, the Australians aimed to rule the MME.