Wing Hin Motorsports will be the sole flag-bearer for Malaysia with a three-car entry in this weekend’s (23 Dec 2023) 10-hour Idemitsu Super Endurance 600 Southeast Asia Trophy at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand.
Fresh from a win in the recent Sepang 1000KM Endurance Race (S1K), Wing Hin Motorsports will field six Malaysian drivers, including newly-minted S1K overall champions Amer Harris and Nabil Azlan who will be piloting their S1K winning #339 Toyota Yaris in the D3 Class. They will be joined by the #338 Toyota Yaris piloted by Naquib Azlan (who finished 3rd in this year’s S1K) and touring car driver Mitchell Cheah. Joining the line-up will also be Malaysian touring car champion Boy Wong and Dannies Ng (4th in this year’s S1K) who will be pitting their #438 Toyota Vios in the D4 Class.
This will be the team’s first time competing in the 10-hour race, despite already enjoying significant success racing in Thailand in only their first year. In September the pair of Wong and Naquib emerged D5 class champion in the Idemitsu Super Endurance 400 Minutes race, while in June the team’s Toyota Vios had driven to the 2023 Idemitsu Super Turbo Championship Junior (Normally Aspirated) Class overall championship going on to dominate and win five from a total of six races throughout the season.
“This year is our first year competing in Thailand and quite frankly we are incredibly overwhelmed by the results so far. It has always been a goal to compete outside of Malaysia as a means of gauging where we stand in terms of regional competition and to measure our capabilities,” said Wing Hin Motorsports Team Principal William Loh.
“The competition and the experience we have endured in Thailand has by no means been easy, and ! expect this weekend’s race to be even more challenging with a total of 70 entries, including the participation of top Thai teams. Like every endurance race, it’s very difficult to predict, and all I can say is that we are prepared with not only competitive cars but with a line-up of exceptionally talented as well as experienced drivers. We will be using the same S1K winning cars and we have gone through the process of rebuilding in preparation for Thailand. ”
Although not by design, endurance racing has proven to become Wing Hin Motorsports’ strength. The team continued to be placed on the podium at S1K over the last three consecutive years (3rd in 2021, 2nd in 2022 and overall winner in 2023).
While drivers Naquib, Wong, Cheah and Ng have experienced racing in Thailand, the exposure will be the first for Amer and Nabil.
“To head into my first international race after just two years of racing having transitioned from simulator racing is just very exciting for me. Like every race I go into, the aim will still be to finish in the top step of the podium but I will not place too much pressure on myself. Hopefully Amer and I will be able to do our very best and carry the momentum we have from winning the S1K to do well in Thailand,” said 21-year-old Nabil.
“To be honest, the #339 Toyota Yaris had been exceptionally bulletproof throughout S1K and I am very grateful that the car performed amazingly for the entire 9-hour duration of the race. The challenge before us now is to go an extra hour in Thailand. I believe the race in Thailand is going to be very competitive if not tougher and we will be driving against an international field – but I’m up for the challenge.”
Meanwhile, for team mate Amer, Thailand will be his first time competing in a saloon car after past competitions in karting.
“Based on my experience in karting, the Thai drivers are definitely no slouch, and the teams are all well-prepped with world class equipment…On paper, we may not have the outright pace as most of the other cars are a lot faster in terms of the horsepower output. But based on the team’s previous experiences in Thailand, it seems like horsepower isn’t the answer to winning the races there at all, but more dependent on race strategy and consistency from the drivers, which we are really strong at,” said the 20-year-old.
“Personally I’ve just been putting the hours on the simulator trying to come to grips with the track, and the pace is looking really good so far.”
The Idemitsu Super Endurance 600 Southeast Asia Trophy race starts from 10am (11am Malaysian time) to 8pm (9pm Malaysian time). To catch the race action, tune in to the livestream at here.
