The Malaysia Speed Festival Merdeka Race 2024 powered by PETRONAS Primax took place at the PETRONAS Sepang International Circuit on 1 September 2024, featuring a challenging 99-lap endurance race on a 5.543km track. The race saw intense competition across six different classes, with only 42 out of 77 cars finishing the race due to multiple safety car situations and retirements.
One of the standout performances came from “Boy” Soh Zhi Xian and Tan Wai Hoong, who drove a first-generation Perodua MyVi to a top 5 finish and subsequently the lead of the race after just 26 laps despite retiring after 72 laps, staying well ahead of a grid dominated by more modern and powerful machines the likes of Honda Civic Type R and Jazz, Suzuki Swift Sports and Toyota GT 86.
However, the overall champion was the fourth-generation #60 Honda Civic driven by Gan Kim Koa, Lee Wai Cong, and Hayden Haikal, who overcame early setbacks to claim victory with a time of 4 hours, 54 minutes, and 31.789 seconds – more than 20 seconds ahead of their nearest competitor. And they accomplished this on the back of spinning the car in the early stages of the race relegating them to last place.
“We were literally running on fumes over the last two laps and I was just trying my best to keep the car from stalling,” said Hayden who drove the final stint. “This is also the car’s second time back after not racing for six years.” The trio also won their Super 1800cc Class.
Finishing second place overall and also winning the Vision HKS Super Touring Class was the trio of Faizal Naim, William Yong and Al Amin Mohd in the Millennium Racing 1 Honda Civic.
Coming in third overall was the pair of Mohd Fahrizal Hasan and Syed Mohd Rizal in their FAWSTER SMRT Toyota GT86. The duo was also crowned champion in the Vision HKS GT86 x BRZ Racing Cup.
“We won on good strategy, we kept it clean and both drivers did our jobs with consistent lap times. We made three pit stops according to plan. Honestly, being in a lower class we did not expect to finish so high up considering we only managed to qualify 12th fastest,” said Fahrizal. “The win also places us in the lead of the overall championship in the Vision HKS GT86 x BRZ Racing Cup with two more rounds to compete.”
Only the top three overall winners completed the 99-lap challenge with the remaining 39 competitors crossing the chequered flag at least a lap down.
The six classes of racing contested in the Merdeka Race included: the Rennplatz Standard Production; Rennplatz Standard Production Max; Vision HKS Super Touring; Vision HKS GT86 x BRZ Racing Cup; Super 1800; and MSF Super Production with a total RM50,000 in prize monies up for grabs for the top three winners in all six classes of racing.
RESULTS
Overall
- Gan Kim Koa/Lee Wai Cong/Hayden Haikal 99 laps
- Faizal Naim/William Yong/Al Amin Mohd Millennium Racing 1 99 laps
- Mohd Fahrizal Hasan/Syed Mohd Rizal FAWSTER SMRT 99 laps
Rennplatz Standard Production
- Siah Woei Ping/Chong Chin Young 98 laps
- Chio Wen Cheng/Kingston Tan/Tse Ka Hing 97 laps
- Freddie Ang/Jwan Hii 96 laps
Rennplatz Standard Production Max
- Tan Wooi Loon/Roni Risman Piston Project 96 laps
- Ahmad Firdaus/Mohamad Najib/Lee Kun San Fawster 22ProShop +14.626s
- David Kang/Gerald Goh Sokudo Shenzo Racing X Agi 95 laps
Vision HKS Super Touring
- Faizal Naim/William Yong/Al Amin Mohd Millennium Racing 1 99 laps
- Jonathan Lee/Justin Toh TEDCO Racing +1:19.160
- Mohd Irwan/Aiyub Alamghir Sokudo Shenzo Racing 96 laps
Vision HKS GT86 x BRZ Racing Cup
- Mohd Fahrizal Hasan/Syed Mohd Rizal FAWSTER SMRT 99 laps
- Muhd Khairul Nizam/Sean Khoo EXN-JR Speed Sucimuci 97 laps
- Kenneth The/Danny Chang 94 laps
Super 1800
- Gan Kim Koa/Lee Wai Cong/Hayden Haikal 99 laps
- Yau Weng Wai/Low Zhe Wei 94 laps
- CY Khoo/Gilbert Ang 89 laps
Super Production
- Jonathan Xie/Leong Jia Le Kent Xie-Kent 98 laps
- Muhammad Nurazmi/Shamir Aizan/Raha Ahmad 55twelve X A RC Racing 96 laps
- Ng Tiam Lai/Eugene Lin/Mark Darwin 94 laps