Racing proved unpredictable for Malaysia’s Viper Niza Racing Team at the recent 12 Hours of Misano. After qualifying 10th from 23 cars, the team climbed to 6th before facing consecutive setbacks that led to their retirement.
Dominic Ang began strong in the GT3 AM Class but had to pit for a failed power steering pump, losing 10 laps to the leaders. Douglas Khoo’s stint ended suddenly due to a wobbling rear left wheel from a faulty pit stop. Finally, Melvin Moh faced an engine oil leak caused by a crack in the sump, leading to their first race retirement after extensive repairs.
“It was a disastrous race for us. Power steering failure, rear left wheel wasn’t fastened properly and then the oil sump had a crack. And so this marks our first retirement (DNF) in a year that has so far gone brilliantly with two podium finishes,” said Khoo. It had been the trio’s first visit to Misano which is better known as a motorcycle track as it is home to the San Marino Grand Prix in MotoGP.
“It’s a real shame as many of our other competitors also retired from the race and the results could’ve been vastly different for us. We were competitive during practice sessions and had been within the range of another strong finish.”
Up until Misano, 2025 has been good for Viper Niza Racing, with a 6th overall finish, 4th in the GT3 class, and 2nd in the GT3 AM class at the Michelin 12 Hours of Spa Francorchamps in Belgium; plus a win in the GT AM Masters class and 2nd in the GT AM class at the Motul 12 Hours of Sepang.
Viper Niza Racing is backed by Motul and other sponsors that include Endless & Momentum Autoparts; IWC as its Official Watch Brand; and Jen Orchard Gateway Hotel in Singapore.