Cloud of uncertainty despite win
NST, 21/5/2008

LIM Leong Onn and co-driver Kamarul Anuar Razzali may have won the first round of the Malaysian Rally Championship, but that almost amounted to nothing.

The Perodua M5 Racing Team are waiting until the last moment to confirm their participation in Round Two in Perlis this weekend, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over their garage.

Until yesterday, the Perodua M5 Racing Team hadn't officially registered its team for the rally which will be held in the PPB Group's sugarcane plantation in Chuping.

But the drivers know the cars are being prepared and the Team's registration is expected any time now.

To the organisers Wheel Sport Management (WSM), it looked as though Round Two was to be without three key cars, a move which could have dashed the hopes of the Perodua Team taking home any championship trophies.

A team which have confirmed they will not be competing in Round Two is the SR Motorsport Team of James Russell and co-driver Douglas Pickering.

Team Manager Paul Russell said they had failed to secure and prepare a new car in time but hope to be ready for Round Three in Kuantan.

Karamjit Singh and co-driver Jagdev Singh, overall winners of the Felda-AAM Malaysian Rally Championship in 2007, who were placed second in Bahau in a rented Proton Satria, have retrieved their Mitsubishi Evo 8 from Port Klang and are looking forward to taking the podium again in this round.

In a surprising twist they will be driving for the GSR Pennzoil Racing Team forcing the all-woman team of Kancana Nanda Kumar and co-driver Dzainurhayati Mohd Daud to enter as Privateers in the Clubman category.

The Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail will flag off the 19 rally cars at Dataran Datuk Sheikh Ahmad on Saturday.

The rally is being held in Perlis in conjunction with the Raja of Perlis' birthday celebrations.

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