Karamjit within striking distance
1st November 2007, NST

KARAMJIT Singh could seal his first drivers’ title since 2003 if he keeps it all together in the plantations off Kuantan in Round Four of the Felda-AAM Malaysian Rally Championship this weekend.

The three-time FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) and 2002 Production Car World Rally champion leads the standings on 32 points, despite a non-finish in the previous round.

With co-driver Jagdev Singh on board a Mitsubishi Evo 8, Karamjit holds a slight advantage with rival Kan Chee Hong having to switch to unfamiliar co-driver Arish Qutb Ahmad Khan for this weekend.

This is because his regular co-driver, veteran Bernard Chin, has had to sit out the weekend due to work commitments as single-seater prodigy Jazeman Firhan Jaafar’s public relations manager.

The Perodua M5 Rally Team combination will have to find a way of making up the eight-point deficit to the leaders on board a Perodua MyVi Turbo.

Round Three in Johor in August saw the 45-year old Kan taste victory after battling for more than three hours. He beat close rivals Indonesian Benny Lautan and Edwin Nasution, who drove Karamjit’s former WPRC Proton PERT car.

Privateers Gunaseelan and Jayaseelan Rajoo, in the Proton Gen2, secured the third place then the best result for a two-wheel drive this season.

Round Four, comprising 14 special stages (SS) will cover a total distance of 150.4 kilometres and will be flagged off by Felda chairman Tan Sri Yusof Noor.

Clerk-of-course for the championship Tengku Shaharin Abu Bakar Tengku Suleiman said this year the rally will be using the same stages in Felda Lepar Hilir as last year.

“Last year the drivers found the stages to be demanding with a lot of twists and turns, uphill and downhill roads,” said Tengku Shaharin.

“It will be even more challenging this year if it continues to rain, as the slippery roads will truly put to the test the skills of the drivers and their cars.”

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