An Exciting Rally Awaits Fans in Kuantan This Weekend

Kuantan, Pahang, 30 October, 2007 - Rally fans can be assured of a weekend of non-stop action and excitement as Round 4 of the FELDA-AAM Malaysian Rally Championship 2007 (FAMRC) hits the oil palm plantations near Kuantan this Saturday and Sunday.

Current points leader, three-time Asia Pacific Rally Championship (APRC) and the first Asian Production Car World Rally Championship (PWRC) champion, Karamjit Singh, is back with a vengeance.

With only two rounds left, Karamjit who won Rounds 1 and 2 but failed to score a single point in Round 3, really needs to score points this time if he wants to be crowned the Overall Champion of the FAMRC 07 and, keep sponsors and fans happy.

After a disappointing outing in Round 3 at Kota Tinggi, Johor in August, Karam and co-driver Jagdev Singh, will hope to leave a dusty trail behind them in their powerful Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. Team Karamjit Motorsports is currently leading with 32 points.

Trailing closely behind is Perodua M5 Rally lead driver, Kan Chee Hong and co-driver Bernard Chin who are sitting on 24 points after winning Round 3. Chin can’t make Round 4 due to work commitments, so he will be replaced by experienced co-driver Arish Qutb.

Round 3 which was also the Fifth Round of the APRC, saw Kan proudly take the chequered flag after battling for more than three hours in one of the most grueling rallies ever held in our soil. He even beat his close rivals, Indonesian Benny Lautan and Edwin Nasution who drove the powerful Proton PERT.

Benny won second place, while privateer Gunaseelan Rajoo in the Proton Gen2 secured the third place. The fourth place went to Sutan Mustaffa Salihin and Ahmad Nadzrie Shuhaimie and the fifth place went to Ahmad Shafie Jalil and Mohd Farouf Mohd Noor with a total time of 3hrs 41min 12sec.

Round 4 will see more than twenty cars participating including foreign participants from Indonesia taking part in the two-day Rally that will be held in Kuantan, Pahang, 3-4 November, 2007.

Clerk of the Course for the Championship, Tengku Shaharin Abu Bakar Almarhum 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. 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.”

The First Leg will see participants compete in 8 Special stages (SS) comprising SS1 Tepi Sungai (11.94km), SS2 Ada Tramac (26.54km), SS3 Treler Kuning (7.74km), SS4 Kilang (3.78km), SS5 Tepi Sungai (11.94km), SS6 Ada Tarmac (26.54km), SS7 Treler Kuning (7.74km) and SS8 Kilang (3.78km), covering a total SS distance of 100km.

For Leg Two, participants will be covering a total SS distance of 50.54km. Leg Two comprises SS9 Jambatan Best (10.26km), SS10 Pondok (5.86km) and SS11 Sekolah (9.15km). After a twenty minute service break, participants will head to SS12 Jambatan Best (10.26km) then to SS13 at Pondok (5.86km) before finishing at SS14 Sekolah 9.15km).

The total Rally covers 150.54km.

Spectators can witness the official flag off by FELDA Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusof Noor, at Dataran Kuantan at 12 noon this Saturday. It’s a great chance to see the teams and their cars as they cross the ceremonial start ramp and head off into the plantations.

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