ENORM ASEAN KART PRIX 2001

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Fairuz Fauzy retained his crown at the ASEAN KART Prix's 2001 100CC Open category for the fourth straight year. F1 hopeful Fairuz who is now competing in the Formula Renault Sport, British Championship flew all the way from London to defend his title. Starting from the pole, he led the field all the way comfortably with a gap of up to five seconds at one stage. Fairuz was dominant throughout the event, winning Heat 1 and the Pre-Final. Tension reached its highest during the Finals when Fairuz and his younger brother Farriz, followed by their other Morac teammate, Rohairijaz were practically squeezed together at one stage. Fairuz however continued to deliver amazing performance.

His brother, Farriz Fauzy was forced to retire two laps before the end of the race when his chain broke loose. This opportunity then allowed Arya Setyaki of Kart Master Team, another strong contender, to grab the second position at the finishing line while Rohairijaz managed to finish third.

In the Rotax FR125 Max category, Bob Ngaau displayed top form throughout winning both Heats, the Pre-Final and the Final. Bob Ngaau, after just recovereing from a previous injury pulled away rapidly from all competitors at the beginning. The only real challenged faced by him was in the final, with Raja Razman's kart inches behind his at one stage. At the end of the day, Bob retained the top spot, Raja Razman second and David Ong in third. This result means that Bob Ngaau is now on par with the current points' leader, Ferhan Fauzy, with 243 points each. In the veteran category, Martin Druhan continued his domination leading the veterans with 228 points followed closely by Claus V. Larsen (210 points). The next Rotax Max round on 22nd - 23rd September 2001 will thus be very interesting. Azry Md Nor won top spot in the Junior Intercontinental A category. He also led all the way from pole to finish. Rismeth Emir Mat Ropit overcome the odds by taking the second place after starting fourth on the grid, with Devin Cunningham placed third.

The pint-sized wonder-boy in the Malaysian Cadet scene, Jazeman Firhan, proved once again that he is the boy to beat by claiming the top spot. The second placed finisher, Rio Haryanto, was never a threat to Jazeman, finishing 26.65 seconds behind. Dominique Ang completes the podium finishers in third.

This 5th annual event, which first started in 1996, also marked the opening of the new Fast Track Speedzone Elite Go-kart Circuit. This one-kilometer track boasts the best facilities in Malaysia providing ample covered paddock and parc ferme, kart storage, drive-through weighing machine, 10,000sqf go-kart supermarket, office building, and a restaurant that can accommodate 500 customers at one time. For the first time, the Asean Kart Prix has been held outside its traditional venue in Langkawi.

Results:
CADET 80cc (12 laps): 1.) Jazeman Firhan Jaafar :Wilson/Comer/ Bridgestone 10:32.16, 2.) Rio Haryanto :Biesse/Comer/Bridgestone 10:58.81, 3.) Dominique Ang :Wilson/Comer/Maxis 11:42.24

JICA (20 laps): 1.) Azry Md. Nor :CRG/Comer/Vega 15:36.24, 2.) Rismeth Emir Mat Ropin :CRG/Parilla/vega 15:39:41, 3.) Devin Cunnigham :Biesse/Vortex/Bridgestone 15:39.88

FA 100 CC (22 laps): 1.) Fairuz Fauzy :CRG/Parilla/Vega 16:29.24, 2.) Arya Setyaki :Haasse/Titan/Vega 16:31.39, 3.) Mohd Rohairijaz Mat Ropin :CRG/Parilla/Bridgestone 16:49.47

ROTAX MAX 3RD SERIES (20 laps): 1.) Mahathir Bob Ngaau :CRG/Rotax/Bridgestone 15:52:07, 2.) Raja Razman :Arrow/Rotax/Bridgestone 16:00:15, 3.) David Ong :Arrow/Rotax/Bridgestone 16:00:58

ROTAX MAX POINT TABLE (TOP 10 DRIVERS): 1.) Ferhan Fauzy 243, 1.) Mahathir Bob Ngaau 243, 2.) Rodney Magness 236, 3.) Martin Druhan 228, 3.) Raja Razman 228, 4.) Claus V.Larsen 210, 5.) Rizal Ashram 202, 6.) Ideham Jalil 198, 7.) David Ong 185, 8.) Raymond Wong 180, 9.) Raymond Kong 175, 10.)Soong Yap 174