GT Asia resumed in Malaysia this weekend, where the fourth meeting of the season was hosted at Sepang. Absolute Racing was out in full force and they achieved great results during the second race.
Absolute Racing fielded a total of five Audi cars this weekend, three Audi R8 LMS ultra cars in the GT3 class, and two older Audi R8 LMS variants in the GTM class.
Their team was split into two main parts. The R8 LMS ultra cars were entered under the team/entrant name of “Team R8 LMS ultra”, which represents three customers: J-Fly Racing, Tunewear Racing and Team Hong Kong Racing. The #7 J-Fly Racing car was racing in its new red/black/white livery for the first time in GT Asia, a livery which they debuted on the car at the Sepang 12 Hours two weeks ago. The #7 was driven by Jeffrey Lee and Marchy Lee. The #888 Tunewear R8 LMS ultra was driven by Francis Hideki Onda and Alex Yoong. The #98 Team Hong Kong Racing R8 LMS ultra was driven by Philip Ma and Cong Fu Cheng.
Two Audi R8 LMS Cup entries had also been added to the Absolute Racing GT Asia squad this weekend, both entered in the GTM class. The first was a second J-Fly Racing entry, the blue #78 Audi R8 LMS of Benjamin Lee and Craig Liu. The final Audi entry was that of the Tiger Racing Team, who also recently took part in the Sepang 12 hours. The #77 R8 LMS was driven by Jacky Yeung and Carlo van Dam.
Qualifying was highlighted by two front row starting positions: the #888 grabbed second on the grid for race one and the #7 did the same for race two. Pole in the GTM class went to the #77 for race one.
The first race was held on Saturday and saw the Audis battling near the front. By the end of the race the three GT3 Audis placed in positions six through eight, with the #7 of Marchy and Jeffrey Lee finishing sixth ahead of the #98 and the #888. The #77 Tiger Racing R8 LMS of Yeung and van Dam finished second in the GTM class. The first race was won by the #83 AF Course Ferrari 485 Italia.
Race two was held on Sunday and saw podium results for the Audi team. The #7 J-Fly Audi R8 LMS ultra of Marchy and Jeffrey Lee finished in second place. They were followed by the #888 Audi in sixth and the #98 in eighth. The #77 Tiger Racing R8 LMS of Yeung and van Dam went one better today, as they took victory in the GTM class, finishing tenth overall. The #78 finished fourth in GTM. The second race was again won by the #83 AF Course Ferrari 485 Italia.
The fifth GT Asia round will be taking place at Zhuhai in China during mid-October.
GT Asia has resumed in Malaysia this weekend, hosting the fourth meeting at Sepang. Absolute Racing is again out in full force and they have taken very good spots in qualifying.
Absolute Racing is fielding a total of five Audi cars this weekend, three Audi R8 LMS ultra cars in the GT3 class, and two older Audi R8 LMS variants in the GTM class.
Their team is split into two main parts. The R8 LMS ultra cars are entered under the team/entrant name of “Team R8 LMS ultra”, which represents three customers: J-Fly Racing, Tunewear and Team Hong Kong Racing. The #7 J-Fly Racing car is racing in its new red/black/white livery for the first time in GT Asia, a livery which they debuted on the car at the Sepang 12 Hours two weeks ago. The #7 is driven by Jeffrey Lee and Marchy Lee. The #888 Tunewear R8 LMS ultra is driven by Francis Hideki Onda and Alex Yoong. The #98 Team Hong Kong Racing R8 LMS ultra is driven by Philip Ma and Cong Fu Cheng.
Two Audi R8 LMS Cup entries have also been added to the Absolute Racing GT Asia squad this weekend, both entered in the GTM class. The first is a second J-Fly Racing entry, the blue #78 Audi R8 LMS of Benjamin Lee and Craig Liu. The final Audi entry is that of the Tiger Racing Team, who also recently took part in the Sepang 12 hours. The #77 R8 LMS is driven by Jacky Yeung and Carlo van Dam.
Two front row qualifying positions and pole position in the GTM class highlighted the Saturday for the Audi camp. During the first session the #888 of Onda and Yoong qualified on the front row in second place. They were followed by the #98 in fifth and the #7 in sixth. In twelfth overall was the #77 R8 LMS of Yeung and van Dam, who qualified on pole in the GTM class. The #78 was sixteenth overall, fourth in class.
Another front row starting position was achieved during the second qualifying session, with the #7 of Marchy and Jeffrey Lee taking second. They were followed by the #888 in sixth and the #98 in seventh. The #77 was again twelfth overall, but third in class, followed by the #78 in fifteenth, again fourth in class.
Pole position for race one went to the #007 Craft Racing Aston Martin, followed by the #2 Asia Racing Team’s Porsche 911 taking pole for race two. The results can be seen HERE.
Team Tiger Absolute Racing wins ahead of Team BRT in Audi R8 LMS
Team J-fly Absolute Racing finishes 7th overall in Audi R8 LMS ultra
Audi China driver Alex Yoong with three wins in three days
Sepang, September 1, 2013 – Audi capped a strong three days in Sepang, Malaysia with a one-two finish in the GTC class of the Malaysian Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER). First across the finish line was Team Tiger Absolute Racing, with drivers Alex Young, Jacky Yeung and Asharff Dewal. After winning both races of the Audi R8 LMS Cup, Malaysian Yoong finished the three days of racing with his third win, to the delight of his home fans. Second in the GTC class was Chinese Team BRT with a consistent drive throughout the 12-hour race.
In the GT3 class, Team J-fly Absolute Racing, with drivers Jeffrey Lee, Marchy Lee and Adderly Fong, was battling high up the field in third position, and cutting into the lead of the car in front, before an issue with the brake cylinder meant a longer pit-stop than normal. After rejoining, the team found themselves further down the field to finally finish 7th overall. The performance was still impressive considering current regulations for the Audi R8 LMS ultra.
"It was a really exciting weekend, especially as we achieved a one-two win in the GTC class. The Audi R8 LMS ultra was lacking some speed in the GT3, based on the current balance of performance. However our strategy had worked out perfectly, till we had to pit stop longer than expected. All the drivers and teams did a very impressive job and the outcome was the best we could achieve during this weekend. I am especially happy that our driver Alex Yoong was able to make it a triple win in front of his home fans", says Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.
Altogether four Audi teams competed in the MMER. One Audi R8 LMS ultra from an Audi supported team of the GT Asia series and three Audi R8 LMS Cup entries, of which one had to retire from the race with a mechanical issue. The Audi R8 LMS Cup is the first brand cup of Audi worldwide. Round 7 and 8 of the competition took place in Sepang on Friday and Saturday, with both races won by Alex Yoong.
Alex Yoong (Tiger Absolute Racing):
"The race went perfect. The car ran faultlessly. It was great but very tiring. I could not have asked for more over the three days of racing. I am also pleased that I could give my fans something to cheer about."
Jacky Yeung (Tiger Absolute Racing):
"It was a very good result considering this is the first year we entered and we won. So, of course, I am very happy."
Asharff Dewal (Tiger Absolute Racing):
"The first time I drove the car was only three days ago. But my team mates Jacky and Alex were great and gave me a lot of very good advice. The race went fantastically. It was very tiring getting out of the car to then have an engineer come up to you and say you are going back in within 45 minutes."
Ren Wei (Brothers Racing Team):
"I would have never thought we would achieve this amazing result in our first race in Malaysia and our first endurance race. It was challenging but I hope to improve in the future when I get more races under my belt."
Ingo Matter, Director, Absolute Racing:
"Congratulations to all the teams for a great performance. The cars were running absolutely perfectly until the issue with the brake cylinder. This is the nature of endurance races, things seem perfect one moment and then something unexpected happens the next."
Audi entries, Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER)
Car 777 (Audi R8 LMS Ultra – GT3) - J-Fly Absolute Racing Jeffrey LEE / Marchy LEE / Adderly FONG
Car 66 (Audi R8 LMS Cup car – GTC) - Tiger Absolute Racing Jacky YUENG / Alex YOONG / Ashraff DEWAL
Car 5 (Audi R8 LMS Cup car – GTC) BRT Team REN Wei / SUN Bo / YANG Xi / WU Zhou / HE Yi
Car 15 (Audi R8 LMS Cup car – GTC) BRT Team SUN Zheng / ZHANG Zhi Qiang / CHENG Cong Fu
Round 8 win sees Yoong regain series lead from Adderly Fong
18 year old newcomer Thong caps excellent drive with fifth place
While the cup wraps up, teams prepare for the 12-hour MMER
Beijing/Sepang, August 31, 2013 – Round 8 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup saw a dominant performance by Alex Yoong. Leading from start to finish the Malaysian local hero took the chequered flag ahead of "Franky" Cheng Congfu from China and Adderly Fong from Hong Kong. Yoong's second win in just as many days saw him regaining the overall championship lead with 141 points, ahead of Fong (132) and Lee (121), before heading into Rounds 9 and 10 in Shanghai, China.
"We saw a very competitive speed race in extremely hot weather conditions. The fact that all entries finished the race once again shows the great reliability of our GT3 race cars. It was an excellent debut of our brand cup in Malaysia. The circuit and facilities are fantastic. And the passion of the motorsport fans here at Sepang has been great", commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.
Beijing/Sepang, August 31, 2013 – Round 8 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup saw a dominant performance by Alex Yoong. Leading from start to finish the Malaysian local hero took the chequered flag ahead of "Franky" Cheng Congfu from China and Adderly Fong from Hong Kong. Yoong's second win in just as many days saw him regaining the overall championship lead with 141 points, ahead of Fong (132) and Lee (121), before heading into Rounds 9 and 10 in Shanghai, China.
"We saw a very competitive speed race in extremely hot weather conditions. The fact that all entries finished the race once again shows the great reliability of our GT3 race cars. It was an excellent debut of our brand cup in Malaysia. The circuit and facilities are fantastic. And the passion of the motorsport fans here at Sepang has been great", commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.
While Yoong managed to stay clear at the start, Cheng ducked down the inside of Fong on turn one, with the Hong Kong racer falling back to third. Marchy Lee retained his fourth position. The top four drivers opened up a gap from the chasing pack behind them, pushing each other to the limit but unable to close the gap on the car in front. Cheng underlined his strong performance with the fastest lap of the day. Yet, it was Yoong who set the pace and dominated from start to finish. The positions were unchanged by the chequered flag, giving Yoong his second win in two days, followed by Cheng, Fong and Lee.
Behind the top four, the race saw an impressive battle for fifth position. On lap three Sun Zheng tried to overtake Kyong-Ouk You, however his manoeuvre allowed room for Wei Fung Thong to pass both of them. Thong, an eighteen year old talent from Hong Kong, pulled away from the more experienced drivers and finished the race in an excellent fifth position ahead of Korean You.
Italian driver Massimo Vignali claimed a superb seventh place for Round 8 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup. He came out on top in a close battle with Jeffrey Li and also managed to overtake Sun Zheng, after the Chinese driver spun towards the end of the race.
In the amateur competition, Aaron Kwok was able to underline his strong form in Sepang by overtaking Alex Au on lap one. Au battled back and it was on lap six that he finally managed to regain the lead from Kwok and defend it until the end of the race. With back to back wins in Malaysia and a total of 176 points, Alex Au managed to wrap up the overall amateur title. With three races to go, and 90 points clear of second positioned Eric K, he cannot be caught.
Also decided in Sepang was the special Dealer trophy for the 2013 championship. Adderly Fong's third place meant that Team KLM secured the title for participating Audi dealerships.
With the Malaysia rounds over for the Audi R8 LMS Cup, attention now turns to the 12-hour Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER) taking place at Sepang on Sunday. Audi has four entries in the challenging endurance race, three of which come from the Audi R8 LMS Cup. One entry comes from an Audi supported team of the GT Asia. Altogether, eight drivers from the Audi R8 LMS Cup will also get behind the wheel for the MMER.
The next race weekend of the Audi R8 LMS Cup will be held at the Shanghai International Circuit (25-27 October) in China.
Alex Yoong:
"I had a good start unlike yesterday. I had a very controlled race, which did not allow room for any major mistakes – in that way the race was fairly calm. I am very relieved as the previous race weekend in South Korea was a bit of a disaster, which meant I was feeling the pressure a little. I am very fortunate to have the support of both my friends and family, which makes a huge difference."
"Franky" Cheng Congfu:
"I was lucky to get a good start and squeeze into second position to get behind Alex (Yoong). Like Alex said, he was in control most of the race, however I was pleased with my pace and at one point even able to close the gap a bit. I did have one scary moment where I almost lost control, and because of how intense the competition is – every second counts."
Adderly Fong:
"I am fairly satisfied with the race results, I knew it was Alex's home circuit, therefore we viewed this as damage reduction for the championship. I just tried to focus on getting as many points as I could. I made a mistake in yesterday's race but today was fairly steady."
Alex Au:
"I am happy to have won the amateur cup with my back to back wins here in Sepang. I knew I could do it, after I was calculating the points last night. I sat behind Aaron (Kwok) for a while trying to ensure there were no mistakes until I finally took the chance to overtake him."
Audi R8 LMS Cup, Round 8, Sepang, Malaysia – Final Results
(Am) Amateur Driver (D) Dealer Driver
2013 Audi R8 LMS Cup - Overall Classification after Round 8
Yoong regained lead after dropping two places at eventful start
Marchy Lee finishes second ahead of Franky Cheng Congfu in third
Adderly Fong narrowly keeps overall lead after fourth place finish
Beijing/Sepang, August 30, 2013 – The Audi R8 LMS Cup debut at Sepang, Malaysia saw Alex Yoong delight his home fans by taking the chequered flag in front of Hong Kong racer Marchy Lee. One of the closest fought races of the season saw 'Franky' Cheng Congfu take the final podium position, with barely a second covering the front three as they crossed the finish line. Finishing fourth, Adderly Fong kept his overall championship lead with a total of 117 points, closely followed by Alex Yoong (115 points) and Marchy Lee (109 points).
"We saw a very close battle at the top, which underlines the truly competitive nature of our brand cup. Congratulations to Alex for the win in front of his home fans. After his promising qualifying, Adderly (Fong) was a bit unlucky. But I am sure he will be back determined tomorrow", says Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.
The race got off to an exciting start. Whilst pole sitter Alex Yoong was intent on keeping the attacking Adderly Fong wide, 'Franky' Cheng Congfu overtook both at turn one. With the field bunched together, second on the grid, Marchy Lee, was able to take the inside line and come out of turn one as race leader. Alex Yoong's disappointing start was compounded when Korean racer Kyong-Ouk You jumped up to third place ahead of him, while championship leader, Adderly Fong, found himself dropping down to sixth.
By lap seven Yoong had begun to pressure Cheng for second place after he had taken Kyong-Ouk You on lap three. With the two pushing hard for points, Yoong managed to get past Cheng with seven laps to go and give himself a clear run at Marchy Lee.
With three laps to go, Yoong had closed the gap on leader Lee to just half a second, ensuring an exciting finish to the inaugural Audi R8 LMS Cup race in Malaysia. Coming into turns seven and eight, backmarker Benjamin Lee spun in front of the leaders; the front two showed their class by carefully negotiating the difficult situation. By the end of the lap, coming into turn fifteen, Yoong was finally able to dive down the inside of Marchy Lee and take the lead to the joy of his home fans.
With just two laps to go Yoong began to pull away, however on turn fourteen, disaster almost struck when he went wide allowing Lee and Cheng to close the gap once again. But Yoong managed to shut up shop to effectively end the battle by taking the chequered flag ahead of Lee and Cheng. Championship leader Adderly Fong battled back from the disappointment of his unlucky start to finish in fourth place and remain at the top of the leaderboard.
Alex Au from Hong Kong won the amateur competition. His fellow countryman, singer and actor Aaron Kwok, once again showed his racing talent by leading the gentleman class until the very last lap, when a mistake saw him spin off. Kwok was second crossing the line, but was later handed a 30 second penalty for an incident earlier in the race in which his car had contact with the Audi R8 LMS of Naomi Zhang Ran. The penalty meant that Kwok officially finished the race in fourth position. Second place in the amateur competition went to Jacky Yeung, ahead of Ren Wei in third.
Round 8 of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS Cup will start Saturday, August 31, at 10am local time at Sepang International Circuit and – as with all races of the season – will be broadcast live on www.audir8lmscup.com. Starting positions for Round 8 on Saturday are determined by the second fastest time of each driver during qualifying, meaning Alex Yoong will be on pole again. Adderly Fong will start from second place, Cheng Congfu from third.
Alex Yoong:
"The start was interesting, Franky just suddenly appeared. I was really aggressive going into turn one. By turn two I was trying to keep people behind me but found myself dropping down to fifth. Marchy (Lee) was quick all race, which made catching him very hard but the challenging temperatures saw our tires degrade, his more than mine. I want to thank all my friends and family here in Malaysia for the fantastic support they showed - it encouraged me to keep pushing."
Marchy Lee:
"I decided at the start to push to the limit. I was looking for an opportunity and was aware of Franky (Cheng Congfu) pushing Alex (Yoong) wide and took my chance. As you could see, the tires went quickly because of the heat. Alex managed his better than I managed mine. Obviously this made navigating incredibly difficult. I am very happy for Alex to have taken the win in his home country."
'Franky' Cheng Congfu:
"The start was problematic as I was over aggressive but saw my opportunity and took it. I tried to defend the outside line from Alex. Marchy saw this and went inside. After this I tried to calm down and settle into the race but it has been tough so far for me in Sepang. It is good to see Alex win in his home country."
Audi R8 LMS Cup, Round 7, Sepang, Malaysia - Final Results
Audi R8 LMS Cup debuts at Sepang International Circuit
Four Audi entries in the 12-hour Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER)
Activities underline expanding Audi motorsport program in Asia
Beijing/Sepang, August 29, 2013 – The Audi R8 LMS Cup debuts in Malaysia with Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2013 season to be held at Sepang International Circuit on August 30 and 31 (Live broadcast on:www.audir8lmscup.com). Following the cup, four Audi customer racing entries will compete in the 12-hour Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER) on Sunday, September 1.
"Our expanding customer racing activities in Asia are diverse and interconnected at the same time. Three Audi entries in the 12-hour MMER come from the Audi R8 LMS Cup, one from an Audi supported team of the GT Asia series. I expect exciting but also challenging days of motorsport", says Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.
The MMER was held in Sepang for the first time in 2000 and has since become one of the leading endurance races in Asia. Eight of the Audi R8 LMS Cup drivers - including the Top 3 in the overall standings - will also get behind the wheel for the 12-hour race. All four Audi MMER entries (J-Fly Absolute Racing, Tiger Absolute Racing, plus two entries from Chinese team BRT) are supported by Audi Sport customer racing Asia and serviced by Absolute Racing.
The Audi R8 LMS cup races in Sepang will be the sprint series' first visit to South East Asia. Ahead of Round 7, Adderly Fong tops the leaderboard of the cup with 105 points. Fong comes to Malaysia straight from Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium where he competed in the GP3 Series. Behind him and second overall is his Hong Kong compatriot and last year's overall winner Marchy Lee (91 points). In third position and determined to give his fans at his home circuit something to cheer about is Malaysian racer Alex Yoong (89 points). The former Formula One driver lead the overall cup standings for the first four rounds, before a dismal qualifying session saw Yoong relinquish crucial points during the previous race weekend in Inje, South Korea.
The Audi R8 LMS Cup is the first brand cup in the history of Audi. After its successful maiden season in China in 2012, the sprint race series is expanding in Asia this year, with new stops in South Korea, Malaysia and Macau. Alongside the overall classification of the 2013 Audi R8 LMS Cup, there are categories for amateurs, teams and a special dealer trophy for Audi dealership teams. Coming to Sepang, Alex Au from Hong Kong is leading the amateur class.
The Sepang International Race Circuit in Malaysia is a F1 certified track and about 5.5 kilometers long. With 15 turns and 8 straights, the circuit is allowing for plenty of overtaking opportunities. It was officially opened in March 1999.
Entry List, Audi R8 LMS Cup 2013, Round 7, Sepang, Malaysia
Audi entries, Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race (MMER)
Car 777 (Audi R8 LMS Ultra – GT3) - J-Fly Absolute Racing Jeffrey LEE / Marchy LEE / Adderly FONG
Car 66 (Audi R8 LMS Cup car – GTC) - Tiger Absolute Racing Jacky YUENG / Alex YOONG / Ashraff DEWAL
Car 5 (Audi R8 LMS Cup car – GTC) BRT Team REN Wei / SUN Bo / YANG Xi / WU Zhou / HE Yi
Car 15 (Audi R8 LMS Cup car – GTC) BRT Team SUN Zheng / ZHANG Zhi Qiang / CHENG Cong Fu
By Johan Laubscher The Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race, Sepang 12 Hours, will be taking place at the end of August. It is an event which Audi teams have come very close to winning in the past. Audi entries took part and finished second in this event in 2010 and 2011, and now after a year’s absence, Audi cars will be returning to the MMER in 2013. Currently five Audi R8 LMS and ultra cars are on the provisional entry list. The Audi entries are regular teams which compete in Asia, all run and supported by Absolute Racing. Two Audi R8 LMS ultra cars from GT Asia will be entered in the GT class, running within the GT3 division. Three older Audi R8 LMS cars will also be running within GT, but within the GTC division. These three cars/teams are from the Audi R8 LMS Cup. So far only one driver per Audi has been nominated, but the full entry list is expected soon, as the race is less than a month away.
Audis on the provisional entry list:
GT3
J-Fly Racing (Absolute Racing) - Audi R8 LMS ultra - Jeffrey Lee
Tunewear Racing (Absolute Racing) - #888 Audi R8 LMS ultra - Francis Hideki Onda
GTC
Tiger Racing (Absolute Racing) - Audi R8 LMS - Jacky Yeung
Brothers Racing Team (Absolute Racing)
BRT1 - Audi R8 LMS - Ren Wei
BRT2 - Audi R8 LMS - Sun Zhen
Thus five Audis are on the provisional entry list, and only time will tell if more will join. At the beginning of 2013 there was mentioned that the red Melbourne Performance Centre R8 LMS ultra of Mark Eddy and Marc Cini might be considered for this event as well, but as of yet there has been no announcement. With two previous second place finishes, the top Audi teams in the race this year will be gunning for overall victory. The 2013 Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race will be taking place from 29-31 August.
Marchy Lee claims victory ahead of Adderly Fong and Cheng Congfu
Cup debut in Korea sees local hopeful Kyong-Ouk You finish fifth in round 6
Adderly Fong heads to next stop in Malaysia as overall leader
Inje, South Korea, August 4, 2013 – An eventful round 6 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup saw Marchy Lee claim victory ahead of overall championship leader Adderly Fong and Chinese sensation "Franky" Cheng Congfu.
The winner of Saturday's round 5, Earl Bamber had to retire on lap 13 with a fuel pressure problem whilst leading the race. Malaysian Alex Yoong started from the back of the grid after his dismal qualifying session and battled his way through the field to take fourth position.
"Inje was the first stop of the Audi R8 LMS Cup outside of China and we saw two exciting races on this new and challenging circuit. I am now looking forward to the second step of the Asian expansion of the series with two races at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia at the end of August", says Rene Koneberg, Head of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.
After taking the chequered flag in round 5, Earl Bamber headed into the second race of the weekend confident of another good result. When the lights turned green, the front three tussled for positions, with Adderly Fong having a look at the inside of the racing line of Marchy Lee for an overtaking opportunity. But going into turn one the leaders were as they were, with Earl Bamber controlling from the front. At the back of the field Alex Yoong made an excellent start and by the end of the first lap he had made up 10 positions to move into seventh, cutting through the field with aggressive driving on a challenging circuit.
At the front of the field, Earl Bamber began to stamp his authority on the race, gradually pulling away from the chasing pack. While putting pressure on Adderly Fong, Chinese star Cheng Congfu spun off the track on lap three and fell back to seventh.
The race took a dramatic twist on lap 13 when a fuel pressure problem ended the race for leader Earl Bamber. Marchy Lee took over the front with very consistent driving, followed closely by fellow Hong Kong driver Adderly Fong. Behind them, a close battle had evolved between Korean Kyong-Ouk You, Alex Yoong and Cheng Congfu, with Cheng eventually managing to pass both competitors.
More drama evolved towards the end of the race. With two laps to go, Fong spun while trying to push for victory. But he managed to come back onto the track and keep his second position. In the final lap, Marchy Lee got almost taken out by a backmarker. Last year's series champion had to use all his experience to negotiate the danger and ease his car home for first place in round 6, ahead of Fong and Cheng. Homegrown talent Kyong-Ouk You finished fifth behind Malaysia's Yoong in fourth.
Alex Au was again the highest place amateur racer, making it an excellent double win for the gentleman driver over the weekend. He was followed closely by Eric K and Aaron Kwok, who made up the final two positions in the amateur championship.
The events of the Inje race weekend meant that Adderly Fong now heads the leaderboard of the Audi R8 LMS Cup with 105 points. Marchy Lee's win puts him close behind on 91, with Alex Yoong just two points further back on 89. Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2013 series will be held at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia between August 28 and 31.
Marchy Lee:
"It feels really good to win the race. I feel for Earl (Bamber), he deserved to win and without his problem he probably would have done. He is a top young driver and a real emerging talent. I felt better today, the set-up was definitely better, and I felt I was closer to Earl Bamber in terms of race speed. It was tough with Adderly (Fong) pushing me but I held out for the win."
Adderly Fong:
"I struggled a little to find the pace to catch the front two but with four laps to go I felt I had a chance because Marchy (Lee) was hitting traffic. However, I pushed a little too hard which ended my chances of first place."
'Franky' Cheng Congfu:
"It was an eventful race for me. I was pushing really hard because I felt I had good race pace, however, I clipped the apex of a curb too hard and fell back. But I climbed up positions again. In the end, it is pretty satisfactory to take third place."
Eric K:
"I felt that for a while I was close to Alex Au but over the course of the race I lost performance in my tires and this led to a couple of mistakes. However, I am fairly happy with my race weekend and look forward to the next one."
Audi R8 LMS Cup – Round 6 Results
Overall Classification after Round 6
To see full race results and classifications please go to the official Audi R8 LMS Cup website at www.audir8lmscup.com Audi R8 LMS Cup Official Website: www.audir8lmscup.com
Audi R8 LMS Cup, 2013, Upcoming Races
28–31 August, Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia
25–27 October, Shanghai International Circuit, China
Bamber wins ahead of Adderly Fong, who takes overall championship lead
High hopes for Kyong-Ouk You and Cheng Congfu dashed by first corner incident
Alex Yoong spins in qualifying to put him out of Round 5
Inje, South Korea, 4 August - After securing pole position in qualifying, New Zealand driver Earl Bamber capped a dominate Saturday at the Inje race weekend by winning round 5 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup. Adderly Fong leapt to the top of the series standings after finishing in second place. Championship rival Marchy Lee took the final podium place at the first ever Audi R8 LMS Cup race in Korea and the first one race to take place outside of China.
"During qualifying and the first race, many drivers were still getting to grips with the demanding nature of this new circuit. The championship is intense and wide open", commented Rene Koneberg, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia.
The unknown Inje Speedium proved to be an excellent but challenging circuit. Alex Yoong, who came to South Korea as competition leader, spun out during qualifying and was not able to compete in the race as his car had to undergo repairs. Situated in the mountains of the Inje region in South Korea, the track is noticeable for a series of elevations including steep downturns that are reminiscent of some famous European circuits like Spa.
The race got off to a captivating start. While the front three cars pulled away an incident behind them forced four drivers out of the race on the very first corner. Determined to improve on the previous race weekend, Korean Kyong-Ouk You and Chinese start 'Franky' Cheng Congfu both spun and had contact with multiple cars. Their race came to a premature end along with Naomi Zhang Ran and Massimo Vignali. Walking back to the pits, local hopeful Kyong-Ouk You was visibly disappointed to retire so early in front of his Korean home crowd.
The leading cars of Earl Bamber, Adderly Fong and Marchy Lee were not affected by the incident. After the restart following a safety car period, Earl Bamber was able to pull away. Despite the challenge of the new circuit, Bamber gradually extended his lead and took the chequered flag with an impressive eight second advantage. Behind him Adderly Fong managed to hold of Marchy Lee in a close battle for second place and important championship points.
"It was unfortunate that our Team Audi Korea driver Kyong-Ouk You had to retire during the first lap. But this is racing. Tomorrow we will be back to compete. Our participation in the Audi R8 LMS Cup underlines the sportiness of the Audi brand and is an important part of our strategy to further develop motorsport in South Korea", says Johannes Thammer, CEO of Audi Korea.
Overall amateur competition leader Alex Au further extended his lead with yet another class victory. Au had to use all his skills to dodge the first lap incident, which happened right in front of him. He held on to his win although he was pushed all the way by Erik K who finished second in the amateur class ahead of Jacky Yeung.
Sunday (August 4th) will see Round 6 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup in Inje. After not racing on Saturday, Malaysian Alex Yoong will be behind the wheel again on Sunday, fighting to get his overall lead back. Together with Marchy Lee and Adderly Fong, he will try to find the pace to catch Earl Bamber.
Starting position for the second race at the Audi R8 LMS cup are determined by the second fastest time of every driver during qualifying.
Earl Bamber:
"It was a fantastic race. The R8 has performed great all weekend, and I loved every minute of the race. It was very technical and challenging, with all the elevations of the track and the tough international driver talent involved. I can't wait to get back into the car tomorrow and push for a podium place again."
Alex Yoong:
"The series has been great so far. I am of course disappointed with what happened in qualifying and it will be hard to maintain my lead after this weekend. Maybe I was pushing too hard and the tires were not warm, the rears went on the hairpin.
Adderly Fong:
"My focus was on driving consistently. But of course I also wanted to push to take advantage of Alex (Yoong) not being able to race. It is great to lead the competition now. But tomorrow is another day and another race."
Marchy Lee:
"The track here at Inje is really nice and the standard is very high. Well done to Audi for making this happen. I tried for most of the race to pass Adderly, it was hard because he was faster in sector one and I was faster in sector two and three. It is important to challenge Earl (Bamber) tomorrow. I feel like I have the pace to do so."
Alex Au:
"I was just trying to survive the war in front of me, there was debris everywhere. I possibly struck one of the cars a little that was involved in the mix-up before me, which I was not too sure how this would affect my car. Eric Kwon was pushing hard throughout the race, so I was trying to make sure I could hold him off."
