This is, as usual, a very much belated post....

08-10 June 2007 - Racing at Sepang

Day 1

My friend Alex (aka spiderman) and his friend Hamka rented a van in Malaysia to ferry their bikes to Sepang circuit for the Malaysian Super series, where they will take part in the Aprilia Cup. There's one problem though: none of them has a class 3 licence!

Hence snowparang, with quite a bit of free time in his hand due to school holidays, helped out and became the driver! Free of charge!

It was quite a eventful trip indeed. Firstly, there're only 2 seats in the van but there are 3 of us, with the back of the van loaded with 2 bikes and equipment. We dismantled the central console/coinholder/drink holder plastic thingy and convert it into a middle seat.

The lan jiao van. We also got to see 2 rare Ducati 1098s and an RSV-R at PG.

We set off ard 10 am and the trip to Sepang was uneventful, And slow, cos the van has a top speed of 90km/h. We reached the hotel and track ard 3:30 where the racers get ready for track day while I busy myself with a videocam and camera.

This track day was an opportunity for racers to get used to half of Sepang's GP standard track, since tomorrow would be the race day. However, you still get to see an assortment of bikes on the track, from first timers to enthusiast to sponsored semi-pros. And yes, most interesting are the 125cc RXZs, Kups and KRRs!

Day 2

Got up early for breakfast and off to the race track. This is the day for registration, inspection of bike and qualifying.

 
Alex, getting his bike weighed; some tools and spares that the sponsored competitors brought.

It's during the qualifying that things get quite lively. There were some crashes, one involving a Singaporean rider whom has to retire with a fractured collarbone. Then Alex seized his piston on the last lap of qualifying, due to some coolant seeping into the combustion chamber. What's worst, is that he did not bring any spare pistons...

However, he is determined to race. Alex managed to get his friend to collect the spare pistons from his place and deliver it to Malaysia. But however kind hearted and helpful his friend was, nobody will travel freaking 800km to and fro just to deliver 5 pistons. Hence someone needs to meet him at Machap, the 2nd nearest petrol stop from Singapore. Someone whom do not need to race tomorrow, and has a transport to go there. Yes, that idiot was me.

So the incredibly helpful and self-sacrificing snowparang drove off alone at 11pm, in that snail of a van, forsaking his sleep, travelling 600km just to collect 5 pistons. As if that's not interesting enough, about 50km from Sepang, the van suddenly lost power and a very loud popping sound was heard. It sounded as though the exhaust has came off! However the resilent snowparang pressed on and managed to arrive (very noisily) back at the hotel, with 5 pistons and a coughing van. We later found out that the exhaust did not drop off but instead, a spark plug had flew off from the van's engine. Talk about bad luck!

Alex was of course very grateful when I pass him the pistons at 5 am. He immediately get to work on his bike while I try to get as much sleep as possible.

 
From sponsored racers to self-funded "privateers".

 
The 2 strokers at Sepang.

 
Some has babes to clean their bikes; we have fat man in skin tight clothing.

Day 3

Race day. I've drove the van to a nearby shop to get the spark plug fixed while the boys get ready for the race. Alex manage to complete the race, finishing 9. Hamka was off form and did not fully grasp the track, managing only a lowly 11th. Their race was over, but for the driver i.e. me, I have to ferry them all the way back while they snooze on the van. Still, it was fun for me, and hopefully the next time I'm in Sepang, I'll be racing, not a bloody chauffuer!

 
Alex and Hamka, at the starting line.

The 2 racers, and driver cum pit crew cum delivery boy cum cameraman.

Check out this video I've compiled on the action there!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJJBFbvrEz4