Formula BMW

AP: Meritus Racing final race preview

The championship may be over, but the most exciting races are yet to come. AFOS Formula BMW Asia champion Tung Ho-Pin was finally de-throned from pole position after a perfect record. A mechanical failure was the cause in the first session, but the ...

Edited: Dec 16, 2005, 10:58 PM

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The championship may be over, but the most exciting races are yet to come. AFOS Formula BMW Asia champion Tung Ho-Pin was finally de-throned from pole position after a perfect record. A mechanical failure was the cause in the first session, but the second session was purely down to 0.05 seconds difference between the top 3 drivers, all from Team Meritus.

This will mean Tung starts from the back in the morning race, and he is determined to fight his way back up to his customary place at the front. The afternoon race will see 3 drivers squeezing into the tight first turn, followed by 20 laps of close racing.

"I was unlucky with the gear-box cable this morning, but I proved in the second session that I'm on the pace," said Tung after qualifying. "We found out quite late that new tyres are actually slower on this track than scrubbed tyres. It's just a weird combination of the rubber with the track. So my balance has been a bit off today," Tung added.

Tung's new team mate Marchy Lee of Hong Kong has been improving all week, as he gets to grips with the car. He took pole in the first session then second by just 0.004 seconds in the second session.

"I'm very happy with both my sessions today, but I think I still have something in reserve. The BMW single seater is a special car, and I think the more experience you have in it the faster you can go. I go faster each time I drive it, so I'm confident about the race tomorrow," said Lee.

AFOS Formula BMW Asia Championship runner-up Hanss Lin Po-Heng of Chinese Taipei is also determined to finish the season on a high. He was second in session 1, and was fastest in session 2, becoming the first BMW Scholarship driver to take pole position.

"I was fast this morning, but just missed Pole. I made sure I did my best in the second session, and it worked. I am the only driver to take pole from Ho-Pin (Tung) in a straight fight this year, so I am very satisfied," said Lin. He was also under a some pressure to perform, as some potential sponsors were watching him closely. "I was really focussed on pushing hard but keeping it clean. I hope my sponsors were happy with what they saw, because I know I can still improve. I can't wait for the race tomorrow, it is going to be really exciting," Lin concluded.

The success of Team Meritus would not be possible without the kind support of our sponsors Red Golden Dragon, Oris watches, Pacific Regency Hotel Apartments, Pan Global Insurance, Holiday Inn Lido Place, Honeywell and Taiwan - Touch Your Heart.

-mr-

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