It was a weekend to celebrate for the PETRONAS Syntium Team at the season finale round of the 2009 Super Taikyu Endurance Series last Saturday. Securing a double win at the weekend's two races on the Oval Super Speedway at Japan's Twin Ring Motegi race course, the trio of Masataka Yanagida, Nobuteru Taniguchi and Malaysian Fariqe Hairuman in the No. 1 BMW Z4M Coupe collected the maximum 25 points to bring their points total to 128 points, which was enough to crown the trio the 2009 Super Taikyu Endurance Series champions.

 

The result made it a back-to-back championship win for the PETRONAS Syntium Team, following the team's title win in 2008. This year the team was able to record another milestone for one of its drivers in the No. 1 BMW Z4M Coupe with Malaysian Fariqe Hairuman becoming the first Malaysian to win a major endurance series in Japan. In 2008, the PETRONAS Syntium Team was the first Malaysian team to win a major endurance series.

Meanwhile, coming into the round in third position overall in the championship, the team's No. 28 BMW Z4M Coupe driven by Tatsuya Kataoka, Hiroki Yoshida and young Malaysian rookie Johan Adzmi finished in second place in both races. Despite the result, the trio were not able to collect the points necessary to close the gap to the Tetsuya Team for second place in the championship and settled to close the championship out in third place.

 

The double win and double podium finish for the PETRONAS Syntium Team's two BMW Z4M Coupe at the season finale in Motegi has rounded off the 2009 season that has seen the team collect a total of 6 race wins, 7 other podium finishes, 7 pole positions and 7 fastest laps.

David Wong, Team Principal says of his team, "It has been an extremely competitive season for us this year! The championship fight was much more difficult especially with a much more competition from the other teams, particularly the Nissans.

 

"We came into the season with really ambitious goals and all the hard work and dedication of every single member of the team, the encouragement and support from our partners, PETRONAS and ADVAN Yokohama, we were able to achieve the goal of defending the championship, this year through our No. 1 BMW Z4M Coupe. We are also incredibly proud of having achieved another milestone this year. With the No. 1 BMW Z4M Coupe winning the championship, this also means that Fariqe Hairuman has also become the first Malaysian to win a major endurance series! To have achieved it here in Japan where the quality of competition ranks as amongst the best is a great achievement for him!"

 

"Although we were not able to record the 1-2 championship finish with the No. 28 BMW Z4M Coupe, I am proud of what the two youngsters - Hiroki Yoshida and Johan Adzmi have been able to achieve this season alongside Tatsuya Kataoka. They have done a great job to have been able to compete alongside their seniors and against some of Japan's best."

 

Hairuman, the 2007 Asian Touring Car Series Champion, says, "I am so incredibly happy and extremely grateful with both the outcome of this weekend but also that my teammates and I have managed to come away with the championship this season! I have to thank so many people who have made this happen for us, in particular to David Wong for the opportunities he has given me, the team management, the engineers and mechanics who have put so much effort into preparing the best car for us, my family for the continued support, our partners PETRONAS and Yokohama for the encouragement and all the fans for their support!

 

"I also have to thank my teammates Masataka Yanagida and Nobuteru Taniguchi who have been instrumental in making this possible. They have been really great in helping me to improve my driving style, adjust to the competitive style here in Japan and for their coaching and guidance.

 
"This season is definitely the most memorable for me and I am so happy that we managed to come away with the title, especially after three years trying. We came so close last year and I am so happy that we managed to do it this year!” he concluded.

 

For Adzmi, a former Formula BMW Asia driver, "This has been such an incredible season for me, especially as this is very first full season competing in the series. It has been an amazing journey, working and learning with some of the best race car drivers around. I am thankful to David Wong and the team management, the team partners, engineers and mechanics for having the belief in me and support. To my 'seniors' on the team - Kataoka, Yanagida, Taniguchi, Fariqe for their encouragement and continuous advise. I have learned so much from everyone and want to say thank you!".

 

 

Prepared by PETRONAS Syntium Team for www.petmos.com.my