JAZEMAN FINISHES THIRD IN ASIAN LE MANS SERIES DEBUT
Malaysian finishes third in Asian Le Mans Series debut
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s Jazeman Jaafar put in a stunning performance on his Asian Le Mans Series race debut to finish third in Fuji, Japan.
Jazeman was called up at the last minute to drive with American David Cheng in the Jackie Chan DC Racing X Jota team for the Fuji 4-Hour Race.
It was the 25-year-old’s first time behind the wheel of a Nissan Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) race car and his first experience of the Fuji circuit.
With only the practice sessions to learn about the circuit and familiarise himself with the car, Jazeman proved his talent and professionalism with a superb drive to finish third fastest in qualifying on Monday.
The four-hour race started with David piloting the car and began jostling for position with the front runners right from the green flag.
With furious racing throughout the field, David dropped a couple of spots at the first hour mark.
He then handed the car over to Jazeman and the Malaysian put in a string of fast laps, with new tyres, to climb back up the order to pit in third place for the final driver change,
Jazeman was pleased to settle in quickly with the Jackie Chan-owned racing outfit.
“I had a great weekend with David Cheng and the Jackie Chan DC Racing team. The whole team was very welcoming and made it very easy for me to quickly get comfortable with the car. I really enjoyed sharing the car with David and helping to get a podium.
“It felt so good to be racing again. It’s such a great feeling to be on the track and particularly in the LMP2 car, which was awesome.
“The plan now is to continue with the Jackie Chan DC Racing team for the remainder of the championship. I’m already looking forward to the next round in Thailand early next year,” said Jazeman.
The Asian Le Mans Series is the main endurance racing series for prototypes and GT classes in Asia. The series offers the region the only direct pathway into the World Championships for both Prototype and GT race cars as well as the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The third round will be held in Buriram, Thailand, (Jan 11-13) before the season finale at Sepang (Feb 2-4).