Enduring trio

Jazeman and Co believe they will give a good fight at WEC

PETALING

JAYA: Jazeman Jaafar (pic) dares to dream big at the World Endurance Championship (WEC) which kicks off with the 6 Hours of SpaFrancorchamps in Belgium on May 5.

The 25yearold believes he and compatriots Weiron Tan, Afiq Ikhwan Yazid and Nabil Jeffri will be no pushovers against their more illustrious rivals despite being the newcomers in the annual series that includes two prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours races in its eightleg calendar.

The Sepang International Circuitbacked quartet aim to shine for their team – Jackie Chan DC Racing – by securing as many podium finishes as possible in each leg.

Jazeman and Co certainly have a point to prove as they are driving for the team that came in second best overall in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP 2) category of last season’s WEC.

“We’re really proud to have come this far, being the first allMalaysian lineup to compete in the WEC full season and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the biggest endurance race in the world,” said Jazeman.

“I believe this is an ultimate goal for all of us, it’s a huge step forward.

“We obviously want to do well in our first season. I’m optimistic about our chances, finishing top three is achievable.

“We know what we’re capable of as we’re driving for the UKbased Jackie Chan DC Racing, who are of the strongest teams on the grid.

“We’ve got a winning combination here.”

The four Malaysians will be looking to build on their impressive outings in last season’s Asian Le Mans series.

Jackie Chan DC Racing’s Jazeman, Weiron and Afiq were triumphant in the third leg in Buriram, Thailand, while Nabil helped team Eurasia Motorsports finish third in the fourth and seasonending race in Sepang.

Nabil had joined the trio last month.

The other seven legs for the 201819 WEC are Le Mans 24 Hours (June 1617), 6 Hours of Silverstone in England (Aug 19), 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan (Oct 14), 6 Hours of Shanghai in China (Nov 18), 1,500miles of Sebring in the United States (March 16, 2019) before returning to Spa Francorchamps (May 4, 2019) and culminating at Le Mans (June 1516, 2019).