Formula BMW Junior Moss takes emphatic win
23/3/2008

Formula BMW Junior Simon Moss (16/RSA/Mahara) took an emphatic win today in Round 2 of Formula BMW Pacific at the Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix. Moss crossed the line ahead of winner of Round 1, Ross Jamison (HKG/18/Meritus) with a margin of just under a second. Team E-Rain’s Sean McDonagh (18/KOR) took the remaining podium spot, despite having struggled throughout the race with a broken steering arm after he went in to Moss on the opening lap.

Pole-sitter Moss now leads the Driver and Rookie Cup classifications, with a one point lead from Jamison on the overall classification. McDonagh’s performance this weekend puts him third, with Aditya Patel (19/IND/Eurasia Motorsport) second in the Rookie Cup standings, 4th overall.

Malaysian Melvin Moh (19/Team Holzer PFX) was back on form finishing 4th, followed by fellow countryman Arvin Roslan (18/Meritus), who was second Rookie finisher. BMW Junior Marlon Stöckinger (16/PHI/Eurasia Motorsport) took 3rd in the Rookie Cup.

Colombian youngster Gabriel Chaves (Atlantic Racing Team) showed both skill and maturity to take 6th from 9th on the grid, grabbing back a place from Imran Shaharom (19/MAS/Team Holzer PFX) late on in the race. Yesterday’s 3rd place winner, Patel retired with a technical problems, while lady driver Tasmin Pepper (17/RSA/Meritus) also retired following an off.

Under clear skies, a dramatic change from yesterday’s waterlogged outing, the start of the 9-lap race saw Japan’s Ryuichi Nara (19/Team E-Rain) get away prematurely, and he was handed a jump start penalty. He eventually finished 11th, but he was so desperate to make amends for his error in judgement, that he set the fastest lap of the race.

The opening lap saw the coming together between McDonagh and Moss coming out of turn two, an incident the former took full responsibility for. That put McDonagh down to 4th, behind Jamison and, once Nara was given his penalty, Moss took the lead.

The battle between Moss and Jamison continued at the front of the pack, with the South African desperate to put some space between him and the more experienced Hong Kong racer. Said Moss, whose car was sporting the Springbok South African rugby team mascot on the grid: “My start was not the greatest, and I was down to 3rd, and I got a nudge out of turn two. Later on I felt much better once I had pulled a gap from Ross, and on the last lap I took it easy.”

McDonagh was frustrated not to have been able to challenge for the win, but admitted the damage to his car was his fault: “It was tough, but I made sure I stayed with the leaders. The right handers were perfect, but the left handers were a bit of a handful,” he joked.

Prepared by Formula BMW Pacific