Malagamuwa keeps lead in Aston Martin series

Sri Lankan racing champion Dilantha Malagamuwa had a most unfortunate weekend of racing at the Sepang Formula One track here in Malaysia but defied odds and bad luck to defend his lead at the top of the Aston Martin Cup Asia series points table with a second place in the second race yesterday.

Malagamuwa finished 10th out of 11 competitors in the first race of the day, despite driving magnificently and leading the others till the 16th lap of the 20 lap race, when a tyre puncture put him out of contention.

Japanese driver Kota Sasaki who is Malagamuwa's main threat in this inaugural Aston Martin Cup series clinched the second race but also had the same misfortune as Malagamuwa and was relegated to the last place in the first race.

The morning race was the more exciting of the two as pole position holder Sasaki stormed off to the lead but Malagamuwa determinedly held on to his tail.

In the 10th lap of the race, Malagamuwa who was lying second behind Sasaki pulled off the manoeuvre of the day when he brilliantly overtook Sasaki on the inside in the fourth turn of the famous 2.706 kilometre track.

The stunning move earned him the lead, but Sasaki hung on till the 16th lap when Malagamuwa had to pull up due to a punctured left front tyre allowing Sasaki to pass him.

By that time, Malagamuwa and Sasaki who were fighting it out neck to neck were more than 13 seconds ahead of the rest of the drivers to underline the superiority of the two.

Sasaki seemed to be headed for an easy victory and taking the lead of the series for the first time, when tragedy struck him in the very next lap. A tyre puncture forced Sasaki too out of contention and the rest of the competitors who were far behind him, surged past him.

Malagamuwa finally put the car back on track and finished the remaining four laps to finish 10th while Sasaki had to settle for last place after resuming, thus allowing Sri Lankan to gain a crucial single point over him in the title chase.

Mel Choo won the race ahead of Tunku Hammam and Stewart Seatter.

The second Aston Martin race began in pouring rain, and Malagamuwa had the misfortune of being blocked by a spinning Mel Choo in the third corner itself while several others sneaked ahead of Malagamuwa.

Malagamuwa recovered but Sasaki was enjoying a lead of more than 14 seconds by that time, and Malagamuwa had no realistic chance of catching the leader and finished second behind Sasaki while Tong was third.

With another four rounds to go in the championships, Malagamuwa is determined to win the series. "As you saw today, bad luck cost me both races. It was the tyre puncture in the first race and a most frustrating blocking in the second. But I know those things are beyond my control and I will keep my head up" said Malagamuwa after the races.

In the two races of the Malaysian Super Car series yesterday, two-times defending champion Malagamuwa finished fourth and third and slipped to the third position in the overall points table with just two more rounds to go.

Malagamuwa now has 105 points while the leader Wira Dani Daim of Malaysia has a rich haul of 127 points. Singapore's Mok Weng Sun sneaked ahead of Malagamuwa yesterday and has a total of 107 points now.

In the first Super Car race, Malagamuwa's Porsche failed to start and when he finally got off the grid all the others were away. From the 13th position in the third lap, Malagamuwa climbed back to contention in amazing exhibition of his abundant skills and finally managed to finish fourth.

Malagamuwa had the chance to finish second in the second Super Car race of the day, but Sun sneaked ahead of him on the outside as he was blocked by Tunku Hammam, who tried to overtake Malagamuwa in the 15th and final lap. Finally Malagamuwa had to settle for third place.

Results:

Aston Martin Cup Asia (Race 1): 1. Mel Choo 24:01.790, 2. Tunku Hammam 24:10.926, 3. Stewart Seatter 24:14.777, 4. Kuo Tong 24:21.389, 5. Teo Bee 24:33.150

Aston Martin Cup Asia (Race 2): 1. Kota Sasaki 26:57.712, 2. Dilantha Malagamuwa 27:13.388, 3. Kuo Tong 27:33.289, 4. Teo Bee 27:42.801, 5. Mel Choo 27:44.437

Malaysian Super Cars (Race 1): 1. Tunku Hammam 19:38.352, 2. Mok Weng Sun 19:54.876, 3. Wira Dani Daim 20:08.621, 4. Dilantha Malagamuwa 20:29.234, 5. Wong Yew 20:35.724