PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 19th October 2008
SASAKI TRIUMPHS IN ASTON MARTIN ASIA CUP SHANGHAI SPRINT
Team Reckless driver Kota Sasaki has placed himself in an enviable Championship position after taking victory in Round 8 of the Aston Martin Asia Cup, which raced in support of the 2008 Formula One Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix.
Sasaki was in pole position for the 10 lap race followed on the grid by Danny Watts (Great Britain), Ringo Chong (Singapore) and his Championship title rival Dilantha Malagamuwa (Sri Lanka) respectively. With Sasaki and Malagamuwa coming to Shanghai in joint lead of the Championship, today's race was an all important stepping stone to the final double header event due in November.
Everyone made a good, clean start with Sasaki able to hold on to the lead from a storming Danny Watts in the GR Asia/Noble Group car. As they battled for the lead Chong and Malagamuwa were having their own fight for third place. On the second lap Malagamuwa's race came to a bitter end when he found the gravel whilst making a move on Chong. With his car brushing the barrier it was the end of his day's campaign.
Further down the pack there were epic scraps between Mel Choo (Singapore) and Tunku Hammam (Malaysia) and whilst the two swapped places it was to be Choo who made the final move stick. George Ong (Singapore) and Philip Ma (Hong Kong) were also locked in a nose to tail battle. Philip Ma was to take the honour of being top HongKonger home in eighth place whilst coming home in sixth Taipei's Kuo-Tong Hsieh was the top Chinese regional finisher.
There were impressive debuts from newcomers including Jean-Marc Merlin of France who put in a solid performance for seventh.
But at the chequered flag the loudest cheers were for Sasaki taking his third win in a row and fifth win of the season, pushed all the way in Shanghai by Danny Watts. With his Championship rival leaving Shanghai with no points, Sasaki opens up a confident 16 point lead at the top of the Championship table.
Amongst the many onlookers, the Aston Martin Asia Cup was pleased to welcome as their guest Robin Brundle, Managing Director of Aston Martin Racing.
"It has been a superb weekend of racing" said AMAC Series Director Ian Geekie afterwards. "There were fantastic battles throughout the field and Kota drove a storming race under great pressure from Danny to take his hat-trick run of victories. I am certain though Dilantha will be back fighting harder than ever in the final rounds for the title, an amazing showdown is on the cards!
"It has been a great pleasure to welcome Robin [Brundle] to this event to see first hand the great strides we are making in this the world's first ever one-make Aston Martin series. The cars have certainly captured the imagination of the drivers and spectators alike".
For those looking to take Aston Martin Asia Cup inspiration to the road, Aston Martin China has two state of the art showrooms in Shanghai and Beijing.
Aston Martin Asia Cup - Round 8 Result
Shanghai, China
| Position | Number | Driver | Nat | Entrant | Laps | Time |
| 1 | 30 | Kota Sasaki | JAP | Team Reckless | 10 | 23:12.479 |
| 2 | 60 | Danny Watts | GBR | GR Asia | 10 | 23:12.933 |
| 3 | 98 | Ringo Chong | SIN | Ringo Chong | 10 | 23:28.390 |
| 4 | 69 | Mel Choo | SIN | Mel Choo | 10 | 23:40.186 |
| 5 | 51 | Tunku Hammam | MAS | Tunku Hammam | 10 | 23:41.043 |
| 6 | 44 | Kuo Tong Hsieh | TPE | Kuo Tong Hsieh | 10 | 23:55.669 |
| 7 | 64 | Jean-Marc Merlin | FRA | Jean-Marc Merlin | 10 | 23:59.539 |
| 8 | 88 | Philip Ma | HKG | Team HongKong Racing | 10 | 24:08.009 |
| 9 | 36 | Geore Ong | SIN | George Ong | 10 | 24:11.954 |
| 10 | 28 | Eric Cheung | CAN | Eric Cheung | 10 | 24:22.163 |
| 11 | 23 | Simon Waters | AUS | Concord Energy Racing | 10 | 24:31.798 |
| 12 | 32 | David Lai | SIN | David Lai | 10 | 24:49.452 |
| 13 | 33 | Nasrat Muzayyin | USA | Concord Energy Racing | 10 | 24:55.683 |
| 14 | 9 | Andrew Luk | HKG | Andrew Luk | 10 | 25:09.804 |
Not classified:
| Position | Number | Driver | Nat | Entrant | Laps | Time |
| DNF | 6 | Dilantha Malagamuwa | SRI | Speed Sri Lanka | 1 | 2:25.301 |
| DNS | 7 | Frank Yu | HKG | Team HongKong Racing | 0 | - |
Fastest Lap: No 60 Danny Watts GR Asia 2:18.451 on lap 4 (141.736kph)
~END~
click for high res photos, free for editorial use only
Notes to Editors:
For further information please contact
Series Director: Ian Ross Geekie
Tel: +6012-3812078
Email: IanGeekie@astonmartinasiacup.com.
Issued on behalf of the Aston Martin Asia Cup by
Rebecca Hobbs
Tel: +441332 850091
Mob: +447742 431479
Email: rebecca@rh-pr.co.uk
Series Partners.
Aston Martin Asia Cup Series Partner is one of the most recognised names in international motorsport, Michelin. All drivers will have the advantage of racing on cutting-edge tyres supplied by series partner Michelin. The consistent performance and leading technology of Michelin tyres constantly improve the performance of many teams in international motorsport, and the Aston Martin Asia Cup will benefit greatly from the company’s vast expertise and impressive motorsport pedigree. The series also welcomes other valuable partners. Dura, creators of exceptional modular cabinets and accessories for professional workshops and residential garages. Powerbuilt professional hand tools, and Racing Logistics International also join AMAC as partners. The partnerships with these leading companies reflects the professional and innovative approach of the Aston Martin brand.
