All-Malaysian team for WEC and Le Mans 24 Hrs

KUALA LUMPUR: The Sepang International Circuit (SIC) ushered in 2018 with Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah racing in the MotoGP World Championship.
Its Chief Executive Officer Datuk Razlan Razali said this is a huge step for Hafizh and the SIC to reach the international level under its SIC Motorsports Talent Development initiative.
The initiative covers the development of talents in two-wheel and four-wheel racing with the main aim to reach the world championships.
Razlan, in a press conference here yesterday, also announced the all-Malaysian team for the four-wheel segment. Jazeman Jaafar, Weiron Tan, Afiq Ikhwan Yazid and Nabil Jeffri will drive in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the Le Mans 24 Hrs in June.
"We are excited to announce the line-up for SIC Motorsports Talent Development as we take on the challenge in the new year to a higher level. We have seen that having a talent racing in the world championship is no longer a far-fetched dream, as proven by Hafizh who now races with Monster Yamaha Tech3 in the MotoGP. This is also proven by the impressive feat of Jazeman, Afiq, Weiron and Nabil in claiming a win and podium in the Asian Le Mans Series earlier this year.
"From the beginning, our dream was to create a pathway for local motorsports talents to reach the pinnacle of racing.
"We have always believed that our talents have the quality to reach the pinnacle, but they have arduous obstacles in front of them. This is where we come in to contribute," said Razlan.
Present also was TCR Asia Shootout winner Mitchell Cheah, who had made a special appearance despite having undergone an appendectomy operation at ParkCity Medical Centre.
He will be ready to race in the first TCR Asia 2018 on March 31during the Malaysia Championship series.
Earlier, Jazeman expressed being proud to be part of a homegrown Malaysian team.
"We have signed a deal with the Jackie Chan DC Racing X Jota team. We'll be the first all-Malaysian line up to join the WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hrs.
"Our main target is to finish on a high note. This is the ultimate goal for me, as for my career point of view, it's a big step forward. I'm so proud not only for myself but also for my teammates," he said.
Meanwhile, Hafizh Syahrin described his personal experience during the MotoGP in Qatar.
"At the start of the race I felt slightly nervous, but once the red light disappeared, I felt the urge to win.
"I scored two points for Malaysia. I will do my best. I don't want to place high expectations as this is my first year. It's important to keep calm and relax. I will continue to work hard," he said.
From the Impian ke MotoGP programme, Muhammad Idil and Muhammad Izam, will compete in the Spanish CEV Championship which starts in Estoril, Portugal on March 24.
The duo, who are 15 years old, said they are targeting to be in the top 15.