MEI And ISUZU D-MAX Take Round Two

24th June 2008

Temerloh, Pahang. Sunday. Seasoned race and rally driver William Mei showed that his experience and the performance of the 3-litre Isuzu D-Max Super Commonrail were the combination to beat when he swept aside the competition in Round 2 of the AAM Malaysian 4x4 Rally Championship that ended here today.

Driving a brand new Isuzu D-Max supported by Isuzu Malaysia, Mei showed that he had lost none of his fire despite racing in his fifth decade as he ran almost faultlessly through the event’s three long stages to record his first win of the year and with it, closed the gap to championship leader to just four points with two rounds remaining in the season.

Starting fourth on the road, the race started off well enough for Mei as he won the opening day’s 50km Kerdau Estate stage with a healthy 1:55 lead over defending champion Ho Foo Ming who was the series favourite. Ho’s Mitsubishi appeared to have no answer to the power and handling of the D-Max and he found himself locked in a tight battle with Wong Sing Cheong in a similar Mitsubishi Storm.

“It was very rough in the stage with huge holes but we managed to keep our heads and maintain a good pace,” said Mei who had to nurse a sore bottom after he emerged from the stage.

“I am absolutely amazed and totally impressed with the way the D-Max handled the rough terrain. Both of us are sore from the bumping we went through and a couple times, I thought that it would be the end of the road for us. Any other vehicle would have retired on the spot but the way the D-Max came through without even bending the steering is beyond belief,” said co-driver Jagdev Singh who regularly co-drives former world champion Karamjit Singh.

After needing no more than precautionary checks and a change of brake shoes by the service crew, William was given the honour of leading the field through SS2 the next day. However, Mei nearly scuttled his lead when he encountered ankle-deep mud from overnight rain for 10km in the 60km stage.

“I had never seen so much of it in all my years of racing. I had no idea how to drive through the mud and I probably took it too easy,” admitted Mei. His competitors, who were more accustomed to these conditions during their regular off-road expeditions, were revelling in the conditions. Ho closed right in on Mei on the forest tracks of Hutan Kemasul and threatened to pass him in the mud.

But once out of the quagmire, Mei could use the superior performance of the D-Max to good use and powered to finish the stage and reduced the damage by hanging on to a 30-second lead.

On the final 28km stage back in the oil palm estates, Mei once again stamped his authority on the competition and drove in flamboyant fashion to win the rally by over two minutes.

“The race was fantastic, the car was fantastic. I couldn’t have asked for a better package. I am really impressed with the D-Max. The power, handling and durability through some of the roughest conditions I have raced in proved that the Isuzu D-Max Super Commonrail is really a superior machine,” said a jubilant Mei.

According to Isuzu Malaysia’s Assistant Manager, Product Planning Wan Zaqi Zacary, Isuzu’s win was a pleasant surprise because the car was actually a production machine racing against some very highly-tuned rally-prepared vehicles running in the modified category.

“The D-Max was essentially a production-class vehicle but because we took some additional precautions by fitting an intercooler water spray, we decided it was best to switch the entry to the T1 class. The fact that the D-Max performed flawlessly and showed tremendous pace throughout the race is really testimony of Isuzu’s cutting-edge technology and superior engineering,” he said.

The next round of the AAM Malaysian 4x4 Rally Championship will be run in Kluang, Johor in July and competitors are spectators alike are acknowledging that the Isuzu D-Max will be the car to beat.