Local racers promise best in Formula Asia

Local racers promise best in Formula Asia

JAKARTA (JP): Young Indonesian racers Roy Haryanto and Ananda Mikola promised to perform their best in the Formula Asia championship races at the Sentul Circuit, Citereup, West Java, tomorrow.

Roy, driving under the Humpuss banner, said that he still has a chance to win the championship even though he is now in third place. The 19-year-old Indonesian has 103 points after the 10th series in Shah Alam, Malaysia in September.

British Brian Saunders of Sonenscher team is in the lead with 125 points after triumphing in Malaysia. Swede driver Niclas Jonsson of Sheel-Lux team is second with 111.

With four races remaining in the Formula Asia championship, the top three drivers look to have the biggest chance to win the season. All four races will be held in Sentul, after China's Zhuhai failed to confirm its readiness for the 11th and 12th races.

Fifth ranked Ananda, who is also with the Humpuss team, was pessimistic about his chances of winning the championship.

"My target is to finish among the best three. It's impossible for me to win because of the big margin between my points and those of the top three," he said.

The Humpuss team will also field local young hopefuls Harrydarma Manoppo, 15, and Bagoes Hermanto, 15, in tomorrow's races.

Humpuss team manager, Tinton Suprapto, said he picked young racers in a bid to nurture their outstanding driving skills. Tinton said the two teenagers are candidates for top national drivers.

Meanwhile, David Sonenscher, team manager of Sonenscher, said that his team will recruit younger racers to replace Saunders and Alex Yoong, who will compete in the Formula Three next season.

The racers, he said, will be picked from Europe and Asia, including Indonesia.

Sonenscher said that his team wants Firhand Ali, one of Indonesia's talented go-cart racers who has shown great talent and won many trophies in national and international championships. (05)