Honda Malaysia Racing Team in the Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race 2008
Click for hi-res photo
Honda Malaysia has been participating in the Merdeka Millennium Endurance (MME) race since the year 2002 and held the Overall Title for 5 consecutive years. The MME is a 12-hour endurance race and will happen on the Saturday of the 30th of August 2008, 1130am to 1130pm at the Sepang International Circuit.
This year’s Honda Malaysia Racing Team consists of 34 team members (up 4 from last year’s 30), with 5 carried over from last year’s team. The rest - all 29 members - are new to HMRT this year.
VIDEO: HMRT MME 2008 and MME Civic Type R
[ Source: Honda Malaysia's HMRT microsite ]
HMRT veteran Irwan Abdul Hamid is a technician in Honda Malaysia’s Manufacturing Division. As part of last year’s HMRT team he was sent to Japan for training in the field of chassis works. Veterans such as Irwan will be essential to guide this year’s HMRT newbies as the team will receive minimum supervision from outsiders such as Mugen.
HMRT newbie Mohd Faizul Mohd Ghazali comes from the CV Joints division (which Honda makes in Malaysia for local usage and export) and has applied to join the HMRT team three times in the past. He is very excited to be able to finally join the team this year.
The MME-prepared Civic Type R will be used this year. It’s 2.0 liter high revving i-VTEC engine with a 12.5:1 compression ratio has its power tuned up to 250 PS at 8,300rpm, and 225Nm of torque at 6,250rpm. The car has been equipped with a 6-speed synchro manual, a Mugen clutch-type LSD, Brembo 4-pot aluminium calipers, and Mugen telescopic shock absorbers for the front and rear. The front suspension uses a MacPherson strut design while the rear is of a double wishbone design.
The cars will be driven by Rueben Wong, Faisal Asri, Fahrizal Hasan, Eddie Lew, Victor Cheong and Aaron Lim. Reuben has years of experience racing the MME with various teams using Hondas. Faisal was previously from the Proton R3 MME team in 2007. Eddie Lew has several MME Class A 1st place positions under his belt. Victor Cheong has extensive go-kart racing experience. Aaron Lim was a Formula BMW Asia driver and was also with HMRT last year, scoring 2nd place in the MME Class A.
Have a look at Honda Malaysia’s HMRT MME microsite and go to the Highlights section for updates on the team’s Shakedown tests in preparation for the race at the end of this month. More photos available after the jump.
August 15, 2008 @ 6:14 am
‘The car has been equipped with a 6-speed synchro manual’
does it means they removed the reverse gear?
Coz it can see quite alot of time they pull the car back into the garage.
correct me if i wrong .
August 15, 2008 @ 6:16 am
the last pic, the civic type-R sure got the Honda DNA, like the previous type-R, it become tri-pot when cornering at high speed, but without loosing its grip.
August 15, 2008 @ 8:00 am
too bad this is the only works team. and also, i always think this is the best looking cars on the grid each year, counting the GT3s and all the other monsters
August 15, 2008 @ 9:32 am
Waste of petrol again. Wonder when they’ll have the hyrid car race.
August 15, 2008 @ 10:32 am
The original concept of HMRT was to build the cars in Melaka to show off the engineering and race prep skills of HMSB’s associates in Melaka. For last year it was reported one car was Mugen-prepared and another was locally prepared. This year they haven’t mentioned anything, are both cars imported from Japan?
August 15, 2008 @ 12:20 pm
jolly_idiot is indead an idiot. You race hybrid car probably waste even more petrol. Coz the motor only runs at low speed contrary to RACING which run at high speeds. So having a hybrid n in this case the honda hybrid wit its 1.3liter engine will just abuse tht poor little bugger to death for no good reason.
August 15, 2008 @ 1:07 pm
wow, impressive with the stabilized bar, on how they work like the F1 team.
August 15, 2008 @ 1:08 pm
but the stickers kinda cincai zak…any place they wanted to..Dang~
August 15, 2008 @ 3:38 pm
ENZO,
the mechanics are not allowed to drive the car. even to reverse it.
They must push it in.
they do have reverse gear.
rt
August 15, 2008 @ 3:47 pm
ENZO,
I think all Civic Type R Japan/Malaysia version got 6 speed gear.
You could get more info on Wikipedia. Look for “Civic Type R”
rt
August 15, 2008 @ 10:52 pm
i always put high hope for honda whether passenger cars or racing cars
wish them good luck for this year MME
August 16, 2008 @ 12:30 am
I’m not sure if Honda Malaysia really build the car themselves. I’m sure they have had some help from people who really knows how to build racecars.
August 16, 2008 @ 8:28 am
Help or no help, what they are doing here proves that they have a “reason to exist”…;p
August 16, 2008 @ 11:29 pm
Paul, Aaron lim was also rookie driver for A1Team Malaysia, helping the team to setup the car during the rookie test sessions before actual practice and qualifying.
August 17, 2008 @ 1:11 am
as long as they use thier own car and engine. both of which you can purchase in untuned form. unlike some others.
August 17, 2008 @ 5:22 pm
“I’m not sure if Honda Malaysia really build the car themselves. I’m sure they have had some help from people who really knows how to build racecars.”
if you really think about it, whats the big deal if they didnt do it themselves?
its still technology from honda.. but then again, subaru WRC rally cars are built by british outfit, prodrive.. likewise the many F1 teams, like mercedes which are built by yet another british outfit, mclaren..
in the world of international business..etc. if you need to, you pay to get the best, whether people or material. And if thats what helps you keep your competitive edge, why not?
August 17, 2008 @ 11:38 pm
Honda never won the overall title. The overall title is given the the O or Open category whereas Honda only won in the A category several times.
Only Proton R3 with Lotus won back to back the Open and Overall title in 2005 and 2006.
August 18, 2008 @ 5:00 am
“if you really think about it, whats the big deal if they didnt do it themselves?
its still technology from honda.. but then again, subaru WRC rally cars are built by british outfit, prodrive.. likewise the many F1 teams, like mercedes which are built by yet another british outfit, mclaren..
in the world of international business..etc. if you need to, you pay to get the best, whether people or material. And if thats what helps you keep your competitive edge, why not?”
You are right, but only if they know how to do it themselves. Unlike Prodrive and McLaren, the manufcaturer is involved in more than just funding the companies. Honda claim that they build it themselves, which is wrong! They just spend money to buy expertise and send mechanics to go for training as to how to prepare the car at the track. They should really build an in-house racecar preparation outfit, like Proton’s R3.
August 18, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
this year hopefully the Honda team will lose.. LOL
~ReactiX