Toyota Vios Challenge 2018 race series (Kuala Terengganu) - Qualifying: Diana Danielle first female to take pole position

By JAY WONG | 3 August 2018

KUALA TERENGGANU: As the second season of the Toyota Vios Race Series readies itself for the opening race, all eyes will be glued on pole sitter Diana Danielle who becomes the first female to take pole position while Shawn Lee (Sporting Class) and Kenny Lee (Super Sporting Class) prepare themselves to hold off the competition.

The race series is being held at this year's Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival in Kuala Terengganu (Day 1 and Day 2) on a 1.65km-long Gong Badak Circuit for 22 laps that will abuse the race car's left tyres from the street circuit's eight right-handers out of 11 turns.

The Promotional Class will be the season opening race with local celebrity Diana Danielle leading the pack as the race series' first female pole-sitter after clinching the fastest time of 1min 18.584sec.

Nabil Ahmad is just less than two-tenths of a second away in second position with a time of 1min 18.733sec, followed by Nabila Razali in third qualifying in third with a time of 1min 19.381sec.

The second race session of the day goes to the Sporting Class with local celebrity Shawn Lee leading the pack in pole position after posting the fastest time of 1min 16.209sec in his class.

Shawn, who was last year's Promotional Class champion, was promoted - along with Shukri Yahya, to the more competitive Sporting Class and also happens to currently trail the pole-sitter with the second fastest time of 1min 16.261sec.

Both racers sit ahead of last season's runner-up Brendon Lim Boon Yew who qualified in third with a time of 1min 16.464sec.

Newcomers to the Sporting Class, 14-year old teammates Hayden Haikal and Oscar Ng collectively sit in ninth position on the grid after Hayden posted their fastest time of 1min 17.54sec.

The third and last race of the day will be the highly experienced and competitive Super Sporting Class which sees last year's season champion Tengku Djan Ley participating from round two of the season onwards.

It would be season repeaters Kenny Lee Wan Yuen who managed to post the fastest time of 1min 15.62sec, followed closely by William Ho in second place (1min 15.975sec) and Keifli Othman in third (1min 16.418sec).