When JV Motorsport announced that they wanted to compete in the Sepang 1000km with a Perodua Myvi, we were excited to see the ‘king’ of Malaysian roads finally given a shot to prove itself on the track. But mind you, this was no ordinary race. It was a race that only the toughest can survive, and the 181 laps around Sepang Circuit will surely weed out the weak.
And to the surprise of many, this unassuming Myvi did more than finishing the race, it crossed the checkered flag with a P10 in class, surpassing even the team’s initial expectation in their race debut!
JV Motorsport has been competing in the MSF series for quite some time and they were looking for a new challenge to end the year with. Since the only big race left in the calendar was the S1K, they decided to give it a shot, but with a very unique choice of machine in mind. Instead of going with a Honda Jazz or Suzuki Swift to run the race in, they decided to field a 1.5L Perodua Myvi G3, a first for S1K.
The idea behind such a move? The Myvi is one of the most beloved car for Malaysians, and is also well-known for its reliability. It is this reliability that the team hopes to harness, and bring the team all the way to the finish line. And of course, the ‘king’ status would also be elevated to the track if this project will come to a success.
But the journey was an uphill battle for the team as the Suzuki Swifts they will be battling in the SP2-V category packs much more speed, especially on the straight lines. And the 4-speed automatic they ran on will not win them any favours on the track either, fighting against the field of manual transmission cars.
And this was where the expertise of Fariqe Hairuman comes into place. Acting not only as a driver but also as an advisor in this project, he shared his valuable years of experience in endurance racing to make sure the Myvi reaches the finish line. Joining Fariqe in the driver seat were Syafiq Rosli and Faiz Sulaiman.
In a grid of 68 cars, the #83 Myvi started the race from P49. It was expected that they would not be as fast as their competitors, but having cars passing them all the time required a different mindset to keep the head in the game.
“When we looked at the side mirrors, cars were passing us and we also had to obey the blue flags to let the faster cars go by. That was where the challenge was different for this race,” said Faiz.
The extreme weather of Sepang was also a major concern in the race where it had claimed many victims over the years. The 2022 edition was no different and Fariqe had to take some precautionary measures to ensure they get the car to the finish line.
“The car was running a bit hot during my second stint, which I think is due to the track condition where the track surface looked really hot. I had to back off a bit to maintain the oil temperature, oil pressure and water temperature,” shared Fariqe.
The odds were against them. But by keeping their heads down and running their own game, JV Motorsport achieved the unthinkable. They took the checkered flag with a satisfying P10 in class, and P38 overall. And mind you, from the field of 68 cars, 13 failed to reach the finish line.
“Our target was to finish the race, regardless of what position we are in. And to our surprise, we managed to get P10 in class, and P38 overall which is beyond speechless. The feeling is beyond what I have felt from getting podiums and it is something that will not be forgotten for me,” said Shafiq.
This was undoubtedly a very encouraging result, and it seems that JV Motorsport is still hungry for more. They would really love to return to S1K in 2023, but it seems like they also have plans to enter the 2023 Malaysia Championship Series as well! We wish them all the luck in making this ambitious project come true, and we will see you next year at Sepang!
