A spin-off event from the Merdeka Millenium Endurance Race, the S1K Endurance Race was back for its second edition.

Photos: Garage R & Red Bull Rookies

A spinoff from the Merdeka Millenium Endurance Race (MMER), the S1K was created to give the smaller engine capacity cars a chance at endurance racing and not be out-qualified by faster and more powerful cars. The S1K consists of two classes that were previously part of the 12-hour MME Race as Class B and C. The Class 1 cars have engine capacities between 1650cc to 1900cc while the Class 2 cars have engine capacities below 1600cc. The rules and regulations of the S1K race dictates that a minimum of two drivers and a maximum of four drivers are allowed to a car, with the first team that completes the full 181 laps winning the race.

This year's S1K was won by Team Ultra Racing - Kegani in a 1600cc Toyota Levin machine as it sensationally upstaged the higher powered 1800cc cars from the team's more illustrious opponents such as Type R Racing Team, JC Racing, Mofaz Racing and Pentagon J’s Racing from Class 1, proving that brute force is not everything in an endurance race. Driven by Kenny Lee, Chris O’Shannessy and Hsiao Tung Wei, the Class 2 trio took eight hours 32 minutes and 1.455 seconds to complete a gruelling 181 laps of the 5.543 kilometres Sepang International Circuit.

Closer to home, eight Singaporean teams out of 55 entries took to the track. The teams hailing from local tuning garages HKS Garage R, KC Autolink, Choon’s Motorworks and ST Powered were all registered in the Class 2 category, with four of these eight teams coming in within the top 8 of Class 2.