Inaugural Borneo Buggy Race – Report
The inaugural Borneo Offroad Buggy race organised by KKKJC (Kelab Kereta Kawalan Jauh Catz) concluded successfully last weekend at the privately owned Mulu RC Speedway track. The track, owned by a dedicated RC enthusiast for over two decades, played host to the Borneo Offroad Buggy event. A total of 38 from Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and France participated in this race, divided evenly into Electric and Nitro buggy categories.
The race weekend got off to a wet and muddy start, with the early morning heat session only seeing 10 laps completed on a slippery, rain-soaked track. However, as the day progressed and the sun came out, the conditions transformed dramatically. By the time the afternoon heat races rolled around, the track had dried out and the temperatures had risen. In the second heat, Mulu seized the opportunity, turning in an impressive 11-lap performance to take the top spot, though Shin Mok was not far behind, finishing just 7 seconds back.
The excitement continued to build in the third heat, as – Richard who managed to complete 11 laps and cross the line a full 5 seconds ahead of Mulu. With the first day of racing now in the books, Chicken held provisional overnight TQ heading into the second day of competition. On race day two, another driver made his presence felt, as Jayson put together a strong 11-lap run in the fourth heat. However, despite his
impressive performance, Jayson ultimately fell short of Richard’s pace, finishing 7 seconds back and unable to steal the TQ title. With all four heats completed, Richard was confirmed the TQ holder for Nitro Buggy.
Of the 9 drivers who made it to the A-main finals of the race, 2 drivers stood out for their performance bumping up from their C-main qualifier. Ah Siang drove with impressive consistency throughout the entire event, while Ho Yee managed to complete his final C-main with his front left tire completely blown out.
With dark clouds looming, the premier 45-minute A-Main finals got underway. Right from the start, disaster struck as both Richard and Mok suffered flame outs on the grid, forcing them to rejoin the race a full lap behind the rest of the field. Richard’s misfortune only continued, as he was only able to complete 3 laps before suffering a mechanical failure. Meanwhile, Bruneian driver Brian Lim rocketed into an early lead with Jayson following closely behind, it wasn’t long before Jayson made his move – capitalizing on a mistake by the leader to take the lead.
At around the 20 mins mark, the skies opened up and the rain began to fall, slowly at first but then with increasing intensity. The track became a treacherous, flooded mess, turning the race into a test of survival as the drivers fought to maintain control of their cars. In the end conditions got too severe that the race organizers were forced to make the decision to prematurely end the race, with Shin Mok emerging victorious and claiming the championship, followed by Peng in second and a valiant Brian Lim rounding out the podium in third. It was a thrilling, drama-filled finale.
In the EP category, we witnessed an intense and thrilling race that came down to the wire, with the finals featuring a fierce battle between Top Qualifier – Shin Mok, Nazrin Ali and Jayson. Shin Mok, the driver in the EP category who had dominated the earlier qualifying rounds, the only driver with an impressive 11-lap performance. In the first of three finals heat, it was a three-way dogfight between Naz, Mok, and Jayson as they raced neck-and-neck, jockeying for position and trying to gain the upper hand. The competition was razor-thin, with the trio trading the lead and pushing their cars to the limit. Ultimately, it was Naz who emerged victorious, managing to pull ahead in the closing moments to take finals heat 1.
The 2nd finals heat saw Naz take an early lead, taking advantage of a mistake made by Mok that allowed him to pull out in front. Mok mounted a furious charge to try and catch up. However, disaster struck for Mok in the final minute, as his car was hit on the straightaway, causing him to dramatically DNF. This left Naz all alone out front, and he cruised to the win, clinching the overall championship in the process. The third and final heat of the finals saw Jayson take the victory, after a hard-fought battle against the other competitors.
Report by Richard Ling
