24 Mar 2019 Circuit Hero-One | Vongprai wins first race for Dongfeng Honda Racing Team

On Sunday 24 March 2019, the Pan Delta Super Racing Festival – Spring Race enters its second race day. The Circuit Hero-One race is held at 11:26 a.m.. With the weather situation improving, the track is drying and the grandstand is filling up with eager spectators. Dongfeng Honda Racing Team’s #77 Pattarapol Vongprai takes victory with an absolute advantage.

As the red lights go out, the race begins and 21 race cars dash towards the first corner. Dongfeng Honda Racing Team’s #77 Pattarapol Vongprai takes the lead. TRC Racing’s #48 Li Zhao-Hua and Tianshi Racing’s #11 Lin Xin-Ying has a coming together at turn 4, while #62 and #1 both slide into the gravel trap at turn 10. #53 is penalized a drive-through for jump start. After one lap, the order of the top 5 is Dongfeng Honda Racing Team’s #77 Pattarapol Vongprai, Champ x T. A. Motorsport #26 Filipe Souza, Dongfeng Honda Racing Team #55 Charles Ng, TRC Racing #27 Li Jia-Xi and #78 Chen Da-Xing.

Later on, TRC Racing #27 Li Jia-Xi manages the fastest lap of the race and begin to attack the cars in front of him. #22 Lin Qiang, who started from the second row from last, is really on the move, and by lap 6 is up to sixth place. The five cars in front of him are in close battle, giving the crowd in the grandstand a great spectacle. The battle between Dongfeng Honda Racing Team #55 Charles Ng and TRC Racing #27 Li Jia-Xi is especially fierce.

At half distance, Li Jia-Xi sets another fastest lap of 1:44.904 to keep up the pressure. On lap 10, the leader has a 4 seconds advantage over the second placed driver. Lin Qiang and Li Jia-Xi are still very much in it.

At turn 10, Champ X T.A Motorsport #66 Kuang Jian-Xing loses control and goes off. Almost at the same time, Li Jia-Xi goes faster once again with another fastest lap 1:44.782. With two laps to go, Lin Qiang appears to lose steam and drops back to fifth place.

The 15 laps race is completed Dongfeng Honda Racing Team’s #77 Pattarapol Vongprai crosses the line for overall victory. Champ X T.A Motorsport #26  Filipe Souza finishes second and TRC Racing #27 Li Jia-Xi takes third place.

After the race, Dongfeng Honda Racing Team #77 Pattarapol Vongprai said although the track is still wet, they took the risk to use dry weather tyres. They were a little worried but the performance was steady, he also relied on the strategy of only pushing when someone gets close behind, it worked and he won the race.

The first Circuit Hero-One race of 2019 is now over. The second race will take place in the Pan Delta Super Racing Festival Summer Race to be held in June.