GT Asia – Season finale ended early for Zen and Fairuz at Buriram
It was an outing that was not meant to be when the Lamborghini Gallardo FLII caught fire at the start of the third and final Free Practice session for the GT Asia 2015 season, ending the team’s hope of completing the season.
Zen Low, who was driving at the time, was taking turn seven when the engine light came on, subsequently he spoke to his engineer before pulling the car off the track. Just as he parked the car on the run-off area, smoke began to fill the cockpit of the car and Zen escaped unharmed.
“I was on my out lap, on turn seven when one of the sensor lights went off and within seconds, I smelt something burning and immediately called out to Simone, our engineer, to inform him that I am stopping the session and parked the car on the run-off, away from traffic. That was when I saw the smoke as I got out of the car.
“The marshals here were quick to action and immediately set out to diffuse the fire and were able to do so but the damage was already done. There was so much smoke that the guys at the pit saw it” said Zen after the incident.
The car suffered extensive damage and the team spent the remainder of the day looking for alternatives to be able to finish the season but was unable to find a solution.
Speaking on behalf of Aylezo, the Technical Partner for OD Racing, Race Engineer Simone Coronaro added, “before we left the circuit tonight, we looked into various possibilities but we found that we would not be able to resolve the issue in time. So with a very heavy heart, we had to end our finale today.”
Earlier in the day, both Zen and Fairuz Fauzy went out for two practice sessions and were able to clock consistent times throughout. The team were in the top 12 of the timesheets before the third and final session, when disaster struck.
For Fairuz, what would have been a happy weekend as he turned 32 was not meant to be as he reflects on one of the toughest seasons for him in a new series. “Coming to GT Asia was a great opportunity for me and I am thankful to Zen, Aylezo and OD Racing for making me part of the team. The year had its ups and downs and it was a great experience for me being in a GT car.
“Today, before the third session, we were doing quite alright. Our laptimes were coming down and we were at a comfortable pace but the tables just turned. I feel sad that the team will not be able to race in the final two races of the season after having worked together so well and so hard” ended Fairuz.
Aylezo would like to thank its partners, OD Racing, OD Markets, EcoTint, Prince Lubricants, Jonnesway, GoPro, Shark Helmets, Rudy Project , Beltenik and The Otomotif College for all their support for the GT Asia Series 2015 season.
– Photo courtesy of B.Luey of GT Asia
