KUALA LUMPUR – With Johor Racing currently leading the GT World Asia Challenge GT3 leaderboard, racer Jazeman Jaafar has set his sights on the third round of the race calendar in Fuji this weekend.
He said while the pressure builds up as the season goes, it also comes with greater clarity.
“Being on top of the standings comes with the pressure. But that is where the season shapes into place, you know where you stand in the championship.
“The team is just keeping their head down, focusing on the race. We have a good setup on the car, so we just need to keep chipping away with our performance,” he told The Vibes.
The team has successfully had a car on the podium in all four races so far.
Triple Eight JMR car number 99 – driven by HH Crown Prince Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim and Australian Nick Foster – stepped on the podium three times and currently leads the drivers' standings.
Car number 888 – driven by Jazeman and HH Crown Prince Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim – came in second at Sepang and is currently fifth in the championship.
On his side of the garage, Jazeman said the team is doing well with rookie racer Tunku Abu Bakar improving after each race.
“Last weekend in Suzuka was his second international race.
“I think once we sharpen his skills and awareness even more, together with the team’s strategy, and myself the setup forward, I feel that we have a good package for the rest of the season,” said the 29-year-old.
Jazeman, who also races for European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP2 outfit Team Virage, said Johor Racing should have an advantage against the Japanese teams as they are most familiar with the Pirelli tyres.
“They don’t race Pirelli tyres in Japan. They tend to use other brands such as Yokohama and Hankook.
“I think we have the upper hand as we have a better knowledge of the Pirelli tyres. It gives us a better foundation going into the next few races in Japan,” he added.
Fuji International Speedway is a favourite for Jazeman, who won the six-hour World Endurance Championship (WEC) race in the LMP2 category with Jackie Chan DC racing.
After Fuji, the teams will be in Japan for round four and five at Sugo and Okayama, followed by the final round in Mandalika, Indonesia. – The Vibes, July 22, 2022.
