Sepang, Malaysia – Melvin Moh (19) gave Malaysia and his Petronas-backed Team Holzer PFX their first pole position of the season by setting the fastest time in qualifying for Round 3 of Formula BMW Pacific to be held tomorrow (Friday).

Currently 6th in the Driver Classification, the experience he gained competing in the Barcelona round of Formula BMW Europe in April, also with Holzer, has obviously given the Malaysian added confidence, and he has returned to his home circuit on winning form. Moh teamed up with another Malaysian, reigning Formula BMW Asian champion Jazeman Jaafar who is contesting a full season of Formula BMW Europe with AM-Holzer Rennsport this year, for his European outing.

Overall points leader, Formula BMW Junior Simon Moss of South Africa (16/Mahara), wasted no time getting reacquainted with the 5.54km Sepang International Circuit, setting the second-fastest time of the session to take pole position, his second so far, for Round 4.

Moss, winner of Round 2 held at the same track in April, will start Round 3 alongside Moh on the grid, with Japan’s Ryuichi Nara (19/Team E-Rain), who took pole position for the opening round of the season, 3rd.

The positions are reversed for the start of Round 4, with Moh starting alongside Moss and with Nara once again starting from 3rd. Hong Kong’s Ross Jamison (18/Meritus) qualified 4th for both races.

Formula BMW Junior Chris Wootton of Australia (19/Meritus) made his series debut and, despite having less experience of the Sepang track than the rest of the series drivers having missed the opening rounds, qualified a creditable 7th and 6th.

Gabby Chaves of Colombia, competing with series newcomers this season Atlantic Racing Team, impressed during testing but could only manage the 8th quickest time in qualifying.

British guest driver and Formula BMW Europe regular Kazeem Manzur (16/Mahara) impressed with the 3rd fastest time, but his car was later excluded by Race Stewards for a technical infringement, and disappointingly he will start both races from the back of the grid as a result.

Following rounds 3 and 4 to be held Friday on the full Grand Prix circuit, a further qualifying session will be held on Saturday on the 2.7km North Circuit of the Sepang track, on which the remaining three races of the meeting will be run. The new configuration will test the drivers’ ability to adapt quickly to a new circuit, and will add even greater excitement to an already action-packed race weekend.

Qualifying Round 3.

1. Melvin MOH (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 2:12.202
2. Simon MOSS*• (RSA/Mahara) 2:12.542
3. Ryuichi NARA (JPN/Team E-Rain) 2:12.985
4. Ross JAMISON (HKG/Meritus) 2:12.987
5. Sean MCDONAGH (KOR/Team E-Rain) 2:13.345
6. Chris WOOTTON*• (AUS/Meritus) 2:13.45
7. Gabriel CHAVES (COL/Atlantic Racing Team) 2:13.495
8. Marlon STÖCKINGER*• (PHI/Eurasia Motorsport) 2:13.606
9. Aditya PATEL• (IND/Eurasia Motorsport) 2:13.614
10. Tasmin PEPPER (RSA/ Meritus 2:13.624
11. Arvin ROSLAN• (MAS/ Meritus) 2:13.903
12. Dominic ANG• (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 2:14.208
13. Imran SHAHAROM (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 2:14.725
14. Omer YOUNAS• (PAK/Team E-Rain) 2:23.236
15. Kazeem MANZUR# (GBR/ Mahar) NC

Qualifying Round 4.

1. Simon MOSS*• (RSA/Mahara) 2:12.685
2. Melvin MOH (MAS/Team Holzer PFF) 2:12.915
3. Ryuichi NARA (JPN/Team E-Rain) 2:13.032
4. Ross JAMISON (HKG/ Meritus) 2:13.185
5. Gabriel CHAVES (COL/Atlantic Racing Team) 2:13.576
6. Chris WOOTTON*• (AUS/Meritus) 2:13.599
7. Sean MCDONAGH (KOR/Team E-Rain) 2:13.698
8. Tasmin PEPPER (RSA/Meritus) 2:13.741
9. Marlon STÖCKINGER*• (PHI/Eurasia Motorsport) 2:13.816
10. Arvin ROSLAN• (MAS/Meritus) 2:13.997
11. Dominic ANG• (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 2:14.359
12. Aditya PATEL• (IND/Eurasia Motorsport) 2:14.381
13. Imran SHAHAROM (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 2:14.889
14. Omer YOUNAS• (PAK/Team E-Rain) 2:26.473
15. Kazeem MANZUR# (GBR/Mahara) NC

*Scholarship driver
•Rookie Cup
#Non-Series Registered
Championship Points Tables after Round 2

Drivers

1.Simon Moss (RSA/Mahara) 36 points; 2. Ross Jamison (HKG/Meritus) 35 points; 3. Sean McDonagh (KOR/Team E-Rain) 20 points; 4. Aditya Patel (IND/Eurasia Motorsport) 12 points; 5. Arvin Roslan (MAS/Meritus) 11 points; 6. Melvin Moh (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 10 points; 7. Tasmin Pepper (RSA/Meritus) 10 points; 8. Ryuichi Nara (JPN/Team E-Rain) 7 points; 9. Gabriel Chaves (COL/Atlantic Racing Team) 6 points; 10. Imran Shaharom (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 6 points; 11. Dominic Ang (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 5 points; 12. Marlon Stöckinger (PHI/Eurasia Motorsport) 4 points; 13. Huzair Harun Rasip (MAS/Mahara) 2 points.

Rookie Cup

1.Moss; 2. Patel; 3. Roslan; 4. Ang; 5. Stöckinger; 6. Younas.

Teams

1.Meritus, 56 points; 2. Mahara, 37 points; 3. Team E-Rain, 26 points; 4. Team Holzer PFX, 21 points; 5. Eurasia Motorsport, 16 points; 6. Atlantic Racing Team, 6 points.

Statistics:

Winners 2008: Jamison (1); Moss (1)

Pole Positions: Nara (1); Moss (2); Moh (1)

Podiums: Jamison (2); Moss (2); Patel (1); McDonagh (1)

Rookie Cup Winners: Moss (2)