Sepang, Malaysia – Formula BMW Junior Simon Moss (RSA/16/Mahara) strengthened his championship lead by taking victory in Round 3, his second win in three races, while pole-sitter Malaysia’s Melvin Moh (19/Team Holzer PFX) held off ferocious attacks from a determined Ryuichi Nara (JPN/19/Team E-Rain) to record his first podium finish.

Hong Kong’s Ross Jamison (18/Meritus) took the final podium place after Nara retired on the final lap as a result of an earlier coming together with Jamison.

Moss, who arrived in Malaysia with a slim lead of just one point from Jamison, now has a nine point advantage, with Moh’s pole position and podium see him jump from 6th to 3rd in the Driver Classification.

India’s Aditya Patel (19/Eurasia Motorsport) retains his 2nd position behind Moss in the Rookie Cup standings, while Malaysia’s Arvin Roslan (18/Mahara) holds on to 3rd, despite neither driver finishing the race.

Gabby Chaves, with series newcomers Atlantic Racing Team, put in a sterling performance to finish 4th, as the youngster quickly finds his feet in Asia. Sean McDonagh (USA/18/Team E-Rain) had a disappointing race after he came together with Chaves early on in the 10 lap race on the 5.543km track, the resulting damage meaning he had to nurse his car to the finish. Chaves moves up to 5th from 9th in the Driver Classification.

Formula BMW Junior Chris Wootton (AUS/19/Meritus) made an impressive series debut. He finished 6th, but had been up to 5th before being passed by Chaves on lap six.

Moh got away well from pole, keeping the hard-charging Moss behind him, but an error saw the South African seize the lead on the opening lap and he never looked back, opening up a 4.649 second margin by the flag.

The tussling pair of Nara and Jamison came together, with both emerging apparently unscathed. Jamison was in 3rd, when an error saw him run wide and Nara pounced to seize back the final podium place. The Japanese driver then began piling the pressure on to Moh in 2nd, but the cool-headed Malaysian refused to be rattled: “I saw him behind me so I stopped looking in my mirrors!” said Moh. “I just kept pushing all the way.”

While Moss had pulled out a comfortable lead at the front, backing off slightly towards the end to save his tyres, Moh, Nara and Jamison continued their battle for the remaining two podium places. Nara’s 3rd place looked secure, until he was dramatically forced to retire just a few turns from the chequered flag.

The race saw a high rate of attrition, with five drivers failing to take the chequered flag.

Formula BMW Pacific continues this afternoon with Round 4, also run over 10 laps of the Sepang International Circuit. This time, Moss will start from pole position, with Moh alongside him and Nara and Jamison occupying the second row of the grid.

Round 3.

1. Simon MOSS*• (RS/Mahara) 22:18.766
2. Melvin MOH (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) +4.649
3. Ross JAMISON (HKG/Meritus) +5.829
4. Gabriel CHAVES (COL/Atlantic Racing Team) +9.118
5. Chris WOOTTON*• (AUS/ Meritus) +11.634
6. Marlon STÖCKINGER*• (PHI/Eurasia Motorsport) +15.961
7. Dominic ANG• (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) +27.295
8. Imran SHAHAROM (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) +28.195
9. Sean MCDONAGH (KOR/Team E-Rain) +1:55.189
10. Omer YOUNAS• (PAK/Team E-Rain) 1 Lap
DNF Ryuichi NARA (JPN/Team E-Rain) -
DNF Aditya PATEL• (IND/Eurasia Motorsport) -
DNF Arvin ROSLAN• (MAS/Meritus) -
DNF Kazeem MANZUR# (GBR/Mahara) -
DNF Tasmin PEPPER (RSA/Meritus) -

*Scholarship driver
•Rookie Cup
#Non-Series Registered

Championship Points Tables after Round 3.

Drivers

1.Simon Moss (RSA/Mahara) 56 points; 2. Ross Jamison (HKG/Meritus) 47 points; 3. Melvin Moh (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 26 points; 4. Sean McDonagh (KOR/Team E-Rain) 22 points; 5. Gabriel Chaves (COL/Atlantic Racing Team) 16 points; 6. Aditya Patel (IND/Eurasia Motorsport) 12 points; 7. Arvin Roslan (MAS/Meritus) 11 points; 8. (tied) Tasmin Pepper (RSA/Meritus) and Marlon Stöckinger (PHI/Eurasia Motorsport) 10 points; 9 (tied). Imran Shaharom (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) and Dominic Ang (MAS/Team Holzer PFX) 9 points; 10. Chris Wootton (AUS/Meritus) 8 points; 11. Ryuichi Nara (JPN/Team E-Rain) 7 points; 12. Huzair Harun Rasip (MAS/Mahara) 2 points; 13. Omer Younas (PAK/Team E-Rain) 1 point.

Rookie Cup

1.Moss; 2. Patel; 3. Roslan; 4. Stöckinger; 5. Ang; 6. Wootton; 7. Younas.

Teams

1.Meritus, 76 points;
2. Mahara, 57 points;
3. Team Holzer PFX, 43 points;
4. Team E-Rain, 29 points;
5. Eurasia Motorsport, 22 points;
6. Atlantic Racing Team, 16 points.

Statistics:

Winners 2008: Jamison (1); Moss (2)

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

Podiums: Jamison (3); Moss (3); Patel (1); McDonagh (1); Moh (1)

Rookie Cup Winners: Moss (3)