Two podium finishes for Khushlani in Formula BMW Pacific
By IANSMonday, June 1, 2009
KUALA LUMPUR - Akhil Khushlani, the 19-year-old from Hyderabad sponsored by Red Rooster Racing, enjoyed a profitable outing over the weekend as he delivered two podium finishes and a fourth in the four rounds of the Formula BMW Pacific championship, besides setting the fastest time at the Sepang International Circuit here over the weekend.
Driving for E-Rain Racing team, Khushlani finished fourth and sixth in Saturdays qualifying session. He followed it up with a third in the first and third races and fifth in the fourth, while an accident in the first lap of the second put him out of the race.
Khushlani, who was eighth in Round 1 and did not finish in the next at the same venue last month, clocked a searing two minutes, 11.257 around the 5.543 Kms circuit, in the third round for the fastest time of the weekend.
The next four rounds of the 15-round championship will be held at Sentul circuit, Indonesia, on July 17-19.
In the first race (Round 3) of the day, Khushlani made one place to grab the third spot behind debutant and scholarship driver 15-year old Axcil Jefferies of Zimbabwe (Eurasia Motorsport) and team-mate 16-year old Gary Thompson of Ireland.
Jefferies needed just one overtaking manoeuvre to secure his win as he went past pole-sitter Australias Chris Wootton (Eurasia Motorsport) at the first corner of the 10-lap race.
Wotton eventually finished 12th following an incident with Indonesian Rio Haryanto (Team E-Meritus) who in the next round, was to take out Khsulani in the very first lap.
Fahmi Ilyas of Malaysia (E-Rain Racing) took won the fourth round after making three positions to move from fourth on the grid to first
Haryanto, after surviving his incident with Khushlani, scored his podium finish by overtaking Jefferies on the final lap of the race.
On Saturday, Khushlani had qualified fourth for Round 3 with a timing of two minutes, 10.679 seconds as against the 2:10.353 clocked by pole-sitter Wottoon, and his next best timing of 2:11.070 put him sixth on the grid for Round 4.
The drivers fastest time in the 30-minute qualifying session set the grid for Round 3, while their second-fastest time determined the grid for Round 4.
