JOHOR BARU, July 22 — One Motorsports Bagan Datuk Rally Team’s (BDRT) Suhaimi Nasro Ali believes in hard work when it comes to competitive rallying.
However, he accepts luck is also a bonus, saying he has always been blessed with a podium result whenever he has a new co-driver.
“This is the third time in my 10 years of rallying that I have won a podium finish with a new co-driver by my side.
“For some it can be daunting for a driver to familiarise themselves with a new co-driver. But for me, I take it positively as it is like my lucky charm,” said Suhaimi when met by Malay Mail at the sidelines of the 2018 International Rally of Johor closing ceremony at Angsana Mall here today.
Today, Suhaimi and his co-driver Aswad Kamil Abdul Mulop powered their Subaru Impreza through Tai Tak Plantation’s mix of dry and damp gravel to clinch third place overall for the Malaysian Rally Championship’s (MRC) Johor round.
Yesterday, the pair also performed well without incident, with a fifth place finish for the first leg.
Suhaimi is the only Malaysian driver that made it to the podium, trailing Japanese Satoru Ito in second and round winner Indonesian Rachmat.
The 41-year-old, who is a banker by profession, said his co-driver was good and there was an immediate bond with him despite being new.
“In addition to that, my Subaru Impreza performed well for the past two-days during the International Rally of Johor. In fact, I didn't have any mechanical problems throughout the two legs,” he said.
Suhaimi said he will maintain his car’s settings as well as strategies with Aswad Kamil for the next MRC round in Perak.
He said his strategy for this year is to maintain in third place for the coming rounds.
“This is important for me as I am also still in a learning curve with a full four-wheel-drive vehicle.
“At the same time, I need to also maintain myself as the current flagbearer for the One Motorsports BDRT team,” said Suhaimi.
