Introduction
The 2009 GP2 Series began burning rubber this year in Bahrain. Covering a gruelling 3 days of races from January 22-24, 2009, Kevin Chen’s racing team was plagued by problems from the very start. Due to sudden changes in the team roster and car setup, Kevin was forced to play a game of catch up from the very beginning of the races.
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Problems with the setting and gear ratios for Kevin’s car were only the beginning of the issues that plagued Team Champ Motorsport for the rest of the race. Due to unforeseeable circumstances, the team was forced to replace one of their more experienced drivers with a rookie who, just like Kevin, was also new to the racing car being used, as well as the regulations of the racing series. Compounding the problem during the warm up for the first ace was the fact that Kevin’s car stalled twice due to a computer program error which forced him into the unenviable position of being one lap down from the rest of the drivers.
The 2nd race started with Kevin positioned at the back of most of the drivers in due to his poor showing during the previous race. His 21st position within the race track was not helped by an error on his engineers part. They failed to inform him about changing the gear ratio so Kevin found himself lagging behind and falling to the 26th position during the first few laps. This was when Lady Luck finally smiled upon Kevin. Finally getting a feel for the car, he managed to get back into the race and finish in the same position he started out in, 21st place.
Kevin was distraught after finishing in virtually last place during the Bahrain leg of the race. Being the consummate professional that he is, he did not blame anybody on his team for his dismal performance and disappointing finish. Instead, he set everyone to the task of making sure that the problems which plagued them during the race would not find itself repeated during the February 2009 Qatar races.
The February 12-14, 2009 races in Qatar were considered to be historical in the sense that it was the first time that the GP2 races would ever take place at night. Held on the Losail International Circuit just outside Doha, in the Persian Gulf State of Qatar, it was built in 2004 at the cost of $58 million. The circuit has been the pride of Qatar ever since it hosted the 2004 Marlboro Grand Prix, and the 2006 Grand Prix Masters.
The Musco Lighting designed circuit covered a track area of 4.5 km. In length, with a straightaway spanning 1, 068 meters.
Since this was the first time the Losail would be hosting a formula race on its tracks, the relatively new racing circuit posed a problem for the drivers like Kevin, who had never raced on the circuit before. Being all novices on the track proved to be beneficial to Kevin as all the driver’s, both old and new, had to rely in previous experiences and strategies in order to deliver during the race.
The well appointed stadium was prepared for all eventualities during the night of the races. Except for one thing, nobody could control the effect of nature on the open air circuit. The racers were plagued by bad weather and vision problems due to the sandstorms that caused fog and deep darkness on the road. Problems which caused the F1 testing in Bahrain to be cancelled as well.
According to Kevin, the Losail circuit has proved to be the most challenging circuit he has ever faced. Something that all the other drivers agreed with.
Kevin’s high hopes of finishing the circuit with a decent position were dashed when his car salled during the first lap due to a faulty fuel pump which some home managed to get past his engineers during the pre-race testing. However, Kevin managed to dazzle the spectators yet again by qualifying for the races without even knowing the track that well.
Kevin had very high hopes of improving his pole standing during this race. However, a 3 car collision caused by Yamamoto during Friday’s race forced the race to enter yellow flag mode for 5 laps. This caused Kevin’s car to stall and overheat during the 2nd lap.
Fixing the overheating problem cost him 2 laps but he still managed to catch up with the others once he rejoined the race. Unfortunately, he was hit by a Team Isport driver. The accident forced him to finish in 18th place. Starting from that position during Saturday’s race, Kevin saw the problems that hounded him in Bahrain still followed him to Qatar. Unable to down or upshift due to a gear problem, the car became uncontrollable and led him off the track many times, causing him to complete ther race in 23rd place.
Kevin was highly disappointed by his performances during his past 2 races. He mentioned during an after race interview that; ” My car was having problems since in Bahrain, and even our mechanics in FMS triesd their very best to help me and fix the car. These problems are mostly not avoidable, I guess I was just plain unlucky this time.” He further added that he had high hopes for an improved performance when his team begins to race in Malaysia. “Hopefully I’ll have a better race in Malaysia, to show how much I improved both physically and skillfully during these past few months.”
Conclusion
During the Q&A, Kevin explained that his team and sponsors have been nothing short of fantastic in their show of support for him. He took the time to thank his major sponsor. ” I would like to thank my sponsor from Franz Collection for their support and understanding. Their continued support and understanding constantly fuel my desire to win as many honors as I can possibly attain. “