Motorsports News: Proton Wins Podium Placing in Scotland Rally

The podium finish demonstrates PROTON’s serious return to the motorsports arena. On this note, PROTON Holdings Berhad Group Managing Director Dato’ Haji Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said, “In today’s competitive environment, branding exercises are of pinnacle importance to PROTON and we have identified motorsports as one of the channels for this exercise. Together with Mellors Elliot Motorsports, the Satria Neo has proven to be an ideal platform for creating a world-class rally car which has brought us to a podium finish on one of the toughest rallies in the world.”

“PROTON has been involved in motorsports since 1991, with the Proton Saga rally cars of that generation which went on to be successful not only in national events, but regional as well. With the inception of R3, Proton Motorsports Division, we hope to take our motorsports involvement to a higher level. R3 on the other hand, is more than just a branding tool. With research and development becoming part of its philosophy, it has nevertheless given PROTON a platform to further enhance its standing in the motorsports environment,” said Dato’ Syed Zainal.

Driver McRae has a lot of optimism on the Proton Satria Neo Super 2000. “There is definitely lots of potential in the car and I foresee it to be the future of World Rallying,” he says. The Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 was built to conform to the latest FIA Super 2000 regulations for rally cars and homologated for competition at the end of 2008. It is designed to cut development time as well as reduce costs for Manufacturers to participate.

Media members were given the opportunity to co-drive the Proton Satria Neo Super 2000 with McRae on a 2km track of twisty oil palm estate roads with short straights, typical of Malaysian Rally Stages. On display was a showcase of cars exhibiting PROTON’s motorsports journey, from the Proton Saga Rally Car, to the Satria Neo Super 2000 sitting at the pinnacle.

The Proton Satria Neo S2000 has participated in over 15 rallies worldwide. Notable results include a third fastest stage time in the first round of the World Rally Championship in Ireland, and a fourth overall in IRC Rally Russia while regularly running in the top ten positions in all other competitions.

Credits: wilswong