No Limit for team racing duo

Cousins Azlie Irshad and Zulfi Sulaiman of team Flying Mini Factory NOLIMIT (FMF NOLIMIT), who reintroduced the concept of team racing in a single event to Sri Lanka, flew to victory at the recent final leg of the Speed 2011 Championship.

Although Sri Lankan racing events witness racers in different categories coming together as a team, the FMF NOLIMIT, after a lapse of more than 15 years have reintroduced the Grand Prix style of racing teams participating in a single event.

Irshad won the overall championship with a convincing six point lead, placed second behind Mudith Maddumarachchi during the Mini 1000 CC standard finals on October 16. Sulaiman, who came in a close third during the finals, tied with Maddumarachchi for second place in the championship.

The most exciting race in this season’s finale at one of the biggest racing events in the country, the NOLIMIT racing duo, thrilled spectators driving bumper to bumper demonstrating some fantastic racing skills in their cars. Former race veteran and commentator Suren Cooke described the race as “the cleanest and the most exciting race of the season.”

Sponsored by NOLIMIT, Sri Lanka’s Biggest Fashion Chain, the concept of team racing and team sponsorship is catching on fast in the racing arena.

“We are indeed proud that Team FMF NOLIMIT emerged champions and are committed to support the development of Motorsports in the future as well. NOLIMIT has always supported the development of sports in Sri Lanka. Sponsoring Team FMF NOLIMIT is one such initiative and we are proud of the success achieved by the team,” said Akeel Latiff, Marketing Manager of NOLIMIT.

Teamwork, say the comeback cousins who have shared a racing history of more than two decades spanning from motocross and prokarting to road racing, is their strongest strength.

“I was apprehensive about the whole team concept at first because we’ve raced together before and we are both very competitive individuals. But as the season progressed, we realised that working as a team, honing each other’s skills, criticizing each other’s post race performances and pushing each other harder every single time in a sport where our strengths and the opponents’ weaknesses are best kept to secret, helped us perform so much better,” said Irshad.

Teamwork also gives an edge over individual racers according to Sulaiman. “Rather than thinking as an individual, we think and gain as a team, and winning the championship proved us right,” he said.

 “It’s not easy when you race against the best, and it was a very closely fought final race with trust and respect. I am pleased of the podium finish and it was the whole team including our sponsors NOLIMIT that helped us in our performance” added Sulaiman.

The FMF team has introduced a host of new concepts in team racing creating a buzz among other racers. “When we see the trend catching on so fast, I’m sure we must have done something right,” said Irshad.

Despite the standard of post war racing having improved tremendously, especially in the safety aspects of the sports, the competitors feel the need for more purpose built tracks, tracks closer to major cities where there will be a regular inflow of spectators which will keep the sponsors interested in the sport.