SEPANG / KUALA LUMPUR — Hi-Rev Dream Chaser completed a landmark season in style after successfully defending their Sepang 1,000 Kilometres (S1K) endurance race crown, overcoming stiff competition, multiple safety car periods and the retirement of one of their cars to secure back-to-back victories at the Sepang International Circuit.
The trio of Rahul Mayer, Daim Hishammudin, and Aaron Haikal powered their Honda City to victory under the floodlights, completing 181 laps in 8 hours 29 minutes 36.539 seconds to claim both the overall win and the MTC class title.
They fended off a strong challenge from the Honda Malaysia Racing Team pairing of Aaron Lim and Farriz Fauzy, who finished second 42.161 seconds behind, while Tedco Racing’s Foo Yung Chieh, Freddie Ang, Yee Kok Jun and Goh Lee Heng secured third place (+1:17.746s).
For Rahul — who also won the S1K title last year with Daim and Hayden Haikal — the victory was a testament to consistency and teamwork.
“We started pretty well and tried to stay consistent,” said Rahul. “We had a safety car mishap and even miscalculated a pitstop, but it ended well for us.
We’ve had issues with the Honda City before, but it performed flawlessly today. It feels great to win S1K back-to-back — hopefully more to come.”
Turbo Era, Golden Season
This year’s success comes as Malaysian touring car racing enters the new turbocharged era, replacing the naturally aspirated regulations of previous years. Despite the shake-up, Dream Chaser hit the ground running.
In September, Aaron Haikal and Daim Hishammudin clinched the Malaysia Touring Car Championship (MTCC) overall title in the MTC class driving the team’s Suzuki Swift.
The S1K victory now completes another double triumph — mirroring last year’s feat — even as the team adapts to new technical demands.
Team principal CY Ong called the 2025 season one of the most competitive in recent memory.
“This was the most challenging S1K we’ve ever competed in,” said CY.
“Honda Malaysia Racing Team and Tedco Racing pushed us hard, and the lead kept changing. With so many safety cars, strategy became critical.”
He added that the team did not expect to repeat last year’s win so soon after switching to turbo engines.
“We’re incredibly grateful. Our Swift had strong pace but our Honda City turned out to be very competitive too — and we pitted at the right time.”
Heartbreak for the Leading Swift
Dream Chaser’s second entry — the Suzuki Swift driven by Hayden Haikal, Mark Darwin, and Ananthorn Tangniannatchai — had been leading the race before disaster struck. A collision with another competitor damaged the radiator, forcing the trio to retire after roughly 160 laps.
“There was too much damage for us to repair in time, so we kept them on track as long as we could before retiring the car,” CY explained.
Class Winners and Golden Tribute
Several teams celebrated category wins:
- Modern Racing Team (Hii Wan Jian, Ady Rahimy Rashid, Wong Yew Choong) took MT2 G with 171 laps (6th overall).
- Rworks Riyoz Racing won MT2 V, finishing 12th overall with 167 laps.
- Kegani Racing Academy duo Kenny Lee and Loke Yin Yi topped the Vios Cup category with 163 laps.
Both Dream Chaser entries sported a special golden livery across MTCC and S1K this season — a tribute to the 30th anniversary of their sponsor Hi-Rev, and a celebration of the team’s run of championship-winning form.
With a new era of regulations, a double championship sweep, and a dramatic S1K triumph, Dream Chaser’s 2025 racing season closes as one of the strongest and most symbolic in the team’s history.
