Racing car driver takes Automobile Association to High Court for disqualifying him

A professional racing car driver is seeking to restore his placings in eight Malaysian races last year after the organiser disqualified him, a High Court writ shows.

Stephen Lee Bing Fai claimed the Automobile Association, which issues racing licences, had wrongly accused him of using an unauthorised engine in two of the races in the Autosport Challenge 2014, and later invalidated eight rounds of his results.

He also alleges the association defamed him, and is seeking damages over an announcement that was published about his disqualification.

"[Lee] has suffered a substantial loss of a chance to win the competition and/or … any other awards awarded by [the association] … following his original results," according to the High Court writ.

The writ says that Lee took part in eight races at Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur from April 4 to June 22. He was twice ranked first and third, placed second three times and was in fifth position once.

In the first six races, the association approved the engine used in his car. But in June, he joined a team called JC Racing, which installed a new engine for him.