Despite car bursting into flames, Hong Kong driver Shaun Thong wins Fuji 24-Hour Super Tec race
- The 24-year-old describes ‘shocking’ fire incident after being crowned the 2020 Super Taikyu Series’ inaugural winner
- Thong hopes his overseas win urges aspiring local athletes to ‘keep fighting’
Hong Kong racing car driver Shaun Thong Wei Fung miraculously steered his burning car into a first-place at the 2020 Fuji 24-Hour Super Tec in Japan on Sunday.
The 24-year-old Thong, alongside his debuting Mercedes-AMG Team Hirix Racing team, discovered their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo was up in flames just three hours into the race.
“We were refuelling and there was a small hole in the fuel hose – a tiny bit dropped into the exhaust and the car just lit up,” recalled Thong, explaining pit stops are required around once an hour. “So we pushed the car back in and had a long repair in the pits.
“Everyone was shocked, to be honest, because the fire was so bright, you could see it from a kilometre away. The most important part is that no-one was hurt and the car was fine – just a bit of exterior damage that didn’t hinder its performance.”
Team mechanics and surrounding safety staff eventually put the flames out, with Thong and Co. able to return to the track – physically unscathed, with their vehicle donning a few burn marks – and make a stunning comeback against the rainy backdrop of Mount Fuji in Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture.