The enthralling Super GT series is all set to continue wooing fans locally for an eleventh straight year after the GTA corporation, the rights holder for Super GT, signed an agreement with JP Performance Motorsport (JPM) to appoint JPM as the organiser for the next two years.
The dates to keep free for this extravaganza will be June 18-19 and the race itself will be held at Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
“Super GT is the fastest Super Grand Touring car race in the world and it will be an honour to host it. SIC has been doing an excellent job before this and with their assistance we hope to make this year’s event another major success in the Malaysian racing calendar,” said Chin Jit Pyng, founder of JPM.
“As an established branded event, Super GT has been in Malaysia for the past 10 years with its own following and is the only round to be held outside of Japan. JPM has taken on the challenge of organising the Super GT series as a commercial venture and aims to present the fans with the finer sides of this coveted event. This is a golden opportunity that we must capitalise on as the Super GT itself is very unique in its own way. We welcome funding and support of any sort,” added Chin.
The agreement was signed off by Masaaki Bandoh, the Chairman of the GTA, and Chin, with SIC Chief Executive Officer Razlan Razali and Melvin Choo of Team Thunder Racing Asia, the sole non-Japanese team in the series, watching on.
Motorsports fans will be in for a treat this time around with the most number of brands participating in the race, from the three major Japanese manufacturers of Honda, Toyota/Lexus and Nissan in the GT500 class to the privateers driving Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Moslers, Corvettes, Subarus, Mazdas and many more in the GT300 class. A total of 40 teams will be competing with 15 in the premier GT500 class and 25 in the GT300 class.
One of the main avenues to garner attendance for the race would be to recreate the carnival-esque atmosphere that is present during the Japanese rounds of the race at SIC. Prepare to watch SIC be transformed into a carnival city filled with stalls and booths, pasar malam style for race-goers to eat, shop for souvenirs and play while enjoying the heat of excitement from the race.
Among the activities lined-up will be the GT Queen pageant, anime costume competition, car club gathering and mini concerts among other things. With this much on offer, apart from the race itself, petrolheads and race fans alike should be clamouring to get tickets for the event.
JPM have put together a ticketing plan that will get tickets out through many agents all around the Klang Valley and Malaysia alike. While ticket prices have not been confirmed yet, Chin did announce that it would not be raised over last year’s prices.
This includes tying up with Touch N’Go and Forest One for electronic ticketing and cashless transactions. Tickets may also be purchased from 7-Eleven later on once the system is implemented.
“We will also be having offers for regional fans to enjoy the Super GT, which includes reaching out to Singaporeans, Thais and Indonesians, thus also promoting tourism for Malaysia,” said Chin, adding that he was targeting a modest 50,000 spectators for the Malaysian round this year.
For the first time ever, all nine rounds of the Super GT season will be televised on RTM. JPM are also in talks for the Malaysian round to be televised live on RTM so that more people can get a feel of the action. In fact, all nine rounds of the season will be televised live in Japan as well, including the local round in Malaysia.
“With the additional campaigns in store, it’s clear the organisers don’t only want the girlfriends, wives and parents to enjoy the race but the rest of the family members as well,” said Bandoh.
For more information on the Super GT or how to get tickets, log on to JPM MotorSport or SUPERGT.net | SUPER GT OFFICIAL WEBSITE.
