Kuala Lumpur Embraces Life on the Fast Lane
Merdeka Millennium Race excitement comes to the capital.
Coverage by:
Ldragon
AndyGoh
MyD70
Tom
Thanks to the high profile exposure gained from hosting one round of the Formula One World Championship, Malaysia is identified as one of the must-visit motor sports destination in the world tourism calendar with Kuala Lumpur being the favorite pit stop city.
DBKL through Kuala Lumpur Tourism Action Council (KLTAC) is taking advantage of the strong publicity potential of motor sports and is sponsoring team Lotus ZA Racing in the Merdeka Millennium Endurance Race, an event which has gained a very strong regional following.
The MME is the only 12-hour endurance race organized in South-East Asia and it is considered as Asia’s biggest race with a grid of 77 cars and 231 drivers.
“We recognize the association with MME will provide us a platform to increase Kuala Lumpur‘s visibility as a tourist destination, more importantly is to further enhance the city’s reputation as a sport and lifestyle destination” says YBhg Datuk Hj Ruslin B. Hj Hassan, the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur.
Apart from being a shopping heaven and one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, our Capitol is also famous among those looking for outdoor activities and these activities can range from a simple nature walk at KL Tower to extreme sports such as rock climbing and motor sports.
Together, the MME, Formula One and MotoGP World Championship played a pivotal role to bring local and foreign attention to Malaysia and it is important that Kuala Lumpur is strongly identified with these prestigious events.
The Merdeka event has been a regular feature of the month-long Merdeka month festivities for the last seven years and since endurance racing is seen as the pinnacle of motor sports, it attracts entries from teams all around Asia-Pacific, as far as Japan and the field grows with every year. And as of last week over 61 cars have confirmed their participation.
Team Lotus ZA Racing comes to the race prepared to take the fight to another level with its well prepared Lotus Elise, a car with a fierce reputation as one of the best handling sports car in the world.
Although small and powered by a 1.8-litre engine, the Elise Mkl features a lightweight chassis, which will help it to be competitive in the very diverse field of cars which takes part in the event.
The team’s prospects are further brightened by the strong driver line-up which comprises Asrul Azam Ali, Muhammad Nor and Shaffei Mohammad three highly motivated drivers who can push the car hard towards the leading pack.
Over the past few weeks the car, driver and rest of the tem have been working hard to prepare themselves for the race, experimenting with set-up, installing new racing parts and clocking time on the challenging Sepang International Circuit.
They are part of a five-car contingent of Lotus privateers which enjoys the support of Lotus Cars Asia Pacific.
“Lotus Cars Asia pacific is the technical partner for all five Lotus private entries and we will be giving our fullest support to ensure their success” says Lotus Asia Pacific Division Head.
Last year a factory Lotus Exige, driven by Tengku Djan Ley, Faidzil Alang and Singaporean Dennis Lian finished in fourth place.
The other two Malaysian teams also rely on an Elsie Mark I while the teams from Singapore will bring 340R and Exige to the track.
Spectators can identify the Kuala Lumpur-sponsored team Lotus ZA Racing through the easily seen decals promoting the city on the sides, front and rear of the racing car.
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Photos by MyD70
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Photos by Andygoh:
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