The V8 Supercars is undoubtedly one of the more popular motorsports events in Australia, but it looks set on spreading the excitement to brand new regions, with Kuala Lumpur set to be part of the calendar for the next four years.
Most of the tracks on the current V8 Supercars schedule are largely in Australia and New Zealand, though several international races have taken place in the USA and the Middle East region. Kuala Lumpur though, will be joining the list, with the exhibition Grand Prix taking place this weekend.
The street circuit is located right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s metropolitan area, and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers certainly provides a fitting backdrop as well. Prodrive Racing, the team that’s arguably the strongest in series, is visibly excited at the prospect of racing in KL for the next four years.
“Obviously this year is more of an exhibition thing, and we’re here to learn more about the place and the circuit,” Peter Trevaskis, Prodrive Racing’s marketing manager, told FourthOfficial.com
“But based on what we’ve seen so far, the track certainly looks to be an exciting one. There are plenty of tight corners and narrow roads, so it will be interesting to see the strategies that are adopted by all teams here.
“Most of tracks we have in Australia are large, proper racing tracks. This is a street track so it adds diversity into the calendar as well. It will be fun.”
Prodrive Racing’s Chaz Mostart, who is third on the V8 Supercars’ driving standings, is equally fascinated by the track, pointing out that the humid conditions will serve as an additional test for drivers as well.
“I love the circuit, I think it’s one of those circuits that gets you really excited to race in it,” he told reporters.
“You’ve got to consistently commit and be aware of tight opportunities because overtaking can be difficult. Also, the humid conditions makes it a whole lot difficult.
“Australia can be pretty hot too, but it’s humid here, so there’s a slight difference in environment. But we’ve got mechanisms to cope with that, there’s a cooling system and water containers in the cars, so let’s see how it goes,” Mostart added.
While the 2015 edition will only feature five cars, all 25 cars will be officially racing here from 2016 onwards. Since Mostart, and his fellow Prodrive Racing racer, Mark Winterbottom, have signed long term deals, both men will be hitting the KL streets again in 2016.
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