Track build begins in Malaysia
The track build has begun in Malaysia in preparation for this year's KL City Grand Prix.
The event -which will take place through the streets of Kuala Lumpur, showcasing some of the city's incredible sights -runs in August and will feature a V8 Supercars demonstration ahead of hosting a Championship event next year and until 2019.
According to Sdn Bhd technical consultant Simon Gardini, the first barriers have been erected, and track build is on-schedule ahead of the August 7-9 event.
"The first barriers we're laying here are in the pit lane," Gardini said on a video released this morning detailing the progress of the build.
"To make a compliant FIA circuit, you need one metre high first line of protection all the way around the track, and that can be barriers or guardrails.
To achieve the width we need around the circuits here we need to use a combination of both."
Gardini said over 1300 barriers and about 1600 metres of guardrail would ultimately be used to build the street circuit.
"At the moment -touch wood -we're on schedule," he said.
"Of course there's critical parts, and things we've got to keep control of, like any complex project, but -touch wood -[we're now] 100 per cent on schedule and I'm hoping my team keeps it that way."
The foray to Asia for this season and beyond was announced earlier this month by V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton and KL City Grand Prix CEO M Arrasu at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
Warburton also revealed an MoU has been signed with another Asian destination, as the CEO looks to increase the sport's international presence. However, any new overseas events will not be replacing Australian rounds on the calendar.
"It (Asia) opens up enormous growth opportunities for us again in terms of adding new events," Warburton recently told v8supercars.com.au.
"We are maxed out on our calendar in Australia in terms of facilities and not wanting to go twice in the year to the same circuit.
"So it really opens up some opportunities for us to grow and to add some events to the calendar, which is great."
The V8 Supercars hit the track this weekend at the SKYCITY Triple Crown Darwin - click here for broadcast information, and follow FOX SPORTS live and Ten/One for highlights.
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