V8 Supercars headline act for Kuala Lumpur street race
V8 Supercars is set to be a headline act at the Kuala Lumpur City Grand Prix after signing a four-year heads of agreement to stage a Championship round on the streets of the Malaysian capital until 2019.
The agreement was announced by V8 Supercars CEO James Warburton and KL City Grand Prix CEO M Arrasu at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
As a curtain raiser, V8 Supercars will stage a five-car street exhibition at the inaugural KL City Grand Prix Circuit featuring Red Bull Racing Australia's Craig Lowndes, Wilson Security Racing GRM'sScott McLaughlin, Prodrive Racing Australia's Chaz Mostert, Erebus Motorsport's Will Davison and Nissan Motorsport's Todd Kelly on August 7-9, 2015.
The August event is the test bed for future KL City Grands Prix with organisers to formalise the deal with V8 Supercars following its completion.
The KL City Grand Prix is staged in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, a 3.2km circuit with 16 corners that pass through the city's most famous streets as well as iconic landmarks, including the Petronas Twin Towers.
V8 Supercars will participate alongside global GT categories at the 2015 KL City Grand Prix, an event which is expected to be broadcast to more than 1.2 billion people across 100 countries.
"We are absolutely delighted to begin this partnership with the KL City Grand Prix and be the first international racing series to participate at this spectacular event," Mr Warburton said.
"With a TV audience of hundreds of millions world-wide the KL City Grand Prix will be shining the spotlight squarely on the world's best touring car Championship in one of the world's greatest cities."
The FIA approved KL City Grand Prix circuit is a tight street track similar to those of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide and Castrol Gold Coast 600 which provide spectacular, wheel to wheel racing through the middle of the CBD.
"This four-year contract is right for the KL City Grand Prix, right for our great V8 Supercars Championship and right for our race teams and right for our sponsors," Mr Warburton said of the agreement .
"Having four Championship races in Kuala Lumpur until 2019, in close reach of Australia and in a similar time zone for our fans are key ingredients.
"We would envisage that many fans would make their way to Kuala Lumpur to watch us race live on what will be one of the world's most spectacular street tracks."
GT Global Race SDN BHD are the owners and promoters of the KL City Grand Prix. They have aspirations to promote a series of high profile street races across the Asia Pacific region. The streets of Kuala Lumpur has become the first venue to be developed by the team.
M Arrasu, KL City Grand Prix CEO, said: "We are delighted to kick-off our partnership with V8 Supercars. Certainly this renowned race series already has a well-established following among motor racing enthusiasts not only in the ASEAN region, but also around the world.
"The introduction of the V8 Supercars will further charge up the already exciting program of this inaugural KL City Grand Prix this August.
"The KL City Grand Prix this year includes several hallmark international series as well our very own flagship race that will feature champion drivers from around the world, the GT City Cup," M Arrasu added.
"We look forward to welcoming V8 Supercars fans from Australia and around the world, who will converge to keep track of their favourite V8 Supercars teams. You will all relish the wonderful hospitality and charm that Malaysia has to offer."
With all the classic attributes of a tight and gritty street track the KL City Grand Prix circuit also boasts features seldom seen on a true city street track.
Fast sweeping turn combinations and significant elevation change on Jalan Sultan Ismail, a tight run through Jalan Perak and significant overtaking opportunities such as the bottom of Jalan Ampang make the KL City Grand Prix Circuit not only exciting but FIA compliant, approved and safe.
