Our Own Race Track, Finally !!!

[kenntona]

So is F1 coming to town?

March 9 (Bloomberg) - Singapore may build a S$15 million permanent motor sports racing track on a 50-acre site in the west of the city-state, the Business Times said, citing people it didn't name.

Funding for the project, which is expected to help boost tourism, may come from Singapore Agro Agricultural, which declined to comment on the project immediately, the newspaper said. The site will include a 3-kilometer circuit, a country club, restaurants and a shopping center, it said.

JTC Corp., which owns the land where the track may be built, called the project "confidential,'' the report said. JTC is Singapore's biggest industrial landlord.

The track will be sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de I'Automobile, or FIA, the world governing body for motor sports though it won't be used for Formula One races, the Business Times said.

 

[AC Boy]

Re: Our Own Race Track, Finally !!!

So is F1 coming to town?

March 9 (Bloomberg) - Singapore may build a S$15 million permanent motor sports racing track on a 50-acre site in the west of the city-state, the Business Times said, citing people it didn't name.

Funding for the project, which is expected to help boost tourism, may come from Singapore Agro Agricultural, which declined to comment on the project immediately, the newspaper said. The site will include a 3-kilometer circuit, a country club, restaurants and a shopping center, it said.

JTC Corp., which owns the land where the track may be built, called the project "confidential,'' the report said. JTC is Singapore's biggest industrial landlord.

The track will be sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de I'Automobile, or FIA, the world governing body for motor sports though it won't be used for Formula One races, the Business Times said.

I was speaking with the MD of Kart World, the one that runs the kart circuit at Yung Ho Rd, apparently they've been appointed to run its operation.

 

[rex7_vtec]

A race track, nice!! Looks like I'll go check if they allow me to setup an ice cream stall!

 

[littleblackalfa]

No F1... But JGTC??? WOOHOO!!! Race Queens!!!

 

[Racebred]

no ice cream stall, but i'm sure ROV will set up a branch there, perhaps right beside the main gate. hahahahahhahaha

 

[arsenal62]

A race track, nice!! Looks like I'll go check if they allow me to setup an ice cream stall!

I suggest you join hand with kenntona to promote SGP race queen event and I can be your QRA Dept in-charge for free. As for ROV branch next door mentioned by RB.... no worry... sent 'em 2 dozens of race queens (fail QC test type) to busy with.

 

[kenntona]

I suggest you join hand with kenntona to promote SGP race queen event and I can be your QRA Dept in-charge for free. As for ROV branch next door mentioned by RB.... no worry... sent 'em 2 dozens of race queens (fail QC test type) to busy with.

Huh? Me pimp? I can get you few race kings though......

 

[louis]

here's the full article:


By SAMUEL EE

(SINGAPORE) Car racing will return to Singapore. Work on a permanent track costing at least US$15 million starts soon at Tuas, confirming an earlier BT report.

A site of more than 50 acres near Asia Pacific Breweries on Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim will house a race track and various leisure-related buildings. The 20-year lease for the JTC land is estimated at between $10 million and $15 million.

Funding for the project is said to come from Singapore Agro Agricultural (SAA), one of Turf City's main shareholders. When contacted, SAA said it has no comment for now. And JTC called the project 'confidential'.

But a source said infrastructure at the site will include buildings for cafes, restaurants and even a shopping centre to make the project commercially viable.

'It will be a destination for the whole family,' he said. 'While dad is watching the race, mum and the kids can entertain themselves or go shopping.'

A country club is also on the cards, where members will enjoy leisure facilities and other club privileges.

The track is said to be about 3km long - slightly shorter than the Pasir Gudang track in Johor. The circuit will be FIA-sanctioned but it won't be for Formula One races - partly because of the astronomical hosting fees required.

FIA is the world governing body for motor sports and organises other events such the World Touring Car and GT championships.

'We are not targeting F1 but we will still have races that will bring in spectator crowds,' said the source. 'The touring car championship will have entrants who drive cars like the Alfa Romeo 156, BMW 3 Series, and even the Chevrolet Optra - cars you and I can associate with.'

There will also be weekend races and track days - something that should excite local motor sports enthusiasts who have been lobbying the authorities for a circuit. Until now, these recreational racers have only had car park rallies, like those organised by the Singapore Motor Sports Association. But permits for these have not been issued since late 2003.

The source said construction of the Tuas track is expected to begin in a few months once regulatory approvals are given.

The land earmarked for the circuit is said to have been put on the market early last year. It is zoned for motor racing activities and SAA tendered for it late last year.

Singapore is considering motor sports as a way to boost tourism, and races here could also be marketed as part of a regional series involving other Asean countries. The last time there was any organised racing locally was in the 1970s. But the Singapore Grand Prix was dropped because of the Opec oil embargo.

 

[Racebred]

the location is behind F&N.

 

[louis]

so does anybody know when the track will be completed and opened to the public?

 

[Whisky_Tango]

Wah!! Damn near my office. 1min drive kao liao.

 

[Racebred]

many more years dude. it's not going to be just a racetrack. it'll be a motoring hub. workshops and service centres will all be set up there. secondary amenities supporting it will come out. malaysians will also be lured here. local driving courses will be pulled back from PG to this track. motoring magazines and TV motoring shows will be done there. it'll be a motoring village. Big things are being planned for the viability of this track.

It'll be sized between PG and sepang, but will not be big enough for F1. there's a drag strip and skid pan planned. perhaps even a kart track.

If it's not priced to kill, i'll go every other day man. unfortunately the size of real car enthusiasts interested of this level of car participation is very small in the already small singapore, and hopefully this track can stay alive for many years to come, and not become another tang village.

PG is already struggling with lowered levels of participation. i think with this track opening, PG may have to close shop.

 

[T6]

I think with the accessibility of a local track, there shd be interest coming from the local driving community... but also mean more souped up machines on the road and more chiongsters even on normal roads.

 

[Racebred]

if there's a local racetrack, perhaps there will be less chiongsters. there are hardly any rape cases in geylang. hahahahahahha

 

[T6]

if there's a local racetrack, perhaps there will be less chiongsters. there are hardly any rape cases in geylang. hahahahahahha

if there are more souped up machines on the road, on the days that they are not tracking, sure play abit on normal roads one... gosh beginning to sound like a casino debate.

for me, I dun mind since I buy second-hand cars. Alway good to "inherit" a done up car hehe.

 

[Shaun]

LET THE FLOGGING BEGIN!

Motorsport appears to be growing rapidly in the developed countries. In the US, the main events has recently surpassed Superbowl level corporate attention because of how it is growing. Going big in China, Mid east, as well. Even back home in SG, the number of trackdays the different clubs are organizing is growing. TCC used to be small, now is big, and not there are the SG-trackies group pushing 90 strong trackdays, WRX clubs, Evo club, BMW, Porsche, Ferrari..

Add karting and sportbike to the mix, and this new track can very well operate 24 hours for most of the days in a year. This track will also pull some of the bigger malaysian racers into SG.

Competition fuels standards, standards drive industry, industry helps the economy. Hopefully this track really is built to good standards and things really start taking off. Couple of years that and Singapore could be on the world stage in some events.

 

[Remus325]

I think it will be a great business idea to set up a patrol station serving up 100 octane race gas near the track. The station can also stock up slicks of various sizes and other racing gear.

 

[Welbo]

This is great news for all. Imagine next time our stop will be at Tuas... Makan burger 10 mins, track for an hour and drive back to work..................siok man............
Can even put a de-register stripped down "track-car" there if there is space for rent!


Cheers!

 

[littleblackalfa]

I thnk they should have a Wheel storage room there. So we can have 1 set of rims with slick tires to change everytime we go there. Once we're done change back... good business idea ya?

hmm... *thinking*

 

[jaskin]

Cool, a wheel storage would be great.