SIC go to Phuket to promote Malaysian GP
KUALA LUMPUR: In a bid to improve ticket sales, the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), the organisers of the Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix on Sept 25, are holding promotion activities at the Phuket Bike Week this weekend.
The SIC are hoping to ride on the excitement of last weekend’s opening round of the MotoGP season in Jerez, Spain, to attract fans from Thailand.
“Jerez provided a splendid teaser of what fans can expect for 2005 – a fight to the finish. Images of Valentino Rossi battling with Sete Gibernau until the last corner at the Spanish GP will firmly be on the minds of the racing fans.
“That is, perhaps, the best selling point for us in promoting the 2005 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix,” said SIC general manager Ahmad Mustafa, who led a convoy of bikers to the Phuket Bike Week 2005 this weekend.
The Phuket Bike Week, hailed as the biggest annual biking carnival in the Asia Pacific region, attracts more than 10,000 enthusiasts from as far as Australia and Europe.
Over the years, the SIC have used the event as the launching pad for their international promotions for the Malaysian Motorcycle GP.
“With a huge attendance of bikers from all over the Asia Pacific region, the carnival provides the most effective platform for networking and to send out information about our event. Without doubt, the 2005 Malaysia GP will be hugely thrilling.
“If people think that Rossi is going to be complacent after winning his sixth world title last year, they’re definitely wrong. And, if people think that Rossi is going to have it easy this year, they are also wrong. It was evident at the Spain GP.
“The 2005 season is expected to a keen affair with the Hondas determined to recapture their constructors’ crown while Yamaha and Rossi will be committed to retaining their respective titles,” said Ahmad, who was in Jerez last weekend.
He said that the popularity of MotoGP was growing tremendously and he expect the championship to grow bigger as the race will be making a return to the United States this year.
“The battle in the lower 250cc and 125cc classes will be just as interesting especially with the coming of age of the young riders like Daniel Pedrosa, Casey Stoner and Alex de Angelis,” he said.
Ahmad added that apart from Thailand, the SIC would also be promoting the event aggressively in Singapore and Indonesia.
On the home front, Ahmad said that the interest from the local fans was also growing, adding that the support of corporate companies had also grown in tandem with the renewed interest among the motorcycle racing fans.
With that scenario, he expressed confidence that SIC would break the 46,318-spectator attendance for the 2004 race, which was the highest ever at Sepang Circuit since the first GP in 1999.
Sepang will host the 15th edition of the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix and Round 13 of a 17-round world championship this year from Sept 23-25.
Tickets are priced as low as RM10 and are currently on sale at a discount of 10 per cent for purchases before June 30.
For details, contact the SIC national press officer, Azhar Ghazali, at 603-87782255.
News Poll
- Shocker in septic hole
- RM20mil fine for illegally downloading 10,000 songs
- Bank Negara goes after money-changers
- Muhyiddin: Best time to take over ailing Japanese firms
- Validity of law questioned in Iking ‘enticement case’
- Exec admits RTM labelled Karpal as traitor to royalty
- Elaine gets personal in role of grand-aunt Sybil Kathigasu
- TNB may increase rates, new tariffs still require Cabinet nod
- Foreign cars limited to 20 litres of fuel to curb smuggling
- There is hope for peace in south Thailand, says Najib
- Bank Negara goes after money-changers
- RM20mil fine for illegally downloading 10,000 songs
- Fake doc gets sent home
- Muhyiddin: Best time to take over ailing Japanese firms
- Visas to China to cost more from Dec 16
- TNB may increase rates, new tariffs still require Cabinet nod
- Foreign cars limited to 20 litres of fuel to curb smuggling
- Let’s not compromise on the quality of doctors
- Anwar’s appeal ‘defective’ as documents not in Bahasa Malaysia
- Shocker in septic hole
RSS
