Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2014 11:02:35 GMT 7
Buriram track to host Super GT race in October
Kitinan Sanguansak
The Nation March 22, 2014 1:00 am
Buriram United president Newin Chidchob,third from left, poses with MCOT president Anek Permvongseni at a conference yesterday. The new Buriram United International Circuit will host the world-famous Grand Touring car race in October while state-owned pub
Thailand's first international-standard motor-racing track, Buriram United International Circuit (BRIC), will host the world famous Grand Touring (GT) car race in October as its inaugural event.
Having clinched the hosting rights for Japan's renowned super-car race for two years, Newin Chidchob, president of Thai Premier League football club Buriram United who also serves as BRIC's consultant, revealed that hosting a world-class race like Super GT was "dream" come true.
"BRIC was born because of our dream as motor sport lovers who wanted to see a world-class racing track in the country. It's thrilling that our track will be opened with the first-ever Super GT race staged in Thailand. "The event will be a major boost to Buri Ram's tourism and will bring fame to the country by putting Thailand on the motor sports map," Newin told a packed conference at Pullman King Power Hotel yesterday.
At the same conference, state-owned public broadcaster MCOT was unveiled as the event's official broadcaster.
The company said the race, due to be held on October 7, would be televised in digital high definition.
"Securing the content of such a top-class racing event like Super GT, will help build the MCOT brand as leaders in HD broadcasting. We see this as an opportunity to showcase our capacity in broadcasting motor sports events that require high technology to transmit the thrills and spills on the track and make the viewers feel as if they were at the venue. It's a challenge as we're about to enter the digital-TV era," said Anek Permvongseni, MCOT president.
BRIC's young director, Tanaisiri Chanvittayarom, said the brand-new circuit, still under construction, would be ready to host the penultimate race of the Super GT season starting next month.
"The track is now 60-per-cent complete, which is on track to stage the Super GT race in October. Well-known track designer Hermann Tilke designed the circuit and the German also monitored the whole process of track building.
"The main feature of the track is a long straight on which drivers could race as fast as 300km per hour, while the grand-stand spectators could also watch every corner of the track," said Tanaisiri.