World top car racers join in Rally of Indonesia '97<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Some of the world's top rally racers have
\nconfirmed their participation in the Rally of Indonesia '97,
\nscheduled to be held in Medan, North Sumatra, from Sept. 9.<\/p>\n
The rally will start at Merdeka Square and participants will
\nrace routes around a number of plantations in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Committee organizer official Helmy Sungkar said on Thursday
\nthat so far, 12 foreign racers have registered their names to
\ntake part in the rally.<\/p>\n
The 12 foreign racers are Carlos Saint (Spain), Colin McRae
\n(England), Juha Kankunen (Finland), Tommi Makihen (Finland),
\nDidier Auriol (France), Kenneth Eriksson (Sweden), Richard Burns
\n(England), Erwin Weber (Germany), Neal Bates (Australia), Wayne
\nBell (Australia), Yoshihiro Kataoka (Japan), and Karamit Singh
\n(Malaysia).<\/p>\n
Saint, on a Ford, won last year's event on May 12, when he
\nentered the grueling race for the first time.<\/p>\n
Apart from the foreign racers, Helmy said that Indonesia will
\nfield its local racers for the rally. They are Tonny Hardianto,
\nHutomo Mandala Putra, Ricardo Gelael, Bambang Hartono and Arief
\nIndiarto.<\/p>\n
Bob Nasution, chairman of the Indonesian Motor Sports
\nAssociation, welcomed the rally when he said \"I am grateful
\nthat Indonesia was chosen for a second time to hold the 12th leg
\nof the world rally championship, and that North Sumatra will be
\nthe venue for this rally.\"<\/p>\n
But Bob hoped that the coming rally would be seen by as many
\nspectators as possible.<\/p>\n
Indrajit Sardjono, the organizing committee's chairman, said
\nthat besides the rally, there will also be an exhibition of the
\nlatest Indonesian cars and racing cars used by the top world
\nracers.<\/p>\n
\"The exhibition will be held at the Merdeka Square from Sept.
\n12 through Sept. 19,\" Indrajit said.<\/p>\n
The organizer has not yet decided who will open the rally but
\ndid say that it will be covered by 45 foreign news agencies, 100
\nlocal newspapers and magazines, and a number television networks,
\nwho will broadcast live to 150 countries.<\/p>\n
Anteve is one of the local television network which will have
\nlive coverage of the rally.<\/p>\n
Pertamina, with its Mesran Prima XI product, is a sponsor for
\nthe rally. Some 30 local technicians will be on hand to help the
\nracers.<\/p>\n
Registration for the rally is open until Sept. 7. Those
\ninterested may register their names and cars at Yayasan Rally
\nIndonesia, Hotel Danau Toba Internasional, 2nd floor, Medan, or
\nat its secretariat, Gedung Graha Purnayuda, 14th floor, Medan.
\n(lnt)<\/p>",
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