Doohan set to defend his GP title in Sentul

JAKARTA (JP): Despite his certainty of winning the World 500cc Grand Prix title, Australia's Michael Doohan will continue his bid to bag another race title when he competes in Sentul, Bogor on Sept. 28.

After winning the GP race in England on Aug. 17, the dare- devil rider from Down Under made it again in Spain last week to re-affirm his supremacy in the world's GP 500cc race with a total of 320 points.

"Doohan will be here to defend the title he won last year. I think he will again stage a do or die battle against his rivals," Tinton Suprapto, director of Sentul International Circuit said yesterday.

Doohan has won 12 of 13 races this season, taking last Sunday's Catalonia Grand Prix in a narrow victory over Spanish riders Carlos Checa and Alex Criville.

Doohan, who has already clinched his fourth world title with two races remaining, won the 25-lap, 500cc event with a .432- second advantage over Checa and by 1.750 seconds over Criville.

Second behind Doohan in the standings is Japanese Tetsuya Harada with 166 points. The two are expected to fight to their top performances in Sentul, as they have confirmed their participation in the Indonesian Marlboro Grand Prix.

The event, scheduled to be officially opened by Vice President Try Sutrisno, will be attended by President Soeharto as it was last year.

The race will feature 125cc championships and the 250cc competition and is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

Last year's race attracted numerous spectators who crowded all the roads leading to the circuit some 40 kilometers southeast of the capital -- this is not expected to happen again this year.

Fans from Jakarta who want to watch the race should turn left at the Cibinong exit then follow the route marks to the circuit. Those from Bogor should take the south Sentul exit to ease the jam at the main gate.

Tickets will be between Rp 20,000 and Rp 100,000 for the grandstands. VVIP tickets are Rp 1 million for the VVIP A grandstand. As many as 500 were sold by yesterday, the official said.

The tickets include a bus ride from Jakarta to Sentul or from Bogor to Sentul. There are 46 buses ready for fans from Jakarta and four for those coming from Bogor. (rsl)