GP organizers seek help from rain masters
GP organizers seek help from rain masters
JAKARTA (AFP): Organizers have called in traditional rain masters to make sure the Sentul track -- in one of Asia's wettest places -- stays dry for Indonesia's first motorcycle grand prix Saturday.
Some teams have expressed concern at the conditions of the track in Bogor, south of Jakarta, which is known as "rain city" because of continual showers.
But the organizers say everything possible has been done, including the use of 'pawang hujan' rain masters and they are confident that the inaugural event will be safe.
"We have had two or three 'pawang hujans' here for about a week already. They are moving the rain to nearby villages, we're hoping it will be a dry race," Tinton Suprapto, president director of PT Sarana Sirkuit Indo Utama told AFP.
The team manager of Honda Racing Corporation, Tatsuo Kurosawa, was quoted as saying there were drainage problems during trials when the track failed to dry out properly and left dangerous wet patches.
"This is not so good for rider safety," Kurosawa said.
Despite the concerns of the Honda team, led by 1995 world champion Mick Doohan, Tinton said the track was safe.
"Of course it's safe. It depends on the riders. Even in Malaysia there were many accidents. The riders have to be careful," Tinton said, referring to last week's Malaysian Grand Prix.
The 3.96 kilometer (2.42 mile) track is located in the hilly area close to Bogor, 42 kilometers south of Jakarta. The wet season is just finishing in Indonesia and the capital has had serious flooding.
Other teams said although wet conditions had affected their trials in March, they found the track suitable.
"I tried the track last month. It's not so bad, a combination of fast and slow corners. I rode everyday and the only problem was the track was only dry for 25 laps. It was always raining, but I didn't try it in the rain," Yamaha rider Loris Capirossi told AFP.
The Italian said "rain or no rain" all the riders would be performing under equal conditions so it "would not be a problem."
Sentul's owners have spent US$ 20 million on circuit modifications to make the switch from four wheels to two, according to Tinton.
"We made modifications to the area to fix the water problem in the wet season - a small river and drainage holes around the track. We have already removed the cement barriers for the bikes," Tinton said.
Tinton said to avoid rain problems next time, race organizers may try to plan the Grand Prix for the dry season months of May or August.
Practice starts on Friday with the start grid to be decided Saturday.
Sunday's racing will be watched by President Soeharto and Tinton said he expected a crowd of between 50,000 and 90,000 people.
The track is owned by Soeharto's youngest son, Hutomo Mandala Putra (Tommy). It was built in 1991 and was opened in 1993. It has already staged top class motor racing as well as a world superbike championship race in 1994 and a world series superbike last year.
Doohan and fellow-Australian Darryl Beattie will this weekend be seeking to stop Luca Cadalora, winner in Malaysia, of building up an insurmountable lead at the start of the season.
Beattie missed last weekend's race through injury and Doohan managed only third place, behind Cadalora and Brazilian Alexandre Barros.