Organizers confident of trouble-free motorcycling GP

Organizers confident of trouble-free motorcycling GP

JAKARTA (JP): With three weeks until the world motorcycling Grand Prix championships here, organizers claimed yesterday that they have nothing to worry about.

Organizing committee chairman Haryanto Dhanutirto announced at a press conference yesterday that all preparations for the April 7 races at the Sentul circuit in Bogor, West Java, have been completed.

"There are only a few small things we have to come up with," Haryanto said, but failed to elaborate.

"It's time for us to show the world that we can play host to such a big event successfully," said Haryanto, who is also minister of transportation.

Indonesia will be hosting the world championships for the first time.

The government's full support of the championship, which is costing the organizers Rp 6.8 billion (US$3 million), is clearly obvious by the list of patrons and advisors of the committee.

Seven other cabinet ministers lineup the board of advisors, while President Soeharto has the patron's post.

The reigning 500cc champion Michael Doohan of Australia will lead a pack of world-class riders in the races which serve as the second stop of the 16-leg world series. The series start in the Malaysian Grand Prix on March 31. Each leg features 125cc, 250cc and 500cc races.

Haryanto said that about 400 million people around the world will watch the Indonesia Grand Prix through live television broadcast.

The organizers are selling tickets for between Rp 15,000 and Rp 1 million (between $6.50 and $430) to watch the qualifying and final races. Door prizes, ranging from cars to TVs, are also being offered in a bid to attract spectators.

In a bid to prevent traffic jams, the organizers will provide shuttle air-conditioned buses for spectators from Senayan, Central Jakarta, to Sentul. (amd)