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)