Palembang rally to be expanded
JAKARTA (JP): Beginning this year, the third leg of the National Rally Championship Series in Palembang, South Sumatra will change into a three-day event with an additional 100 kilometers of track, organizers announced yesterday.
Committee Vice Chairman Poedio Oetojo told a press conference that participating drivers will now have to complete 19 special stages, covering 306.3 kilometers, compared to only 200 kilometers in previous years.
As a result, the organizers will increase the points awarded to the winner from 20 to 30, Poedio said.
The special stage extension brings the total distance of the track to 641.2 kms.
Poedio said that as of yesterday, 41 drivers have confirmed their participation, an increase of entries in each of the last two legs, which only saw 30 cars competing.
Although the extended race -- sponsored by cigarette giant Gudang Garam -- carries an international title, it failed to attract foreign drivers.
"We have contacted Malaysian Karamjit Singh and Michael Liu of Hong Kong to come, but both drivers could not make it," Peodio said.
Klaus Wicha, a German navigator for Reza Pribadi, was the only foreign participant registered for the event. Reza, who tops the championship provisional standings on 34 points, is expected to participate to maintain his lead.
National drivers like Chandra Alim, President Soeharto's son Hutomo Mandala Putra, Ricardo Gelael and veteran Tinton Suprapto will be among the big names joining the event.
Helmy Sungkar of the Indonesian Motor Association said that although no foreign drivers will take part in the rally, the race itself has been recognized by the international auto sports body Federation Internationale l'Automobile (FIA).
"We apply FIA rules, although it is not a part of the Asia- Pacific nor the World series," he said.
Poedio said that a number of teams -- including Mitsubishi, Subaru and Ford -- are surveying the track.
The chairman of the Indonesian Motor Association, Bob Nasution, said that winners of the four-leg national championship series will be awarded with Timor cars provided by the Indonesian Automotive Foundation. The series is divided into four categories: general, N group, non-seeded and GR2. (yan)