Palembang rally to be expanded
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)