KUALA LUMPUR: The long-awaited eRacing Grand Prix SEA is set to take off at the Sepang International Circuit this weekend when the championship opens its doors in the country for the first leg of the time trial rounds in conjunction with the Malaysia Speed Festival (MSF).
With an objective of transforming virtual racers into real-life motorsport champions, the eRacing Grand Prix made its debut in Hong Kong last year and the man responsible for bringing this genre of motorsport to this region is Malaysia’s former Formula 1 driver and founder of Axle Motorsport, Alex Yoong.
The time trial stage will be spread over a few weeks which entitles each contestant to complete five trials per entry. The top 45 racers with the best times will then be split into three groups for the semi-final round. This is followed by the top 5 of each group advancing to the Grand Finals to battle it out for the Championship crown.
Alex is excited about having the grand prix for the first time in Malaysia and is hoping that this initiative will kick start a new era for Malaysia’s motorsport industry.
“We are very happy with the response we have been getting going by the number of entries and also the backing of the sponsors,” said Alex. “It is always exciting to do something for the first time in a new market. Everything is coming together just like we hoped for and I can’t wait to get started.”
Alex also advised all participants to be well prepared for the time trials as he is anticipating some close battles among the participants when the grand prix moves into the later stages.
Alex added: “It is vital for participants to pay close attention to the website updates because we will be releasing what cars will be available for them to use and what tracks will be featured during the time trials. In addition, plenty of practice is also important for participants to prepare well for the time trials.
“There are many passionate people who I see are very serious about taking part in this competition. I am expecting it will be similar to the Hong Kong edition where we discovered some really good drivers. If you have an access to a simulator, don’t just do the lap time around the track but also practice racing with other cars and also think about tyre management with different tyre compounds. If the participants make it to the top 45, they will need to be equipped with skills such as overtaking and defending his position. Watching a lot of races helps them to get the idea.”
After this first leg in Sepang, the next eRacing Grand Prix SEA time trial is scheduled to take place at Centre Court, Atria Shopping Gallery on July 13-14, 2019.
The Grand Prix will then head to the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand as their next stops where the winner in each country will be trained and offered a spot in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship (F4SEA), an experience worth Euro $100,000 which will is the first step for the winners towards becoming a professional race car driver.
For more information, please visit eRacing Grand Prix SEA’s official Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/ergpsea or log on to their website: https://ergpsea.com/
