SIC Confirms Local Participation In Malaysian MotoGP On Wildcard Ticket

SEPANG, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- There will be at least one local rider zooming around on a wildcard ticket in the 2024 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) from Nov 1-3.

SIC chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif confirmed this ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Malaysian MotoGP.

He said details regarding the number of riders and the categories to be competed in would be announced soon by the corporate sponsors.

"I understand that the rider(s) are gearing up… Insya-Allah, there will be an announcement in the next week or two. Not in the main class (MotoGP), but perhaps in the Moto2 or Moto3 categories,” he said today.

 He said this after announcing a RM500,000 strategic collaboration with Tourism Selangor for the Malaysian MotoGP in conjunction with Visit Selangor Year 2025.

Last year, Helmi Azman and Azroy Hakeem Anuar were awarded wildcard slots representing team Petronas MIE Racing RW while Muhammad Syarifuddin Azman, popularly known as Damok, raced the full season with team MT Helmets-MSi.

Asked about ticket sales, Azhan Shafriman said that, so far, about 70 to 80 per cent of the tickets have been sold and SIC would continue its efforts to reach its target of 200,000 spectators for the race weekend this time compared with 182,912 in 2023.

Meanwhile, he said the SIC would upgrade the Main Grandstand and the North Paddock at an estimated cost of RM12 million through grants obtained from the federal government.

"This includes repairing our sewage plant because the pipes have never been replaced since 1999.

"For the track, we will only implement the Misano kerbs at turn 15 to comply with race requirements introduced to control track limits. We will raise the kerbs to a certain extent so that the bikes won't go over them,” he said.

Meanwhile, Selangor Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim said he will forward the spectators’ hopes of a 25 per cent entertainment tax rebate for MotoGP ticket purchases to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari for consideration.

"The tax is one of the revenues for the state government. However, we will consider it,” he said.

He also expressed confidence that the Visit Selangor Year 2025 campaign, to be launched in December, would be able to attract eight million visitors, including 2.4 million foreigners, to the state, bringing in an estimated income of RM11.2 billion.

The Malaysian MotoGP is one of the main promotional events for the campaign

-- BERNAMA