V8 Supercars’ international expansion has been more hit than miss. Rounds in China, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and the United States of America came and went. So what makes Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia any different?
The Australian touring car series has signed a four-year agreement to stage a championship round on the streets of the Malaysian capital from 2016.
Five V8 Supercars representing the five manufacturers on the grid, Red Bull Racing Australia’s Craig Lowndes, Volvo Polestar Racing’s Scott McLaughlin, Prodrive Racing Australia’s Chaz Mostert, Erebus Motorsport’s Will Davison and Nissan Motorsport’s Todd Kelly, will complete an exhibition at the inaugural KL City Grand Prix Circuit event on August 7 to 9 this year in preparation for the racing debut in 2016.
As opposed to the previous international destinations, the KL City Grand Prix is staged in the heart of a major city, a 3.2-kilometre circuit with 16 corners that pass through the city’s most famous streets and past iconic landmarks, including the Petronas Towers.
The ‘take the event to the people’ approach has worked wonders for V8 Supercars, which has built its schedule on marquee street circuit events at Adelaide, Townsville, Gold Coast and Sydney. And in countries where the series is an outsider, a street circuit is the best possible way to appeal to the masses.
Kuala Lumpur is close to Australia and easy for fans to fly in and out of, with plenty of affordable accommodation. And crucially for fans watching from Australia, the similar time zone will make it easier to watch from home, as opposed to the late nights required to follow events in America and the Middle East.
Importantly, too, Malaysia has a strong motorsport culture, having hosted Formula One and MotoGP at the Sepang circuit outside of Kuala Lumpur for over 15 years.
Many fans will question why V8 Supercars bothers with international expansion, especially following the struggle to sustain events in America and the Middle East.
But international events provide the series with a much-needed selling point to sponsors and manufacturers, the majority of whom have an overseas presence and for whom key markets such as Kuala Lumpur in the heart of Asia are appealing.
And, unlike the AFL, the V8 Supercars series has a product that can easily be translated into overseas markets given the popularity of motorsport in most parts of the world.
The V8 Supercars calendar as it stands is too thinly spread across a calendar year. Australia and by extension New Zealand do not have the circuits to fill a calendar needed to adequately cater for V8 Supercars and its sponsors.
While new circuit proposals are few and far between in Australia and New Zealand, tapping into the booming Asian market and its growing interest in motorsport can help strengthen V8 Supercars.
Fear not, V8 Supercars will always remain an Australian product. But to truly reflect the growth in relations between Australia and Asia, the odd round in the likes of Kuala Lumpur can only boost the series.
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