Buriram track to host Super GT race in October

[webfact]

Buriram track to host Super GT race in October
Kitinan Sanguansak
The Nation


Buriram United president Newin Chidchob,third from left, poses with MCOT president Anek Permvongseni at a conference yesterday. The new Buriram United International Circuit will host the world-famous Grand Touring car race in October

BURIRAM: -- Thailand's first international-standard motor-racing track, Buriram United International Circuit (BRIC), will host the world famous Grand Touring (GT) car race in October as its inaugural event.

Having clinched the hosting rights for Japan's renowned super-car race for two years, Newin Chidchob, president of Thai Premier League football club Buriram United who also serves as BRIC's consultant, revealed that hosting a world-class race like Super GT was "dream" come true.

"BRIC was born because of our dream as motor sport lovers who wanted to see a world-class racing track in the country. It's thrilling that our track will be opened with the first-ever Super GT race staged in Thailand. "The event will be a major boost to Buri Ram's tourism and will bring fame to the country by putting Thailand on the motor sports map," Newin told a packed conference at Pullman King Power Hotel yesterday.

At the same conference, state-owned public broadcaster MCOT was unveiled as the event's official broadcaster.

The company said the race, due to be held on October 7, would be televised in digital high definition.

"Securing the content of such a top-class racing event like Super GT, will help build the MCOT brand as leaders in HD broadcasting. We see this as an opportunity to showcase our capacity in broadcasting motor sports events that require high technology to transmit the thrills and spills on the track and make the viewers feel as if they were at the venue. It's a challenge as we're about to enter the digital-TV era," said Anek Permvongseni, MCOT president.

BRIC's young director, Tanaisiri Chanvittayarom, said the brand-new circuit, still under construction, would be ready to host the penultimate race of the Super GT season starting next month.

"The track is now 60-per-cent complete, which is on track to stage the Super GT race in October. Well-known track designer Hermann Tilke designed the circuit and the German also monitored the whole process of track building.

"The main feature of the track is a long straight on which drivers could race as fast as 300km per hour, while the grand-stand spectators could also watch every corner of the track," said Tanaisiri.


-- The Nation 2014-03-22

[soihok]

Great news for the track owners, all those involved and the area in general.

Long may it continue.

Hope they can attract some international bike racing events in the future - imagine Moto GP Thailand Round?

In all fairness, the venues used for international bike racing events have far more stringent safety requirements than car racing events. But hey, its great news isn't it?

[sirchai]

"The main feature of the track is a long straight on which drivers could race as fast as 300km per hour, while the grand-stand spectators could also watch every corner of the track," said Tanaisiri

Will the drivers have a valid driver's license?

It's a challenge as we're about to enter the digital-TV era," said Anek Permvongseni, MCOT president.

Thought we're already in it. And now Prick. Prick in Buri Ram. Sounds like Hollywood in Siberia. -

Edited March 22, 2014 by sirchai

[allan michaud]

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"The main feature of the track is a long straight on which drivers could race as fast as 300km per hour, while the grand-stand spectators could also watch every corner of the track," said Tanaisiri

Will the drivers have a valid driver's license?

It's a challenge as we're about to enter the digital-TV era," said Anek Permvongseni, MCOT president.

Thought we're already in it. And now Prick. Prick in Buri Ram. Sounds like Hollywood in Siberia. -

Being Thailand another main feature must surely be RTP checkpoints on every corner

[yankee99]

I wonder if they will need a work permit

[sirchai]

"The track is now 60-per-cent complete, which is on track to stage the Super GT race in October. Well-known track designer Hermann Tilke designed the circuit and the German also monitored the whole process of track building.

​Hermann monitored 60 %, great. Who the heck's monitoring the rest? Hermann, bitte komm zurueck. Hermann, please come back..

​Are foreigners allowed to do 350 km/h? Just curious.-

[penwithcris]

Hats off to Buriram Province. Not only have they got a top football team but now they are hosting a prestigious sporting event.

My only fear is that the televised version will be ruined by constant advertising, in much the same way as football broadcasting suffers

I can imagine the race leaders hurtling down the final straight only to be squeezed into a small rectangular box in the corner of the screen while a toothpaste ad takes centre stage

I'm due to visit my outlaws in Buriram in the Autumn, so hopefully I can take in the event live

[jimbeam1]

Hats off to Buriram Province. Not only have they got a top football team but now they are hosting a prestigious sporting event.

My only fear is that the televised version will be ruined by constant advertising, in much the same way as football broadcasting suffers

I can imagine the race leaders hurtling down the final straight only to be squeezed into a small rectangular box in the corner of the screen while a toothpaste ad takes centre stage

I'm due to visit my outlaws in Buriram in the Autumn, so hopefully I can take in the event live

When ITV took F1 from the BBC, they would cut to a commercial break.

jb1

[yankee99]

Hats off to Buriram Province. Not only have they got a top football team but now they are hosting a prestigious sporting event.

My only fear is that the televised version will be ruined by constant advertising, in much the same way as football broadcasting suffers

I can imagine the race leaders hurtling down the final straight only to be squeezed into a small rectangular box in the corner of the screen while a toothpaste ad takes centre stage

I'm due to visit my outlaws in Buriram in the Autumn, so hopefully I can take in the event live

Probably best if everyone just works for free :\)

[bangon04]

​Are foreigners allowed to do 350 km/h? Just curious.-

As long as they don't win. The Thai rider would need to win, of course...

[penwithcris]

I accept the commercial need for adverting but it's when the ads are shown that's the problem. ITV don't cut to ads in the final straight of F1

Maybe my detractors prefer the ads to the events taking place

[barrybankruad]

I hope the state of the track is better than the appalling state of many of the roads in Buriram, Chidchop has a monopoly on road maintenance in the Province, I'll bet he cares more about his racing circuit than he does about the roads we mere mortals have to travel on.

[Diablo Bob]

I hope the state of the track is better than the appalling state of many of the roads in Buriram, Chidchop has a monopoly on road maintenance in the Province, I'll bet he cares more about his racing circuit than he does about the roads we mere mortals have to travel on.

Chidchop might have the monopoly on mainenance but he doesn't control the budget allocated out of Bangkok....... he can only maintain with the funds received from Bangkok.

Blame Bangkok not Chidchop!

[sirchai]

Hats off to Buriram Province. Not only have they got a top football team but now they are hosting a prestigious sporting event.

My only fear is that the televised version will be ruined by constant advertising, in much the same way as football broadcasting suffers

I can imagine the race leaders hurtling down the final straight only to be squeezed into a small rectangular box in the corner of the screen while a toothpaste ad takes centre stage

I'm due to visit my outlaws in Buriram in the Autumn, so hopefully I can take in the event live

"Top football team,"? Sisaket FC would beat the &lt;deleted&gt; out of them and eat them alive.

[finnomick]

"The track is now 60-per-cent complete, which is on track to stage the Super GT race in October. Well-known track designer Hermann Tilke designed the circuit and the German also monitored the whole process of track building.

​Hermann monitored 60 %, great. Who the heck's monitoring the rest? Hermann, bitte komm zurueck. Hermann, please come back..

​Are foreigners allowed to do 350 km/h? Just curious.-

I'd imagine Hermann will be, as and when it's built.

Knowing Khun Newin's passion for motorbikes, I think there'll be a lot more motorbike racing here than cars, and then there's the drag strip too -- whatever brings the money in. Over the last 5 years or so, he has really changed the area of Buriram very much for the better including most of the highways leading into the town. I hope he does well with the race circuit -- I wonder if he'll have season tickets ?

[IsaanUSA]

Great news!!