KUALA LUMPUR – There will be a Malaysian on the grid during the Malaysian Grand Prix after all, as Syarifuddin Azman was announced as the wildcard racer for the Moto3 event during the race weekend from October 21 to 23.
Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif announced the news today during the official launch of the Malaysian GP at the Petronas Twin Towers.
According to Azhan, the news should be a catalyst for more Malaysians to purchase tickets for the GP, which have been on the slow rise compared to previous years.
“Ticket sales this year have been slower compared to 2019 when we had the last Malaysian GP.
“But hopefully with the announcement of Syarifuddin entering as a wildcard, more Malaysians will flock to SIC to watch him battle it out on track,” he said.
Syarifuddin, fondly known as Damok, is currently in second place in the FIM JuniorGP and will be racing with VisionTrack Racing Team for the Moto3 event.
Meanwhile, Azhan said the 25% entertainment tax imposed by the Selangor state government along with rising costs to organise a GP has caused ticket prices to increase.
Compared to the last Malaysian GP that took place in 2019, where ticket prices started at RM40, prices now start at RM90 and go all the way to more than RM500.
“Compared to other races in the Asian region, we are still one of the cheapest in terms of ticket prices.
“But we are still working and discussing with the Selangor state on how we can help the public to lower down the cost of admission,” Azhan added.
In 2019, a record-breaking attendance of over 170,000 spectators walked through SIC’s gates for the Malaysian GP.
Although it is an uphill task, Azhan believes that it is possible to reach that number once again since the biggest motorcycle race had made its return to Malaysia after a two-year absence.
“I have to believe it is possible to strive and reach the same number of spectators we achieved in 2019.
“My aim is nothing less than that number. With Syarifuddin onboard as a wildcard racer, I am confident that we can achieve that target,” he said.
Azhan admitted that the pandemic played its hand in the slow ticket sales.
“This year, we were late to start promoting the GP. The Malaysian borders opened in April this year, so in terms of planning, we are behind time.
“Things were slow when we had the early bird sales from April until July. But in the past couple of weeks, we have seen an upward trend in ticket sales,” he added.
At the same time, Azhan announced a special promotion for ticket sales in conjunction with Merdeka Day that will run from today until August 31.
The promotion includes a free ticket with the purchase of three tickets, another deal with three free tickets for the purchase of seven tickets, and a family package with two free kids’ tickets for the sale of two adult tickets.
Besides that, a brand-new Yamaha NVX and Y15ZR with a limited edition SIC livery will be up for grabs through a lucky draw event for ticket holders.
Tickets and more information for the 2022 Malaysian GP can be found here. – The Vibes, August 16, 2022
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