Asia Supersports Group (ASG) recently secured a 3-year deal with the Newcastle City Council to host the first round of FIM Asia Supermoto Championships in the second most populous area of New South Wales, Australia.
Satheswaran Mayachandran, chief executive officer of ASG, disclosed that the group has selected Australia as the first round which will be held on 3 and 4 September 2016.
ASG, the exclusive rights holder of the FIM Asia Supermoto Championships sanctioned by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme of Asia (FIM Asia), has embarked on a journey to promote supermoto as a major motorsport event in the region.
The first series of championship held in 2015 featured over 18 top international riders from 12 countries including Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and United Kingdom.
“Supermoto is an emerging sport in the Asia Pacific region, with surging interest towards the profession. This deal with Newcastle will further expand the sport’s reach in the Oceania region, creating a rapidly growing platform that will engage and entertain two-wheel motorsport enthusiasts for years to come,” said Mayachandran.
He added that Newcastle is an ideal ground to kick start the 2016 series with its quality infrastructure, amenities and sizable fan base.
“Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok will also be selected to host the championship. Dates for these cities will be announced soon.”
Supermoto, a race that combines various exciting elements of motocross, dirt track and road racing in one discipline. Courses feature jumps, tight hairpin turns, and high-speed straights on both dirt and asphalt surfaces.
Tracks and venues can vary considerably, allowing races to be held at racing circuits, sports stadiums, on open car parks and on closed-course city streets. This unique sport offers pure excitement and adrenaline-filled fun for the spectators, who can be as close to the race as a few metres.
NSW Tourism, Major Events and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres mentioned that the race in Newcastle expects to draw more than 3,300 international overnight visitors over three years with an estimated visitor expenditure of AUD1.9 million (RM5.62 million), in addition to a sizable number of local Australians.
“We are pleased that ASG has selected Newcastle as the opening round of the championship series, driving a stronghold amount of visitors, tourists and global supermoto enthusiasts to our city.”
The FIM Asia Supermoto Championships 2016 is organised by Asia Supersports Group, Bikenation Motorsports Sdn Bhd, CW Media Sdn Bhd and E-Plus Entertainment Productions (M) Sdn Bhd, supported by Destination NSW, Tourism Hunter and Newcastle City Council.