Patwant Singh Channel NewsAsia 26 Mar 10;
SINGAPORE : The Singapore Sports Council has declared SG Changi the winner of the race to build Singapore's first permanent racing track.
SG Changi was one of three consortiums that submitted bids for the Changi Motorsports Hub. The other two bidders were Singapore Agro Agriculture and Sports Services.
SG Changi's plan features a S$280 million facility, which can seat 20,000 spectators.
The centrepiece is a four-kilometre track, which is longer than the current 3.7-kilometre one, and is good enough to meet FIA requirements.
It will be divided in half, so that separate races can take place.
It also has a 1.2-kilometre karting track.
Away from the track are lifestyle attractions like food and beverage outlets, a beach front and a museum.
SG Changi's the design and look were deemed innovative, flexible and functional.
SG Changi topped it up with an assurance that it has secured sound financing.
The next step is to start work and get it ready on time, by the end of 2011.
Vivian Balakrishnan, Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister, said: "Although it is a significant investment, nevertheless I think it is still of a size which can be executed fairly rapidly, and I am hoping that there would be no undue delays. We will now help facilitate all their approvals for building permits and the rest of it."
The government hopes the Hub will promote and develop motor sports and groom home grown talent.
A racing academy is one way to achieve this goal.
As the work begins to get the Hub up and running, the work also goes on to deliver quality track action.
Eddie Koh, director, SG Changi, said: "There are many international races and we have been in contact with some of these companies that run races. We are looking at GT races from Japan, from Europe, maybe from Asia also."
The Grade 2 track cannot host the Formula One race - which will continue to be a street race in Singapore for now - but there are plans to bring the Moto GP, which is the F1 of motor bikes.
Like the Singapore Formula One night race, the permanent track too will host events under the stars. And there are also plans to build a 120-room hotel, once the authorities give the green light. After all, the facility is being promoted as a tourist attraction. - CNA/il/ms
Motorsports Hub awaits building green light
SG Changi plans to start construction as early as June, provided it gets approval from all relevant authorities
Nisha Ramchandani, Business Times 27 Mar 10;
CONSTRUCTION on Singapore's much anticipated Changi Motorsports Hub could flag off as early as June or July, if all goes according to plan.
The winning consortium, SG Changi, is targeting to have the $330 million mega project completed by end 2011, and the first race underway by 2012.
If SG Changi manages to get approval from all the relevant authorities, construction could kick off in three-four months, said director Thia Yoke Kian.
SG Changi, which edged out both Singapore Agro Agriculture and Sports Services to win the bid, came out tops based on the innovative design, flexibility and functionality of its proposal, financial strength of the consortium as well as the quality of racing events, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) revealed at a press briefing yesterday.
'We can only say we would have enough funding,' confirmed SG Changi director and Singaporean lawyer Eddie Koh in response to a query on whether the group had secured sufficient financing.
The majority of the investment is said to stem from the consortium's Japanese counterparts, director and former Japan GT driver Genji Hashimoto and director Fuminori Murahashi.
SG Changi's proposed project, to be built on a 41 hectare sea-facing site near Changi Airport, will include an FIA Grade-2 3.7 kilometre racetrack designed by track specialists from Japan, a CIK Grade A 1.2 km go-kart track plus seating capacity for some 20,000 spectators.
Meanwhile, its motorsports academy will train talent from the motoring community with regard to both racing and engineering, with the long-term aim of creating ambassadors who can represent Singapore on an international platform. SG Changi has linked up with Korea-based E-Rain Racing Academy and a German consultant for the motorsports academy.
To cater to a wider audience beyond race fans, the motorsports hub was designed as a lifestyle venue, integrating F&B and retail facilities, a motorsports museum, a club house, a bonded warehouse and even a hotel.
The group's winning bid also included 'green' initiatives, such as installing solar panels on the roof of the main grandstand, which could be used to generate power.
'This exciting new project will be a great boost for motorsports in Singapore by providing a permanent base to groom motorsports talent, promote industry development, host new international events and provide more entertainment and lifestyle options for Singaporeans and tourists,' affirmed Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
As it currently stands, the racing calendar is expected to include international and regional events, such as the SuperGT series, Formula Nippon and the Japanese Formula 3 series. On the local front, events such as the Karting Championship, Drag Racing Championship and Drifting Championship are slated to take place.
While the Grade 2 track will not be able to host the Formula One (F1), the group is in talks to bring in MotoGP - the F1 of motorcycling - although the track first has to get the thumbs up from the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM).
For organisations such as the Traction Circle Club, the upcoming motorsports hub will mean greater convenience and potentially, cost savings.
The club, whose members are made up of motoring enthusiasts, makes regular treks to the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) for 'track days', said president Cheong Chung Kin.
SG Changi will operate the Changi Motorsports Hub for a 30-year period.
