SHAH ALAM, July 29: About 5,000 guests who were present at the first round of the Selangor Motorcycle Race 2013 (SMR 2013) which opened the tournament this season, making it a hit among the public, especially the youth.
The event which took place at the Kuala Selangor Sports Complex parking site received cooperation and support from the Selangor State Government through the Exco for Youth and Sports, Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi as well as the SMR official lubricants, Motul Malaysia.
The SMR Race Director, Asmawi Askor, in a statement said for the 2013 season, the organisers implemented some reforms in the status, format and race system, among them includes the upgrading of international invitation allowing participation for racers from abroad.
In addition, the number of laps in the race has also been added – 30 laps for three ‘Standard Modified’ categories and 33 laps for the ‘Marco Simoncelli Cup’.
The organisers also raised the prize to RM1,700 for each ‘Standard Modified’ category and RM2,500 for the ‘Marco Simoncelli Cup’ category.
“With the theme ‘Racing Up Fever’, it has attracted 52 applications across the country, especially from Selangor.
“Race participation is always positive despite the fact that prior to the event, for two consecutive weeks, the Malaysian Cup Prix and the National Endurance Championship took place,” he said.
He added that the second round of the SMR will take place from the 13 to 15 September at the same location, and participation is expected to exceed 100 entries.
In the first round of the last championship, the final race for the SR 130 4T category was won by a young contestant, Muhammad Iqbal Amri Abd Malek, the SR 150 4T was won by Zulsyafiz Rosli, the 150 2T was won by a senior racer, Muhammad Kanafi Kamaruddin, while Muhammad Izzat Zaidi Salehan won the Marco Simoncelli Cup category.
