KL City Supercars Extravaganza is cancelled, say sources
The championship was scheduled to be held in the Golden Triangle from August 12 to 14, mirroring the controversial KL City Grand Prix last year.
Those behind the event, GT Global, were embroiled in a legal dispute with new promoters City Motorsports in March — fuelling speculation the race would be called off. One of the GT Global shareholders had filed an application for a court injunction to stop City Motorsports from holding any street race in the city.
The KL City 400 Supercar Extravaganza website, klcity400.com, has not provided any details regarding the race and its sponsors, except a countdown of the number of days before the supposed flag off.
Insiders said the new promoters had only met City Hall once earlier this year.
“The meeting was mainly to introduce themselves but there was no decision made ... in fact, they did not even inform City Hall of the dates and the mechanisms behind the street race,” he said.
“There has not been any other meeting between both parties since. It’s already June and it is highly unlikely the organisers will receive the green light to organise the race. As far as City Hall is concerned, there is no street race in August.”
Sports Commissioner Datuk Zaiton Othman confirmed her office had not received an application from the organisers to host the event. Organisers of sporting events in the country, including motorsports events, are required to apply for a licence from the Sports Commissioner’s Office as per the Sports Development Act 1997.
Supercars chief James Warburton had in a statement yesterday said: “We have been formally advised by the Malaysian promoter that due to ongoing legal action in Malaysia, to which we are not a party, there is insufficient time to prepare the street circuit in Kuala Lumpur for the event on August 12-14.”
“The event has, therefore, been cancelled.”
Supercars had last year signed a four-year agreement to hold the race in Kuala Lumpur until 2019.
Warburton, however, is bullish the race will be held in Malaysia next year.
“We have a four-year agreement to race in Malaysia until the end of 2019 and we look forward to returning to Kuala Lumpur when all the local legal issues have been resolved. We believe this event on the streets of KL will be one not to be missed,” he said.
“We are absolutely committed to continuing to expand the series into Asia and are currently considering a number of other options to race in the region beyond 2016.”
The organisers ran into several problems in the inaugural race. They had failed to apply for a licence to host the event from the Sports Commissioner’s Office and had only submitted their forms after the matter was raised by Malay Mail on July 24 last year.
Pedestrians, motorists and those working and living in the area lamented the inconvenience caused by the circuit, which had also caused minor accidents.
from Malay Mail Online | All http://ift.tt/1TYDNPI
via Mukah Pages
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