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The Venue – Sepang International Circuit (SIC)
History
The Racing Section took shape under the auspices of the Classic Car Club of Hong Kong (CCCHK) in the early 1980′s with participation in the Macau GP in 1982. We raced at the Macau GP weekend until 1994 and then again in 2003 to mark the Macau GP’s 50th Anniversary.
Sponsors included The Holiday Inn, Red Bull, Martell, Caltex, Hong Kong Telecom, Shell, Camel, Tag Heuer and Gates.
In 1988, the Club extended its race programme with overseas races at the Bira Circuit, Pattaya, Thailand, and in 1992, the races moved to Malaysia’s Shah Alam circuit.
In 1995, saw a one-off race meeting at Subic Bay, Philippines, and an inaugural race at the Zhuhai, PRC Street Circuit.
The current race series commenced in 1996, when the Club switched from Shah Alam, Malaysia to a shared arrangement with Johor (Malaysia) and Zhuhai, PRC.
Finally, in 2002, the Club secured a place in the Malaysian Super Series at the Sepang Formula 1 Circuit (SIC), which has been home to us ever since.
Series Regulations and Classes
Cars must have been manufactured prior to 31 December 1988, as two-seat passenger road-going cars, and must be presented true to their original engine, chassis, body and suspension design.
To ensure competitive racing there are different classes, which allows a wide range of car-types to compete for both their Class and overall Championship points on an equal footing.
The 2012 classes are:
Class A: Cars with less than 1800 cc per 1,000 Kgs, provided that weight penalties will be added to the minimum permissible weight as follows:
- Pushrod engine – Nil
- Single overhead cam engine: +5% (i.e. 1800cc per 1,050 Kg)
- Twin overhead cam engine: +10% (i.e. 1800cc per 1,100 Kg)
Minis ONLY may run to a minimum weight of 650kg in Class A, provided that they are run an original A-Series, 3-Port, 2-Main Bearing engine .
Class B: 1,800cc to 2,700cc per 1,000kg.
Class C: Cars with non-original engines (turbo or supercharged engines limited to a maximum of 3,000cc).
Class O: Cars with more than 2,700cc per 1,000kg.
Class R: Modern Replica of classic cars. Entry is subject to the discretion of the Racing Committee.
Note: cc to weight ratio is calculated as engine cc divided by weight of car x 1,000.
Full regulations (18 March 2012)
The Cars and the Drivers
The Series is south-east Asia’s only classic car race series and attracts a host of motoring legends, including Jaguar, Porsche, BMW, TVR, Mustang, Corvette, Lotus, MG, Ford, Alfa Romeo, Datsun, Honda and Mini Cooper.
Many of the drivers have raced open wheel/Formula cars and in International Touring Car Championships, and the series now draws Classic Car racers from around the world, although most are based in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
2012 Race Schedule
The CCCHK Race Series will be held at SIC over 6 rounds, with 2 races per weekend. This year the CCCHK Race Series will be the exclusive support race for the Merdeka Millennium Endurance 12-Hour Race in August, 2010. The 2010 race weekends are scheduled to be held on:
ROUND 1 – 25th to 27th May (Malaysian Super Series)
ROUND 2 – 13th to 15th July (Malaysian Super Series)
ROUND 3 – 29th August to 2nd September (Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race) dates to beconfirmed
ROUND 4 – 14th to 16th September (Malaysian Super Series)
ROUND 5 – 2nd to 4th November (Malaysian Super Series)
ROUND 6 – 6th to 8th December (Sepang 1,000km Endurance Race)
2012 Championship Table
The Venue – Sepang International Circuit (SIC)
Malaysia set a minimum standard for future F1 circuits around the world when the SIC was officially opened on March 9th, 1999.
The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke, who has secured contracts to build many of the high-profile new F1 circuits from scratch
Tilke’s trademark circuit is a mixture of long straights and tight hairpins, mostly at the beginning of his tracks, designed to encourage overtaking.
A Driver’s Track
There are 15 corners and 8 straights, including 2 long, high-speed straights. With a minimum track width of 16 metres (22 metres at its widest), the track offers ample overtaking opportunities, which ensures exciting racing!
Our Race Series have a long-standing arrangement with a Malaysian Management Team (Velocity Sports Management), who base themselves at SIC during race weekends and assist in all matters relating to race organization; ensuring a problem-free and smooth running programme.
Track location and surrounding amenities
SIC is situated 85 km from the Kuala Lumpur city centre. But being on the doorstep (only 10kms) from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) makes it convenient for teams and drivers.
We have secured preferential rates at The Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport Hotel, which is conveniently located adjacent to KLIA.
A buggy service transports guests to and from the airport! Hire cars or hotel limo’s are available and relatively inexpensive for the journey to the track.
Getting started
If you have always had a need for speed and have wondered how to get into Classic (or Historic) Racing in Hong Kong, understand that the long and winding road is not as difficult as you may think. If you are truly convinced that the classic car racing is your niche, you must continue reading!
Jump-start your race career by getting involved in Go-Karting. This is possible in Macau only, since the closure of the Diamond Coast track earlier this year.
Karting is generally agreed to be the perfect way to learn the basics of balance, overtaking, braking and how best to negotiate turns, as well as the rules of the track. The Schumachers of this world, have all come through the karting ranks.
Driving courses and car simulators will also help make you sharper and give you the opportunity to brush up and hone your race track technique.
Volunteer is the best way to learn from the ground up. Volunteer to be a pit crew member and you will learn about tuning engines, chassis’s, brake set-ups, tyres, etc, etc.
You will get to know other racers and teams, and the tips, knowledge and general networking, will all be of great help use later when you do it yourself.
Before buying the car, decide which Group you want to race in. We run five groups in Sepang, depending on weight and engine capacity, but in all cases it is best to buy a dedicated track car.
It will be a bonus if the car required minimal maintenance to get it up to specification or to competitiveness, but there are teams available to help you with these issues.
Licensing can be arranged through the HKAA with proof of previous racing experience and/or attendance at a HKAA approved racing course. The license is valid for a year and a medical with the HKAA doctor is also a requirement.
The equipment – helmet, race suit, gloves, race boots – must all conform to FIA standard and will be examined prior to every race by the track scrutineers. They all have an expiry date, so it is important to ensure they are all current, otherwise you will be unable to compete.
Finally, your main objective now is to get a sponsor! Sponsorship dollars will naturally relieve some of the financial strain, even if it is getting air tickets or free tyres – believe me, it all helps! And remember, a weekend isn’t a weekend unless you’re in a fire retardant suit!!
