http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/News/Story/A1Story20070712-18106.htmlComing soon: S'pore's 1st motorcross and racing trackGood news for motorcross and racing enthusiasts! They will soon have a track to enjoy the sport - right in Singapore.The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) recently awarded a 25,000 sq metre site to Lam Chee Development Pte Ltd a plot to develop into a motorcross training and racing track. The state land at Tuas West Drive is the size of about 3 football fields, and is located next to Tuas Bus Terminal."This is the first time state land has been awarded for motorcross activities. Currently, two-wheeler motorcross enthusiasts have to travel overseas to enjoy the sport. This is also the first time that Lam Chee is venturing into the motorcross business", says SLA in a statement today.Although the tenancy is up to December 2009, Lam Chee has committed to invest at least $250,000.Construction work began in June and it is expected to be ready by early 2008. It will feature a race track, spectator stand with a capacity of 100, a car park for 60 lots, a cafeteria and some retail shops.Lam Chee hopes to attract mainly local racing enthusiasts for motorcross activities on both two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles. It is also negotiating for tie-ups with private motor clubs and associations."In selecting the winning bid, SLA considered among other factors, the tendered price, concepts, proposed uses, track record and financial health of the bidders," says the SLA statement.Of the 2 bids received, Lam Chee submitted the higher bid of $8,521 per month, about 13.6% more than the guide rent."Lam Chee's Director, Mr Oh Keh Yew William, sees a huge potential in the motorcross industry. He said: "In recent years, there has been a growing number of racing enthusiasts in Singapore. This is evident by the strong turnout of competitors and spectators at our Kallang carpark races."However, they want much more. They travel regularly to the Pasir Gudang racetrack in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, to sharpen their skills and test the performance of their vehicles. So we thought, why not have our very own racetrack in Singapore? Racing enthusiasts can indulge in this extreme activity without leaving the country. We will provide an ideal place for our riders and drivers to practise their skills safely."Mr Oh believes that with Singapore's recent successful bid of the Formula One race, there will be positive interest generated for motor sports in Singapore. Besides marketing efforts to generate greater public awareness and interest in the sport, Lam Chee is also mindful of the noise impact on the environment. The company will engage specialists to manage noise and traffic conditions so as to minimise any adverse impact.On offering the first State land for motorcross uses, SLA's Director of Land Operations, Mr Simon Ong said: "This site at Tuas West Drive is a very good location for motorsports as it is away from the city and will minimize the noise and dust dis-amenities to surrounding land users."Previously, there was no dedicated venue for motorcross activities and enthusiasts held their races in adhoc venues such as Turf City, Lim Chu Kang, Punggol and the area behind Orchard Cineleisure. With the development of Tuas West Drive, there is now a designated venue for motorsports. This is also in line with optimising land use for the Tuas area for community and recreational use, while further development plans are being made for the site."
The Singapore Government announced today that it will be developing the motor sports industry in Singapore by working with the private sector to build a permanent race track located in Changi.A Request for Proposal for the permanent racetrack, located on a 20-hectare plot with a tenure of 30 years, is expected to go out in May 2008. The racetrack is expected to be completed by end 2010 / early 2011 – refer to fact sheet for details on racetrack.“The government has identified the motor sports industry as a growth industry that will contribute to sports development and the economy in Singapore. In our discussions with the private sector, industry players shared that the development of a permanent racetrack is critical for us to develop a comprehensive motor sports industry. The government has thus decided to facilitate the private sector’s development of a permanent racetrack. The project will be fully funded by the private sector,” said Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.“The Singapore Sports Council will head a cross government agency working group to develop a comprehensive motor sports development plan for sports and economic development. Motor sports is the 3rd most popular spectator sport behind the Olympics and the World Cup.Many races are given extensive media coverage worldwide with global networks. This will certainly provide a boost to sport participation, excellence and industry. Motor sports is also a high-end high value industry from which premier automobile manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers from the USA, Europe and Japan draw their technical and engineering expertise.Many of these companies already have a base of operations in Singapore, from Regional Headquarters to R&D centres and manufacturing facilities. Motor sports development is expected to lead to the birth and growth of direct and indirect motor sport businesses in sectors like services, engineering, logistics, training and education. Singapore has the infrastructure, technical expertise, manufacturing and R&D capabilities to facilitate the growth of the motor sports industry.”The Singapore Sports Council will be facilitating the planning and development of the motor sport industry. Together with the Singapore Motor Sports Association and other government agencies, they will identify talent and development for locals and local motor events, while bringing in international motor events; industrial attachments to international motor sport industries and even professional race teams for exposure and expertise and looking at low-cost entry giving access to the general population with the aim to drive up motor sport interest.
