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GOH'S HOME PAGE Last updated: 05 Apr 2003 This page is located on:
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Sepang MotoGP
2002 Gauloises Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix Sepang Circuit, 11/12/13 Oct 2002 Page first created 16 Oct 2002; Last updated 05 Apr 2003
Do enjoy this trip report, whether you are a fan of the MotoGP, planning to attend an event at Sepang, or are just a fellow biker looking for information about Kuala Lumpur.
Another major draw, at least for the Malaysians, are the "home teams" of Petronas Sprinta-Yamaha-TVK in the 250cc class with its Malaysian rider Shahrol Yuzy, and the Proton Team KR bearing the name of the Malaysian automobile manufacturer Proton. There were busloads of Malaysian school students in Proton KR t-shirts waving excitedly whenever a Petronas or Proton bike went by.
Fortunately for viewers at home, this year the race was broadcast on Radio Television Malaysia's TV1. A good move, since viewers in Singapore and Malaysia would have a chance to watch the race. (With most Singapore homes watching television through the SCV cable network, TV2 is no longer available and TV3 is only available for a fee).
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| Survival Guide For information about accomodations in or around Kuala Lumpur and how to get to the circuit, please see my Survival Guide to KL/Sepang. |
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Time table of events
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Observations and Tips Here are some observations that you might find interesting when making a trip to the circuit in the future:
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Race Results
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Conclusion Whether it is a great event or whether it is worth your while to visit really depends on your motivation. If you are just a couch potato who can't stand travelling distances or enduring the heat, then by all means, make sure that you pay for your cable TV subscriptions and watch the race from the comfort of your comfy couch in your airconditioned room with beer and snacks. If you are a biker out for a bit of fun in the sun, enjoying watching other two-wheelers on elevated testosterone levels blasting down the race track, whether by yourself or in a group, then this might makes for an interesting day trip experience. If you are a photography buff, then a 3-day pass is a "must-have". The opportunity to shoot the bikers at work and play in their medium as well as other photo opportunities is irresistable.
If you want to see and shoot some (hopefully pretty) paddock girls, this helps too. The local models used are OK, but you might be better off waiting till the Japan GT comes to town, along with their usual bevy of lovely coquettish Japanese beauties.
Whatever appeals to you, just do it... |
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I made a
trip to the Sepang Circuit to watch Round 14 of the FIM
World Motorcycle Grand Prix 2002. If you are planning to
visit or keen on visiting Sepang, then some of the points
here may be useful to you.
The last
years saw the emergence of Valentino Rossi as a rising
star and leading contender for the MotoGP championship.
The meteoric rise of this young man has been great for
the sport: he has already swept the 125cc, 250cc and
500cc championships in 1997, 1999 and 2001 respectively.
He has consistently beaten the rest of the field and this
year, has already won the inaugural MotoGP championship
for 2002 with a by-now unassailable lead, . Descended
from Graziano, a celebrated rider in the 1970s, his
natural riding flair, youth, enthusiasm, and easy-going
charm is to MotoGP what Michael Schumacher is to to the
Formula One. The intense competition with his compatriot,
Max Biaggi, also makes for interesting action.
I had
been watching the on free-to-air TV channels of
Malaysia's TV3 and Indonesia's TPI in previous years, but
this year, nothing - zip - null - nada - zero. I
felt that this absence of free-to-air broadcast of MotoGP
this year might have dented the impact that could have
been made in attracting greater numbers. The lack of
broadcast exposure might perhaps be due to terrorism and
the recent war in Afghanistan and storm clouds of war
with Iraq, resulting in weak economic situation and the
evaporation of sponsership money for the broadcast of
this series, especially since two-wheelers does not have
quite the attraction of the F1. Unsurprisingly, the F1
has not been affected as badly. 
The
really puzzling part is that the Singapore media has
showed weak interest despite a 
actual race on Sunday. Personally, I
consider the Friday the best shooting day; I was
there for all 3 days from 8.30 am. You are less
likely to get any good pictures on Sunday than
the other days. There are little or no crowds
competing and jostling for key vantage points, so
that gives plenty of time to check out all the
strategic positions for ideal photographs. Most
importantly however, the riders are at ease, and
most of all, playful. Especially on the first
day, the riders at at their most relaxed. There
is nothing more delightful than to watch the
riders at play, having a little fun.
Because the bikes are going so fast,
tracking the motion to keep the target in the
picture frame is already pretty difficult for the
novice and one may have many misses before you
start to get the images right. To track the
motion, it is better to rotate your torso than
twist your neck, otherwise you might end up with
a very sore neck. 
You will need this because - unless
you are an accredited photographer with the
MotoGP organisation - all the publicly accessible
vantage points are quite some distance from
tarmac. But even the official photographers are
carrying very long lenses, so you'd be a dummy
not to do so. 
