Bangsaen Speed Festival ready for the off
Town closes streets to traffic as it prepares for nation’s first road races
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Bangsaen is preparing to close the town to traffic this weekend, ready for Thailand’s first ever road races that will start this coming Sunday, November 11 and continue over a five-day period.
Former Minister of Tourism and Sports Sontaya Khunplome, who is responsible for organizing the races, is predicting that more than 150,000 visitors will crowd into Bangsaen during the week.
Sontaya said that the Bangsaen Thailand Speed Festival would be a historic event for Thailand’s auto racing, and that 3.7km of the town’s roads will be closed to traffic.
The racing festival will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday morning with the first standard roadrace in Thailand. Competitors will battle it out over the 3.7km course that includes straights and fast bends on Upper Kao Sam Muk Road and Bangsaen Beach Road.
The highlight of the competition will be the Super Car and Super 2000 categories, which will see a gathering of Thailand’s best-known racers. For pickup trucks there will be the Super Pick-up Commonrail 2,500cc event. Toyota will be featured in the Toyota One Make Race that will be held with three categories, namely the Yaris One Make Race, the Vios One Make Race and the Vios Lady.
Sontaya said that this type of racing was popular overseas but that Thailand also has the potential to do it. Bangsaen has roads that are suitable for roadracing, and beautiful scenery to form an important backdrop. The races, he said, will be an important step in developing Thailand motor sports to reach international standards.
Pattaya Mail News
Bangsaen - Super Car