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| Sepang Adventure |
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| Get your driver
fantasies on track by Leow Ju Len |
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Need to blow off steam behind the wheel?
A track day is the safest, most fulfilling
way to exorcise the speed demon in you,
and there's no better place for that in
Malaysia than Sepang, says Leow Ju-Len…
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Inside just about everyone who loves cars,
there's a frustrated racing driver. This
is especially true of motoring journalists,
who come away from any track drive muttering
thoughts of 'If only, if only…' to
themselves and anyone else who cares to
listen.
Still, it's always fun to fantasise, and
what better setting for that than the venue
for the second round of the FIA Formula
One World Championship?
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The
Sepang F1 Circuit is a driver's nirvana. A
5.542km loop of smooth, wide tarmac, Sepang
presentsboth a real challenge and a chance
for the simple fun of driving flat out. Its
15 turns include everything from high-speed
corners which test your nerves, tight low
speed switchbacks that allow you to hone the
art of braking and corner placement, as well
as tricky double-apex bends that punish errant
driving.
The circuit layout certainly rewards good,
fast cars with powerful engines, but the lower
speed bends suit agile cars shod on sticky,
high-performance tyres. Nevertheless, it's
a blast in any car. I had a run in a Lexus
GS 300, which looks bargy and more at home
on a hotel porch than on an F1 circuit. But
the thing about a circuit drive is that it
reveals a car's true personality. Whereas
the Lexus is all grace and calm in the city,
it's a proper hooligan on the track, sprinting
between corners like a hungry hound after
its quarry, and then wagging its tail furiously
all the way through half of the track's corners.
You could have timed my laps with a sundial,
but I haven't stopped smiling since. |
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Keen to have a go? One of the best ways
is to join up with a group like Traction
Circle, a clutch of car enthusiasts who
organise regular track days. On the other
hand, you can always turn up for one of
the track's open track Sundays, which should
kick off on a regular basis once the fever
from the Malaysian Grand Prix in March wears
off. During these free-for-all days, the
track authorities open the circuit up to
drivers and bikers, with separate sessions
for both. The cost per driver is just RM130.
So what are you waiting for? Sepang isn't
just the best place for drivers in Singapore
to savour life at high-speed. It's one of
the best places for it in the world.
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| Take the North-South Highway
towards Kuala Lumpur. Turn off at Exit 214,
heading for Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
From there, keep following the signs for KLIA.
Watch for a large, ornate mosque on your left
as you approach the airport. The left turn
after that brings you straight to the circuit,
although the signs that say 'Sepang F1 Circuit'
ought to give you a clue. Note: From the main
North-South Highway, do NOT take the exit
for Sepang! That takes you to the sleepy little
town that gives the circuit its name, not
the circuit itself. The correct, KLIA exit
is around the 285km mark and comes after the
Sepang exit. |
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There
are several hotels that one can stay at, one
of the most convenient and comfortable being
the Pan Pacific at KLIA. With prices starting
from just RM330 per night it's relatively
affordable. This is the hotel that some of
the teams stay at so if you want to "bump"
into Formula 1 drivers having breakfast, this
is the place to be. |
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ADDRESS:
Pan Pacific
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Jalan CTA 4B, 64000 KLIA Sepang,
Selangor Darul Ehsan,
Malaysia
Website: www.klairport.panpacific.com
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One
of Malaysia's most elegant hotels is the award-winning
Shangri-La Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Set among
lush gardens, it is just 60 minutes from the
international airport, and the track, and
just 5 minutes from the downtown business
and shopping districts. The Shangri-La Hotel
restaurants offer some of the finest dining
in all of Kuala Lumpur. |
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ADDRESS:
Shangri-La Hotel,
Kuala Lumpur
11 Jalan Sultan Ismail,
50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: (60-3) 2032 2388
Fax: (60-3) 2070 1514
Email: slkl@shangri-la.com
Website:
Shangri-La
Website
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Make sure you have a good set of tyres
on your car before heading out on to the
track. They should be relatively new and
have plenty of tread left. Bad tyres means
a slow lap time or heart-attack handling
at best, and a bent car at worst.
For the circuit, push a bit of extra air
into your tyres. This will prevent sidewall
flex in the corners, providing better grip
and a more stable car overall, at the expense
of ride comfort. Check the owners' manual
or inflation label (usually on the pillar
at the driver's door) for the right high-speed
tyre pressures your car needs, then add
3 to 4 psi to that.
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Just before leaving the pits, do a final
inspection on your tyres. Look out for any
sharp objects lodged in the tread.
Servicing you car just before a track day
is a good idea. At the very least, have
the brakes checked!
Don't eat too much before your track session.
Try the food of F1 drivers - simple pasta
(or mee) will provide lots of carbohydrates
for energy. A banana eaten half an hour
before the session starts will also give
an energy boost.
Clear out your car beforehand. Any loose
stuff will clatter around the cabin as you
corner hard and brake heavliy. You don't
need the distraction.
Don't drive with the windows open. If things
get topsy-turvy, you want all your limbs
inside the car.
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Circuit etiquette is fairly standard: overtaking
is done on the straights only (many a punch-up
between track day heroes happens because
two cars have a mid-corner clash). If a
faster car is coming up to pass, signal
early before moving out of the way smoothly.
Likewise, if you need to pass a slower car,
make sure he sees you first. If you see
a friend stuck in the gravel, resist the
urge to stop and help - you'll place yourself
and people on the track in danger if you
park your car trackside. Instead, head for
the pits and signal the tow truck.
If you're a first timer at Sepang, try to
get someone more experienced to show you
the correct lines. Even Hakkinen found Sepang
tricky the first time he was there. On the
whole, knowing the best lines to take through
a circuit is more important than having
lots of car control or driver skill.
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Sepang is a killer on the brakes - lots
of road cars wilt after three hot laps.
If you need to pull into the pits to give
your car a break, don't engage the parking
brake after stopping. Your brakes will be
sizzling and they'll cook the pads.
Finally, note these trouble spots: Turns
1, 9 and 15 catch out cars that don't have
excellent brakes. Turns 5 and 6 are tricky
for those with immensely powerful cars.
Turn 14 confuses just about everyone. The
rest of the circuit, thankfully, is pretty
easy.
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Sunblock |
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Light,
cool clothing |
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Lots
of water, or isotonic drinks |
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A helmet
is a must |
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Good
driving shoes |
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Driving
gloves are handy, but optional. But
hey, they make you look pro |
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An extra
t-shirt for after the session ends |
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Sepang
International Circuit track office
Tel: 02 03-85262045 or 02 03-85262065.
Traction Circle - log on to www.tractioncircle.com
or
Email: membership@tractioncircle.com
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| Note
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| Prices quoted
in the article are estimates, please check with service providers/suppliers
for their latest pricing.
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