Chang Circuit drawing the best

During the past year, dramatic developments have taken place in the Thai motorsport scene, thanks to the building of the Chang International Circuit in Buri Ram province.

The Hermann Tilke-designed circuit, originally called Buriram International Circuit and approved by governing bodies to stage world-class racing events, has enthused the motorsport fans in the Kingdom since it opened in October last year.

The 4.55-km track is the first FIA Grade 1 and FIM Grade A facility in the country, meaning it is capable of hosting all kinds of motorsport, including Formula 1 and World Superbike Championship, which was held in March this year with great success.

Last month, the Chang Circuit celebrated its second year with three major events – the GT Asia Series as well as the TCR International and Asian Series, which took place from October 23-25. But the really big event that caught the attention of die-hard motorsport fans was the World Touring Car Championships (WTCC) held during the following weekend. 

With names like four-time WTCC champ Yvan Muller and Sebastian Loeb, the world’s most successful rally driver with nine consecutive world titles, the event was a magnet for motorsport enthusiasts in Thailand and around the world.

Apart from drawing the best racers, the Chang Circuit also witnessed the rise of Thai motorsport stars, the latest being Rattapark Vilairoj who won the World Supersport race in the World Superbike Championship in March. 

“The Chang International Circuit serves as a stage where Thai racers can realise their dreams of entering the world of motorsport. Every time we host an international event, Thai racers receive wild cards to compete. We are making it a point to continue our policy of opening up the circuit for Thai racers to practice as much as possible in order to gain home advantage over visiting competitors,” said Newin Chidchob, the chairman of the Chang Circuit.

Newin, who also runs Buriram FC and hopes to turn the low-profile province into a tourist destination, said, “We have seen significant development of Thai teams, both 2- and 4-wheels, in terms of management. Also, the drivers and riders are able to compete neck-and-neck with foreign competitors.”

In September, Chang Circuit also hosted the Thailand National Supercross Championships, which was the first full-scale supercross event in country. The expansion at the complex is far from over, with a drift course to be officially opened later this month.

Tanaisiri Charnvittayarom, managing director of Buriram United International Circuit, who has been playing a major role in the development of the facility, said, “Our intention is to make Buri Ram the centre for motorsport and a true sports city in the future. Many new projects are coming up, including driving school and racing school that will help us develop talented racers.

“Our plan is to transform Thailand’s motorsports into a truly professional sport and prove wrong those who say that motorsports are only for the rich. We will proved that motorsports is truly a professional sport where dreams are realised,” he said.

The motorsport activity at the Chang Circuit has lifted the region’s economy with large number of visitors – 10,000 for a local event and up to 100,000 people for a world-class event, making it to the place.

“Of course the money that comes from tourism will go to the local businesses like hotels and restaurants, while the circuit employs about 2,000 people. This also benefits the country’s economy due to increased number of tourists,” Tanaisiri said.

Asked about the possibilities of staging the Formula 1 or the Moto GP, he said, “This depends on the government’s policy. Surely playing host to a Formula 1 race requires a large amount of investment. We in the private sector are trying to stage that kind of event, but we need to cover the costs and this is something that is very difficult to achieve or almost impossible.

“Formula 1 is like staging the Olympics, Asian Games or SEA Games. The country would benefit from the income and gain a positive image that will help promote tourism. As I said this will depend on government policy in creating an atmosphere conducive for sports tourism,” he said.

According to Tanaisiri, Chang Circuit helps promote events by offering free usage of the facility. “For events that help promote tourism and motorsports, we do not charge any fees for the track or personnel. For example the World Touring Car Championship was a joint effort between the Sports and Tourism Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand. We offered free usage of the circuit and deployed personnel including medics. We gave everything free of charge,” he said.

The Chang International Circuit has taken Thai motorsports to a whole new dimension and the coming months will see more domestic, regional and world-class events held on a regular basis.