Postponement of Idemitsu Race Sets Off Alarm Bells

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

President Joko Widodo rides his motorcycle while testing the Pertamina Mandalika Highway International Circuit in Kuta, Pujut, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Friday (12/11/2021).

MATARAM, KOMPAS — The Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup motorcycle race, which was scheduled for Sunday (14/11/2021) at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in West Nusa Tenggara has been postponed until this coming weekend to fulfill the required procedures to ensure driver safety.

The delay has set off alarm bells to make immediate improvements if the Mandalika circuit intends to proceed with the World Superbike (WSBK) championship scheduled to run from Friday (19/11) to Sunday (21/11).

The postponement was announced by international race organizer Dorna Sports and the Mandalika Grand Prix Association through the race’s official website (www.asiatalentcup.com).

The Mandalika Asia Talent Cup (ATC) consists of four races. The first two races planned for Sunday would have been a spectacle of the maiden race at Indonesia’s newly inaugurated international circuit.

The riders were reportedly on their motorcycles and ready for a warm-up lap just before the race was cancelled.

The postponement means that the first and second races will now be held with the third and fourth races this weekend, alongside the WSBK Superbike event.

Astra Honda Motor's motorsport manager Rizky Christianto, who accompanied four riders at the ATC, said the riders had entered the track at around 11:45 a.m. However, they were not allowed to warm up and were instead recalled to the paddock.

"It was discovered that there was a safety problem, not with the track, but with the circuit’s support services, such as the marshal,” he said.

“Safety comes first, and they might consider the potential risks in the case of an accident and decided to cancel (the race),” he added.

When contacted from Jakarta, race steward Dyan Dilato said that several driver safety factors had not been met, including that some parts of the track were not free of dust and not all pit stops were ready. Race marshals were also deemed inadequate in terms of capacity and quantity.

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

Officers help President Joko Widodo put on a helmet before testing the Pertamina Mandalika Highway International Circuit in Kuta, Pujut, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Friday (12/11/2021).

Race marshals are tasked with monitoring the course of the race on the field. They are equipped with flags and boards to warn riders of an incident during a race. They also assist riders in the event of collisions, accidents or track problems. They are also to be trained in firefighting.

“Many of our marshals are not ready. They were too excited in watching the race to raise a yellow flag. They are still inexperienced. They should have served one year as marshals in a national championship, and then stepped up to regional and world championships," said Dyan, who trains marshals.

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To deal with the issue, Dyan said they would conduct a simulation by holding a local underbone motorcycle race to hone the marshals’ skills before they were assigned to the ATC and WSBK championships.

Faryd Sungkar, who organizes national and international motor races, pointed out the crucial role of marshals, saying that marshals’ inadequate skill level and the failure to meet the standard number of marshals for a race could lead to fatal accidents.

“New marshals should be regularly trained for three to five months before a big race. Their number as set by Dorna must also be met,” he said.

“Marshals must know and practice their detailed duties on a regular basis. If the marshals are not well prepared five days from a big race, it's very risky. A fatal accident due to marshals’ negligence will tarnish the nation," said Faryd, who organized the GP 500 and SBK races at the Sentul international circuit in 1994-1997.

He suggested that the organizers bring in chief marshals for each section from the Sentul circuit and Malaysia’s Sepang circuit to lead, supervise and improve the quality of local marshals.

Looking beyond the WSBK this weekend, he urged the management of the Mandalika circuit to train its marshals intensively to host the world’s most prestigious motorcycle race, the MotoGP.

KOMPAS/ISMAIL ZAKARIA

The visitors saw the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup (IATC) racers who were taking part in a training session at the Pertamina Mandalika Highway International Circuit in Kuta, Pujut, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Saturday (12/11/2021).

"Don’t let such a grand circuit be tarnished by poor-quality race marshaling. Indonesia could lose the confidence of the world’s racing peers if that happens," he said. (ZAK/ANG/ECA)

This article was translated by Musthofid.