Great Enthusiasm Grips Mandalika

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Pata Yamaha team racer Toprak Razgatliloglu widened to the curb while racing his motorbike, followed by BMW Motorrad WSBK team racer Michael van der Mark during the 2021 WSBK free practice session at the Pertamina Mandalika Highway International Circuit, Central Lombok, NTB, Friday (11/19/2021).

The Mandalika Circuit has turned the West Lombok coast into a passion-filled area with the presence of world-class riders. The roar of the motorbikes on the gorgeous beachfront circuit has made Mandalika throb amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

PUJUT, KOMPAS — Once quiet due to strict Covid-19 pandemic health protocols, the Mandalika area of West Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), is now back to life with the arrival of riders and teams for the Superbike World Championships, Supersport and the Asia Talent Cup. The charm of the Mandalika Circuit is intertwined with the longing of Indonesian motorcycling enthusiasts for world-class racing, such as Superbike and MotoGP.

Along with the presence of a number of the world's best riders, such as Toprak Razgatlioglu, Jonathan Rea and Scott Redding, motorcycle racing fans from various regions of Indonesia have flocked to the tourist area. Hotels and inns in Mandalika’s Kuta area have been full for three weeks.

“We have turned down room requests because we are fully booked. The hotels around here [Kuta] are all fully booked because of Superbike. Next year, during the

MotoGP, I can imagine how crowded it will be," said Wahyu, a receptionist at a resort in Kuta.

Spectators and racing teams have also exhausted the supply of rental cars in Praya and Mandalika. Companies were forced to bring in cars from Mataram, the capital of NTB.

“The rental cars have run out here. Even those from Mataram are scarce. It's difficult to find a car now. The rental price is around Rp 200,000 higher than normal,” said Alwi Ditara, a local resident.

The Superbike world championship this weekend has added to local economic life, which has been impacted by the region’s transformation into the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

That value is expected to increase further when MotoGP, the world’s most prestigious motorcycling event, is held in Mandalika in March 2022, given the fact that Indonesia has a large number of MotoGP fans.

SEZ operator PT Pembangunan Wisata Indonesia (Persero) estimates that the Superbike event has brought some Rp 500 billion in money circulation. That value is expected to increase further when MotoGP, the world’s most prestigious motorcycling event, is held in Mandalika in March 2022, given the fact that Indonesia has a large number of MotoGP fans.

ITDC expects to lure domestic motorcycle racing fans, especially for the MotoGP event. Among them are those who have been regular visitors to Sepang, Malaysia, to watch the race. Australian fans are also expected to be attracted to Mandalika.

"Fans are keen on the circuit spectacle in different places. Currently, we are only allowed 25,000 spectators, which is about one sixth of the circuit's capacity, due to the pandemic. When the pandemic is over, [the audience] will be much bigger," ITDC director Abdulbar M Mansoer said on Friday (19/11/2021).

The enthusiasm of the audience was palpable during the Superbike free practice session on Friday. Some visitors ignored the ban on recording videos and live streaming on social media.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

The crew of the WSS ParkinGo Yamaha racing team pushes a motorbike driven by racer Manuel Gonzales during the second free practice (FP2) in the WSS 2021 series series, the Pertamina Mandalika Highway International Circuit, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Friday (11/19/ 2021).

The Mandalika race offers a potentially fierce battle, as it is the final event in the 2021 Superbike world championship season.

Tight competition is expected between Razgatlioglu and Rea, who will launch their championship challenge with the super pole sprint to decide the starting position for the first race on Saturday (20/11).

Razgatlioglu, who rides for Pata Yamaha with the Brixx team, is now 30 points ahead of Rea of the Kawasaki Racing team. With three races providing a maximum of 62 points, Rea still has a realistic chance of winning a seventh consecutive world title. On the other hand,

Razgatlioglu also has the opportunity to seal the title earlier than expected if he can collect seven points ahead of Rea today.

Given those statistics, the competition is expected to be intense. The first and second practice sessions on Friday put Razgatlioglu as the fastest rider. Regarding his performance, the Turkish rider said he was just speeding up his Yamaha YZF-R1 as usual.

He said he always found it challenging to try a new track but could adapt quickly. He also said he had gotten used to racing on a dirty track, thanks to his training regime on such conditions back home.

The asphalt layer on the first turn of the Mandalika track was found to be peeling, but Razgatlioglu said he was not too bothered.

He expressed his enthusiasm about performing in Indonesia, saying Mandalika was a good place with good circuit. He thanked Indonesian fans who had sent him messages of support on social media.

He did not want to be bothered by the final results. He gave comments on the Mandalika Circuit

Rea, who has won the Superbike champion six times in a row, refused to get carried away by the chance of winning his seventh title, saying he would simply turn up and enjoy the ride. He did not want to be bothered by the final results. He gave comments on the Mandalika Circuit

track, which he said had a number of bends similar to those in the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit in Argentina and the Donington Park Circuit in the United Kingdom.

Despite some sections of the track being dirty and bumpy, he said he enjoyed the atmosphere.

Stealing the show

Meanwhile, in the concurrently held Asia Talent Cup (ATC), local young riders look determined to steal the show at Mandalika.

The ATC event, which is seen as one of early races toward MotoGP, has six young Indonesian riders on the Astra Honda Motor team.

The Asia-Oceania-level race has been moved from last weekend to this weekend over safety concerns, particularly about race marshaling capacity.

“This race provides a new experience. In addition to getting support from our own audience, the Mandalika Circuit also has a challenging track to conquer," said Fadillah Arbi Aditama, one of the Indonesian riders.

KOMPAS/AGUNG SETYAHADI

Toprak Razgatlioglu meraih posisi start terdepan untuk balapan pertama Superbike, setelah mencetak waktu tercepat dalam sesi Superpole di Sirkuit Mandalika, Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Barat, Sabtu (20/11/2021). Pebalap tim Pata Yamaha with Brixx itu mencetak waktu 1 menit 32,877 detik, unggul 0,324 detik atas pesaing terdekatnya dalam perburuan juara, Jonathan Rea (kiri), dan unggul 0,379 detik atas Scott Redding di posisi ketiga (kanan).

Circuit operator Mandalika Grand Prix Association (MGPA) managing director Ricky Baheramsjah said the circuit was qualified to hold races, including Superbike, following its ratification by the International Motor Racing Federation (FIM) on Thursday.

"This is proof that the circuit meets the standards to hold an international motorcycle race," he said. (ANG/ ZAK)

(This article was translated by Musthofid)