Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. In a bid to nurture local talent and propel Indonesia onto the global motorcycle racing stage, the Pertamina Mandalika SAG Racing Team has announced its plans to establish a racing academy specifically dedicated to Indonesian riders, set to commence next year.
The announcement was made by Kemalsyah Nasution, the Director of Pertamina Mandalika SAG Racing Team, during a press conference in Jakarta on Sunday (8/10/2023).
"If we do not start building an academy now, we will never have Indonesian riders in MotoGP. We aspire to have Indonesian riders in MotoGP, and simply contracting them directly to MotoGP will only result in promotion," he was quoted by antaranews.com as saying, expressing their intent to initially focus on the Moto2 category while developing a comprehensive, long-term academy program.
This initiative includes collaboration with securing a contract with Sentul, West Java and Indonesian-made mini sports bike manufacturers.
The racing academy covers various stages: starting with talent scouting, Mini GP for riders aged 10-14, the Asia Talent Cup for racers aged 12-18, and the MotoGP Rookies Cup, a European event for riders aged 12-18. It culminates with ambitions to compete in Moto3, Moto2, and eventually the prestigious MotoGP Championship.
Kemal expressed confidence in finding promising Indonesian riders for junior GP categories like the MotoGP Rookies Cup. As part of their grand plan, one of the racing academies will be built in Lampung, affirming their dedication to nurturing Indonesian motorcycle racing talent.
(mg/inp/pr/nm)
