Sabah Is Getting An RM 132 Million Race Track

If you've been paying attention to the motorsports scene in East Malaysia, you'll know that there aren't very many tracks - and the ones that do exist aren't exactly geared for full-sized cars. There's the odd drag strip and the monthly autocross or gymkhana or drifting event, but nothing even on the level of the long-gone Batu Tiga. Hopefully all of this will change, as the government has announced that construction will begin on an RM 132 million race track in the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP).

This announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, during the last KKIP Sabah Drag Battle over the weekend as reported by Bernama. As with any race track, in addition to catering to local interests and talent development, the other benefits are an increase in tourism as well as opportunities for local businesses. 

While this may seem like a huge amount of money, that's the cost of investment in a proper race track - and the reason why we haven't seen very many new racetracks in the last few decades. The ones that do exist on the peninsular usually have long periods of time before renovations, which can lead to them falling into disrepair - along with the fact that they aren't exactly geared for larger vehicles either. Let's hope that this can change in the coming years, and motorsports becomes more accessible for all.