26-04-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
SIC give touring car championships much needed refresh, turbo era begins
KUALA LUMPUR: In a bid to boost interest and excitement in the competition, Sepang International Circuit (SIC) has implemented wholesale changes to the Malaysia Championship Series (MCS) and have even changed its name this season.
MCS - which is essentially the national championships for touring car racing in Malaysia - has now been rebranded and is called the Malaysia Touring Car Championships (MTCC) this year. The series will run at Sepang from May 2-Sep 7 (four rounds).
SIC have placed a greater emphasis on clearer vehicle classification and have also allowed for turbocharged cars to compete this season.
For the 2025 season, only race-prepped production model based cars will be allowed to compete. Newer models such as the Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ also have their own class to compete in. This is to open up the championships to new talent.
The Touring Production class will this season feature a single-driver format while in the MT2 category, Grade A drivers will face pit stop penalties to make the racing more balanced and exciting for competitors and spectators alike.
SIC chief executive officer Azhan Shafriman Hanif is hoping the changes make the series more exciting.
"We are not just changing the name, we are positioning the championships for bigger and better things," said Shafriman recently.
"I believe this new format will make the racing even more intense and exciting for both drivers and fans.
"We had a record 67 entries last year and are hoping to have 80 cars on the grid (this season)."
The series began as the Malaysian Super Series (MSS) in 2002 before being rebranded as MCS in 2015. The series, however, struggled to attract fans over the past decade.
The introduction of turbocharged cars comes as no surprise as many modern production cars use smaller capacity engines with turbochargers to improve fuel consumption and meet emissions regulations.
HI-REV Dream Chaser won a hat-trick of MCS titles from 2022-2024 and it will be interesting to see if they can continue their dominance this season.\
