Racetrack action Indonesian style... Checking out the Indonesian Series of Motorsport IV at Sentul

In a slight departure from how I usually like to appreciate action at the race track, I took up an invitation to fly down to Sentul International Circuit (also SIC?) in Bogor, Indonesia to spectate the Indonesian Series of Motorsport IV. The highlight of the event would be Ferrari 430 Challenge cars specially purchased and modified by Kessel for a gentlemen series one make category race which I was raring to check out. Making the flight down the earlier night, I got a lift from my host in his classic Mercedes down to the circuit and once we entered the paddocks, had my senses inundated with a fury of noise and colour from the cars thronging the circuit.

Here were the Ferraris I had come to see which were lined up as pretty as can be:

Gotta love that exhaust note!

The European Touring Car category for 3000cc included the Porsche 911s competing alongside some BMW E36s.

Here they are lined up on the grid

Roaring by at full throttle...

A bevy of wildly modified classic Volkswagen Beetles were a unique class to watch racing

Hiding in a corner were some very retro cars which had their own series of retro competition which included even the venerable E200 W124 series fitted with full on straight pipes

Here's a done up E200 W124 with Weber carbs

One of the spec car classes would be the Honda Jazz class cars which had all cars virtually identical to create a level playing field to separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of driving talent

Walking the grid with eye candy in the form of grid girls :)

Awesome rolling start!

Here's the sweet Ferrari exhaust note at race pace flyby!

The sense I got at the event was quite unlike what I was used to Sepang International Circuit high profile events like Zero To Hundred Time To Attack but instead reminded me more of the grassroots type atmosphere that one would get when attending Johor Circuit events. Pits were pretty open for people to gain access too and families could even bring their kids to walk around the pits to get up and close to the race cars. There was a relaxed air to the event and with road side type stalls set up behind the pits, one had only to stroll across to carpark to enjoy some rawon (Indonesian beef stew) or ayam penyet (Indonesian fried chicken) in between races. You could be sharing a table for lunch with a 430 Challenge racer or even with a race queen at any point in time, such was the coziness of the event.

Interesting lineup of retro cars prepped for racing

Hopefully I can come by for another round of this event in 2014 and will leave you with this pic of this beautiful thoroughbred to savour...