Get To Know The Sloping Circuit In Papua Which Is Similar To The Famous Catalunya Track

Papua sloping land circuit (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - From the air, at first glance the Freegeb Waninggap Circuit, in Tanah Miring, Merauke resembles the famous Barcelona-Catalunya track in Spain.

With a straight track in front of the paddock and leading to bends 1 to 6 that flow and the last corner at a 90 degree angle, the 1.8 km long circuit that hosts the Papua PON motor sport offers its own challenges for the riders.

"The design of this circuit is more about following the Catalunya Circuit, the design is quite good and the construction is quite good," said Eddy Saputra as the technical delegate for the Papua PON motor sport to Antara, Tuesday.

"I think this is indeed one of the best circuits for underbones in Indonesia," said Eddy, who is also the Director of the two-wheeled Indonesian Motor Association. "The asphalt, the bends, the curves have followed international standards."

Sloping Land Circuit (Photo: Antara)

The construction of the circuit, which is located on an area of 26.5 hectares in Kebun Brown, Tanah Miring District, Merauke, cost more than Rp. 95 billion and was inaugurated in November 2020.

Freegep Waninggap itself is a local term which more or less means "welcome to a place of happiness or a place of foraging full of life and beauty."

Having 16 corners, the Freegeb Waninggap Circuit will be very challenging for racers who will compete in four road race classes, namely individual standards, individual modifications, team standards, and team modifications.

"There are uphill and downhill contours, so it's quite complete," said Eddy.

In line with Eddy, the coach of the Papua M road race team, Fadli Imammudin, admitted that he was impressed with the quality of the circuit in Tanah Miring.

The Tanah Miring Circuit offers its own challenges for the racers (Photo: Antara)

"I think the circuit is the best circuit for a moderate circuit level," said Fadli, who is a former national racer who is now a para-bike athlete.

"And judging from the asphalt is very good, there are no raised gravel.

"I hope that after this is treated and we come back here, the circuit is still in good condition," said Fadli.

Eddy revealed that there will be many opportunities for riders to overtake, such as at corners 1, 3, 5 and 7.

"Indeed, this circuit challenges the skill and courage of the riders because there are so many opportunities to overtake here." A total of 96 riders will take part in the road race which will be held on October 6, while 68 crossers will compete on the motocross track on October 9.

For the safety aspect, the committee received assistance from PB PON two ambulances who were alerted in the event of an accident on the track, while the nearest hospital could be reached in five minutes by land.

"The handling aspect here is different from other sports because it requires 'emergency action' in seconds or minutes, so everything has been supported by PB PON," said Eddy.

The committee has also prepared around 2,000 liters of Pertamax fuel to support the road race and 1,500 liters for motocross.

Looking at the statistics, the competition map in the road race numbers will still be dominated by four provinces, namely DKI Jakarta, East Kalimantan, Central Java, and West Java.

"The four provinces almost always get gold in PON, and the drivers are still more or less the same," said Eddy.

Jakarta IMI Chairman Anondo Eko said DKI is ready to aim for gold medals in all classes of Papua PON motor sports.

They will field Aldi Satya, AM Fadli, Rey Ratukore, and Wahyu Aji Trilaksana in the road race number, while Arsenio, Raka Prabu, Delvintor and Azim Zulfikar will compete in motocross.

"We participate in every class, all of them have a chance for a medal," said Anondo.

Merauke Regent Romanus Mbaraka on Tuesday conducted a review to ensure the readiness of the circuit before the implementation of motor sports.

The Regent warmly welcomed the arrival of guests from 33 provinces who would enliven the motor sport later.

"Preparation from the 'venue' aspect, technically, I think here is very representative for both motocross and road races, all of which have met the standards," said Regent Romanus.

"We also thank our relatives who came from all over Indonesia, from 33 provinces to Merauke, especially for motor sports.

"Alhamdulillah, they have all arrived safely and we guarantee that they can carry out racing activities here well.

"They are in principle ready to compete, we remind them that in every game there is a loss and there is a win, but the happiest thing is when we become one brother and sister to the archipelago, we become friends to the archipelago," said the Regent.

Tanah Miring Circuit is ready to challenge Papuan PON racing champions (Photo: Antara)

The Regent also expressed his commitment to maintaining all PON facilities in Merauke, especially the Tanah Mirkut Circuit so that they are not neglected after the Papua PON is over by holding a regular championship later.

"My hope for Merauke, with the international circuit, I invite all Indonesian children who have talent in motorbikes.

"If there is an 'event' that I will hold here, in collaboration with the Indonesian Motor Association, you don't hesitate to come to Merauke.

"Merauke is a land of peace, Merauke is part of the archipelago, your brother is here, you are guaranteed," concluded the regent.