Another HPC event at the Sepang F1 Circuit

This was the 2nd time I'm going to the Sepang F1 Circuit to support my friend, Benny, who was taking part yet again in the High Performance Challenge (HPC). Our Melaka Civic friends gathered in front of the MPMBB / Melaka Mall and set off for Sepang at around 8.15am (15 minutes later than planned). Still we made good time with light traffic in the early hours of the morning, and managed to arrive at our destination by 9.00am, without going too much above the legal speed limit of 110kph.

Now, the registration fees were around RM265 - but there was a 15% discount for early, online registrants. All you need is a good full-face helmet, shoes (no slippers or barefoot) that preferably had thin soles so that you could "feel" the pedals better, and a roadworthy car!

It was one of those days, like the previous session last November, with many drivers trying out their modified (and some stock) rides on the full track of the Sepang F1 circuit. There were the high end makes, including a Porsche and a Ferrari, as well as some modest rides like Myvi's and Proton Wiras.

As the drivers coaxed every last drop of performance and skill out of themselves and their rides, those of us on the sidelines were busy bringing out the best in our photographic gear. I had brought along my 70-300 Nikon (The latest one with VR and SWM), which proved more than adequate for zooming in on to the action, even from high up in the media room on the first floor that overlooked the pit area, opposite the grandstand. As it was a really hot day, I did not venture right to the top where I would be able to get a much wider view of the entire track, so I did not need to use my lens to the limit (most of the time, up to 135mm was enough).

Breaking shortly for a late breakfast, we sat down at the stall behind the pit area for some fried rice and drink. Hmm, the rice was "half-cooked" but expensive (rice + 1 glass of hot MILO = RM6.00). Luckily, my wife packed me some curry puffs, so my stomach didn't suffer that much.

After the morning session, it took us around 15 minutes to finally decide on the venue for lunch, which was at the nearest McDonald's. We split off into two groups after that, me following the group of sedated drivers, while the other group, well, I never saw them again for the rest of the journey back to Melaka....

All in all, I still enjoy myself at the HPC session as before, though this time 100% of the action was on the track. I'll definitely come again, planning for the next session already in progress, sometime in Q1 next year....

For photos, please check out my gallery over here.