SINGAPORE: American stock car racing will make its debut in Singapore this August, with an oval track to be specially built at Changi Exhibition Centre for the event.

The US Legend Cars racing series, which will take place from Aug 11 to Aug 13, is part of the inaugural motorsports event Goodstock Speedfest, said local promoter Goodstock Motorsports in a press release on Wednesday (Feb 22).

The event was launched on Wednesday at Our Tampines Hub, where Goodstock Motorsports managing director Ben Tan and US Legend Cars vice-president (racing operations) G E Chapman formalised the agreement.

Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Faishal Ibrahim also attended the launch.

With a total prize purse of S$150,000, the US Legend Cars race will feature 30 drivers from the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, with the winner walking away with S$100,000.

Japanese driver Akinori Ogata, who competes in the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) Xfinity Series, will also take part.

Twenty-two cars will line up on the grid in the feature race on the event's final day, where drivers race 30 laps around the 400m track, reaching a top speed of 240kmh.

The drivers will first compete in three heat races of 15 laps each, and the top four from each heat race will be the first to secure their grid places.The remaining drivers will then race for the last few slots through the 15-lap Last Chance Qualifier Races and the 25-lap Hooligan Race.

US Legend Cars is a subsidiary of Speedway Motorsports that hosts major motorsports races in the United States, including the NASCAR and National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racing, said the promoter.

Mr Tan said: "Oval track racing has a rich history in the United States and fans are attracted to the fast and close racing between drivers."

"In bringing in US Legend Cars, we are adding variety to the motorsports calendar in Singapore and have plans to grow it in stature and prestige in the coming years,” he added.

Mr Chapman said that the series is growing in popularity around the world, and has bred many NASCAR champions over the years. 

He said: "Motorsports is growing very fast in Asia, and Singapore is the right place for us to reach fans in the Southeast Asian region."