Malaysia's F1 circuit lights up for night races, 8 Hours of Sepang

2017 was the last year which saw Malaysia host a Formula One race. After being home to the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017, the Sepang International Circuit officially bid farewell to the sport last April 2017.

While it left several motorsport fans sad, the Sepang International Circuit continues to run several motorsport events. One of which will be Races of Malaysia 2019 which will see the 5.5 kilometer race track host both day and night racing.

From day to night, the race track will “feature a double header festival of motorsport”. This means Sepang will see the finale of the 2019 FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR), as well as the 8 Hours of Sepang FIM Endurance World Championship for motorbikes. The event will run in a unique format with all of the races taking place in the late afternoon, at dusk, and at night under floodlights.

Starting today, December 9, there will be wildcard testing from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM. However, on December 10, Tuesday, wildcard testing will move to an earlier time at 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. December 12 will see the riders compete for the top 10 prior to the endurance race itself. Meanwhile, the WTCR racers will duke it out on December 13 for qualifying.

Finally, December 14 and December 15 will see the 8 Hours of Sepang and the finale of the 2019 WTCR respectively.

With the unique layout and schedule of the Races of Malaysia 2019, this massive racing event will surely prove to be a feast for the senses. Formula One may be gone, but replacing the open-wheel race cars are a bevy of touring cars and motorbikes.