Formula One isn't the only event at Sepang to ooze race track glamour. The 2007Super GT International Series at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC)continues to attract fans for its heady mix of high-powered cars and skimpily dressed race queens.

The Malaysian leg of the Japan GT Championship will feature customised versions of the Honda NSX, Nissan Fairlady and Toyota Lexus SC430, among others, with their wildly modified engines and chassis.

Their speed, and the fact that they look like production models most people are familiar with, are what attracts Singaporeans to this annual event across the Causeway.

'We are expecting between 5,000 and 8,000 Singaporeans to come for Japan GT this year,' explains SIC press officer Azhar Ghazali, who says a total of 36,000 fans are estimated to turn up on race day on Sunday, June 24.

'The event is more appealing than F1 as many people can relate to the cars.Many of the fans have seen these models and can own them if they have the money,' he points out.

But compared with the 20,000 Singaporeans who attended the Sepang Grand Prix in March, you get the idea that the Japan GT is still a relatively niche race.

Some advantages, though, are its accessibility.

Unlike F1, fans can visit the pits or paddock areas.

'They can move around easily and meet the drivers and the race queens,' says Mr Azhar.

Apart from the 100 GT queens from Japan, fans will also experience what Mr Azhar describes as this year's 'gathering of the past and future of motor racing for Asia'.

'We will have former F1 drivers like Erick Comas and Tora Takagi, plus support races like Formula V6 Asia and Formula BMW Asia, which are for younger aspiring drivers.'

He says Narain Karthikeyan, former F1 driver and current test driver,started out in such events, and points to Jazeman Jaafar, the 14-year-old Malaysian driver who leads the Formula BMW Asia series and who recently tried out on the Williams F1 team's racing simulator near Oxford.

Mr Azhar predicts that Jazeman will be driving in F1 in five to six years' time.

'This is the future for F1 drivers,' he adds.

The 2007 Super GT Malaysia is on June 22-24. Tickets start from RM30 and are available online at www.malaysiangp.com.my or by calling the ticket hotline on tel: 603-8778-2222.