NOT only is Singapore race driver Melvin Choo (right) about to embark on the biggest season of his career next year but he is also trying to ensure that Singapore will benefit from it.

The 39-year-old announced last week that he will participate in the international-level Super GT race series in Japan next season, under Thunder Asia Racing, the first foreign team to sign up.

It will be his first venture after a few seasons of racing in regional GT championships.

"I am very privileged to be able to compete as the only Singaporean and as part of the first foreign team at the highly competitive Super GT season," he said.

"We are beginning to gain momentum with our Mosler MT900R GT3 race car, and I have Tim Sugden, a great partner and racing veteran, with me. I have very good feelings about our participation in the entire Super GT season."

Besides that, Choo has also been appointed as an official negotiator to help bring in Super GT for races at the Changi Motorsports Hub, once the race venue is completed. Choo sees this as an excellent boost to bringing the most aggressive and most watched Japanese race series to Singapore.

He said: "We hope to create a new and exciting paradigm for our F1 scene, which already has a large fan base around Asia."

Choo has had some recent success at the GT3 Asia Challenge race series, winning the final two races of the season.

The Super GT has nine stops, including legs at F1 circuits Fuji Speedway and Suzuka. The only non-Japan leg is at Sepang in Malaysia. Spectators number at least 50,000, with the Fuji stop getting close to 80,000.

Next year's season kicks off on March 20 at Suzuka.

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