Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| Mercedes-Benz Korea President and CEO Dimitris Psillakis speaks during a 50th anniversary event for the Mercedes-AMG brand held at Daesun Flour Mills in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Thursday. / Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Korea |
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Mercedes-Benz Korea will refurbish a local racing circuit into the AMG Speedway, the company announced Thursday.
Mercedes-Benz Korea President and CEO Dimitris Psillakis said during a 50th anniversary event for the Mercedes-AMG brand held at Daesun Flour Mills in Seoul that his company will work together with Samsung Construction & Trading (C&T) on the project. The collaboration is geared toward refurbishing the Everland Speedway in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, into the AMG Speedway next year.
"In a bid to accommodate increasing demand for the Mercedes-AMG brand in Korea, Mercedes-Benz Korea and Samsung C&T will cooperate to refurbish the circuit into a premium racing track named after its performance brand," Psillakis said during the event.
"It will be the German carmaker's first racing circuit named after its AMG performance brand."
Built in 1992, the Yongin Everland Speedway was the nation's first racing circuit where an increasing number of motorsports fans visit for speed and thrills.
A Mercedes-Benz Korea official said the company recently concluded a memorandum of understanding with Samsung C&T and will further discuss their refurbishment plan.
"There will be an AMG Lounge and AMG-only pit for racing fans at the AMG Speedway," the official said.
"The AMG Driving Academy will also be established to contribute to the nation's motorsports and safe driving culture."
Mercedes-Benz is fiercely competing with BMW for the top spot among imported brands in Asia's fourth-largest economy.
In the past, BMW dominated the market but Mercedes-Benz has soared in the past few years after Psillakis, who has a global reputation for boosting the Mercedes-Benz brand in many markets, took charge.
