The Macau Grand Prix Committee (CGPM) today announced an unprecedented programme for the two-weekend Diamond Jubilee Macau Grand Prix. To celebrate the 60th running of the legendary event, the Grand Prix will be held over two weekends, with a total of six days of extraordinary racing: November 9th and 10th, and from November 14th to 17th.
The programme is unprecedented in its depth of talent, diversity, and prestige, with an impressive combination of exciting young talent, established stars and the world’s most famous names in automotive excellence.
The weekend of November 9th and 10th will see six races on the legendary Guia street circuit, and a programme which includes something for every racing fan.
The Macau Touring Car Cup, a perennial crowd favourite, is an invitational race which sees up to 36 of Asia’s leading tin-top competitors compete in Super Production cars over 12 laps. The MAC/HKG Interport Race is the annual showdown between the neighbouring cities, with each allocated up to 18 entries.
Joining the two local and regional touring car races are three sportscar sprints which will showcase a trio of iconic marques, and include some of the region’s biggest names in GT competition: The Audi R8 LMS Cup is the first ever one-make cup of Audi worldwide and the Audi R8 LMS is a full GT3 specification car. After its inaugural season in Mainland China in 2012, the series is now preparing to expand to race tracks in Asia, including the final round in Macau. Meanwhile, the Italian supercar manufacturer Automobili Lamborghini is all set to enter the Macau round with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo one make series. Originally launched in Europe in 2009, the Super Trofeo is the only one make series using a permanent four-wheel drive car based on a lightweight version of the highly successful Gallardo 570-4, specifically reworked for the use on the race track.
The Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, which returns to the Guia Circuit for the first time since 2007 and this year celebrates 10 years at the pinnacle of GT racing in the region. The Macau round will be an invitational for the Asia, Japan and Australia Porsche Carrera Cups, the first time in history drivers the three series will compete together.
Continuing its rich heritage of providing an international showcase for emerging young talent, the Formula Masters China Series will make its debut at Macau. The junior single seater series, for fledgling talent across Mainland China and Asia, opens its inaugural season next month and a season finale invitational will be held as part of the Diamond Jubilee Grand Prix in Macau. The one-make series uses a Tatuus FA010 carbon composite monocoque chassis, FIA F3 standard, powered by a Formula Evo 2.0 FSI engine from Volkswagen Group.
Young Macau talent, Andy Chang Wing Chung, having won karting races in Mainland China, and with strong results in last October’s CIK-FIA World Karting Championship, won a heat for the KF2 Winter Cup in Italy. Chang will have a seat supported by the Formula Masters China Series, and will benefit from the training and race experience provided.
The second weekend, running from Thursday, November 14th through to Sunday, November 17th, will include the three prestigious headline races: The Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix, the official FIA Formula 3 Intercontinental Cup and the race every aspiring future Formula 1 driver wants to win; the final rounds of the 2013 FIA World Touring Car Championship; and the 47th running of the unique and celebrated Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix.
The Macau GT Cup which, in just five years, has become firmly established as an important international sportscar invitational, attracting both prestigious automotive marques and star drivers, is joined by the Macau Road Sport Challenge, with its exciting and diverse line-up of modified road cars.
New to the programme for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations are the Lotus Greater China Race and the Master Challenge. The Lotus Greater China Race is an exclusive, one-make event, featuring a special limited edition LOTUS Elise 1.6 Club Racer. Drivers from Mainland China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau will be invited to race against some of their Asian counterparts in ex-works cars that provide a level playing field of competition.
In the Master Challenge, some of the Macau Grand Prix’s best known former competitors as well as some of Asia’s most successful drivers, will all compete in one-make Volkswagen Scirocco R racing cars, the same model used in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup China Series.
The six-day programme of on-track action, unprecedented in its depth of talent, prestige and diversity, the Diamond Jubilee Macau Grand Prix is guaranteed to set pulses racing as the city celebrates 60 years of sporting success.
Source : Macau GP