China GT returns from its mid-season break to take to the tracks of the Shanghai International Circuit (SIC) on 8-10 September. Veteran China GT drivers are no strangers to the SIC as the circuit has been on the championship’s calendar twice in its inaugural 2016 season. This time, China GT will be joined by Asia’s premium motorsport series, the Audi R8 LMS Cup, and will again feature the China GT Audi Challenge and the Porsche GT3 Cup Trophy China within its GTC Class, as well as the new AMR GT4 China Challenge within GT4 Class. Off the track, the Audi Sport Festival and the 2017 Car Festival of Speed will come together to celebrate China’s motorsport at its finest. Let’s take a look at what the Shanghai race weekend has in store for China GT’s fans.
-Audi Sport Festival-
The Audi Sport Festival will stage a truly top-of-the-range motorsports celebration in front of the Shanghai audience. With the Audi Sport display, the Audi Sport high-performance street circuit, the Audi R8 LMS Cup, the China GT Championship, and 2017 Car Festival of Speed all in one go, the 2017 Audi Sport Festival presents a one-stop shop for all motorsport enthusiast. The Festival will also roll out two of Audi Sport’s latest high-performance vehicles, the Audi RS3 Limousine and the Audi TT RS Coupé.
The ‘Audi Sport high-performance street circuit’ by FAW-VW Audi will bring along its premium tuning arm and feature a series of activities, including acceleration experience, street track challenge and extreme driving experience. Cars, lights, music and celebrities dazzle the night during ‘Audi Sport Display’. The 2017 Car Festival of Speed incorporates pop culture into motorsport: tuning, hip-hop dance, street art, skateboarding and rap. Motorsport is more than a hobby – it is a lifestyle.
-Audi R8 LMS Cup-
Audi’s single-make racing series, the Audi R8 LMS Cup, will also be joining the grid with China GT on 9-10 September at the Shanghai International Circuit, making their first China stop after Malaysia, Japan and Korea.
-2017 Car Festival of Speed-
The Trends Car Magazine has joined forces with tuning platform iAcro and MotoBand app to celebrate motorsports culture. The Car Festival of Speed will feature a fully integrated experience package for the audience, including track parade, car display and fan clubs.
Returning to the Tracks
Avid followers of the China GT Championship would know that we have welcomed a new addition, the GT4 Class, to the original GT3 and GTC categories. The season so far has seen a gradual increase of cars, drivers and teams taking part in this championship fight, and we are expecting a record breaking number of entries and spectators for the Shanghai race weekend.
Star-studded Lineup
First half of the 2017 China GT season has staged a celebration of the world’s top marques and drivers. Some of the latest models that have graced the track at China GT so far: Audi R8 LMS, Porsche 911 GT3 R, Bentley Continental GT3, Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3, Mercedes AMG GT3, Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, Radical RXC Turbo, McLaren 570S GT4, and Aston Martin Vantage GT4. World-renowned GT drivers included: Hong Kong born former F1 test driver Adderly Fong, PCCA stars Chris van der Drift, Will Bamber and Maxime Jousse, Macanese legend André Couto, experienced GT racing drivers Martin Ragginger and Marco Seefried, 3rd place finisher of the 2016 Audi R8 LMS Cup Martin Rump, and China’s first F1 driver Ma Qinghua.
About the Track
The Shanghai Itnernational Circuit is China’s one and only FIA Grade 1 circuit and home to the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix. This 5.451 km long track has 16 turns and a combination of tight corners and high-speed straights, including the 1.175km long back straight before the tight hairpin of Turn 14. This is a track that rewards well-balanced cars, and good tyre management is crucial on a hot summer day in Shanghai.
Also in the news: Round 7 & 8 in Shanghai will feature a combined grid for GT3 and GTC Class for the first time in the 2017 season.
Zhuhai Race in Review
The drivers and teams at China GT has staged some spectacular overtaking maneuvers in front of a full grandstand during the past Zhuhai race weekend.
Round 5 saw Audi Hong Kong’s Marchy Lee and Alex Au claiming victory for the GT3 Class, while Huang Hsi Chan of D2, and Anthony Chan and Ray Mak took home first place for GTC and GT4. Round 6 has produced a series of exciting moments rarely seen in previous rounds, and Wang Liang and Martin Rump of Kings, Chen Wei’an and Jiao Peng of TSRT Tianshi Racing and Sam Lok and Clement Li emerged victorious in the respective GT3, GTC and GT4 Class.
Rounds 7 and 8 of the China GT Championship will be streaming live on the official Facebook page (@ChinaGTChampionship) on 9-10 September.
