ILMC_le_mans_zhuhai_launch
Hong Kong drivers Marchy Lee, Matthew Marsh and Darryl O’Young were joined by business leaders, society figures, race organisers and sponsors at just-opened Republik in Central.
The “star” of the evening was the Audi R8 LMS car that Lee and Marsh will drive in the race, the 1,000km of Zhuhai in early November.
“Hong Kong has a deserved reputation for taste and sophistication and a highly developed appreciation of premium cars and brands,” commented Mark Thomas of ACO China, the joint venture company promoting the race.
“Therefore, it was the logical place to host such a gathering and Republik was the perfect venue.”
More than 130 guests attended the launch, during which the drivers answered questions on stage and were later interviewed by dozens of media.
“This race is undoubtedly the most important motorsports event ever staged in southern China,” said Marsh. “It will feature world class drivers, some incredibly powerful and beautiful racing machines and state-of-the-
“Crucially, Zhuhai is easily accessible from all over the region, including Hong Kong and Macau, and the event is an affordable and fun day out for spectators.
“It means that tens of thousands of fans will, for the first time, witness first hand the noise, colour and excitement of Le Mans-style endurance racing.”
Lee and Marsh will form a three-man team in the KK Performance Audi R8 LMS with Malaysia’s ex-Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong.
O’Young and British teammate Richard Westbrook will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR (997) for Prospeed Competition.
The elite line-up will also include Denmark’s Tom Kristensen, the record eight-time winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, and Allan McNish of Scotland, who has won the famous race twice. Former F1 star Giancarlo Fisichella of Italy will also be on the starting grid.
The 1,000km of Zhuhai will be the third and final race of the 2010 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup following earlier races at Silverstone in the UK and Atlanta, USA.
After two days of practice and qualifying on 5 and 6 November, the race will be staged in front of thousands of motorsports fans on Sunday, November 7.
The world’s leading performance car manufacturers – including Audi, Peugeot, Porsche, BMW, Jaguar, Ferrari and Aston Martin – will compete across all four official Le Mans categories in prototype (P1 and P2) and grand touring (GT1 and GT2).
In addition, there are three more guest categories: Formula Le Mans, LM GT Experimental – featuring the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid, which combines traditional combustion engine with electric power – and LM GTC.
Released on behalf of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup – 1,000km of Zhuhai by Two Up Front.
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
