Road to GP starts this weekend for local racers

For local racers, the path to this year’s Macau Grand Prix (GP) starts this weekend, as the season kicks off with the first round of qualifying races.

Drivers and vehicles from the Macau Roadsport Challenge as well as the Greater Bay Area (GBA) GT Cup converge, for the first time, at the Zhuzhou International Circuit (ZZIC) in Hunan for the first two races of the local championship 2024 Macau Touring Car Series (MTCS).

The race results will determine this year’s local champions, but more importantly will allow them to showcase at the 71st Macau GP event this November.

The weekend at ZZIC not only features local races but also marks the start of the season for the China Touring Car Championship (CTCC) and TCR China, alongside other local racing events.

Similar to last year, the Macau Roadsport Challenge category will be divided into two groups (A and B), each with separate races. Like last season, they will be using the same vehicles (Toyota GR86 or Subaru BRZ) running as a single-make series.

In the GBA GT Cup category, cars under GT4 specifications will be used, as was the case last year.

In addition to participants from Macau and Hong Kong, the MTCS will also see entries from the mainland and Singapore, with 58 racers listed on the provisional entry list published by the Automobile General Association Macau-China.

The GBA GT Cup appears less crowded, with the provisional entry list showing only 14 racers from Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan and New Zealand.

Various car models, including the Ginetta G55, BMW M4, Toyota GR Supra, Mercedes AMG, McLaren 570S and Audi R8, will race in the GT4 category this season.

Some racers previously in the GT4s field have swapped to the Roadsport Challenge this year.

The ZZIC is the first track in Hunan Province to meet international qualification standards.

With a total length of 3.77 km, it has a layout with 14 corners and various layouts allowing multiple combinations of track use, including an F2 standard track.

The longest straight section is about 645 meters and the height difference of the track reaches 26 meters, featuring undulations and slopes.

Owners and designers said the track layout has been designed to be purposely challenging and enjoyable to drive. The circuit was completed in October 2019 from an investment of nearly RMB 1.4 billion.

The circuit is strategically located between the G4 Beijing-Hong Kong-Macau Expressway and Wuhan-Guangzhou High-speed Railway, and it is part of the Zhuzhou Automobile Expo Park, the first automobile life experience center in China.

The complex includes two commercial spaces and more than 10 hotels, including five-star, four-star, and budget hotel units within a 5-kilometer radius.