Macau entries

[Asa]

Autosport claims Autodelta will not be going to Macau this year, thus taking the risk of racing in the final round of the 2005 WTCC with no previous data of a Super 2000 car.

But does anyone know of any private Alfas going to Macau?

It seems the Guia Race will be another BMW benefit with Schnitzer and Carly taking 4 cars. They have won for the last 4 years already... I suppose they will let Duncan Huisman take his fourth win.

[E46]

Seat Sport will be there too with its official team.

[FIRE]

Originally posted by Asa
It seems the Guia Race will be another BMW benefit with Schnitzer and Carly taking 4 cars. They have won for the last 4 years already... I suppose they will let Duncan Huisman take his fourth win.

Yes, Duncan will defend his title.
From the website of Tom Coronel:

The Carly Motors team chose to miss today's final round of the European Touringcar Championship. Instead the Dutch BMW squad decided to focus their efforts on the prestigious Guia race at Macau on 21 November. The decision of Carly Motors seems to be well considered. "We already won the privateers title last time out at Oschersleben. We had to decide on which race we could focus our efforts. With support from Watsons Water we are able to make the trip to Macau. I am very much looking forward to this as I still have something to set straight there. Twice I dropped out of the race while leading, so now I want to finish the job. However things will not be easy as My teammate will be Duncan Huisman and Schnitzer will also be there with the Müllers", Tom explains. Carly Motors has a firm reputation at Macau. With Duncan Huisman the team won the last three races while brother Patrick won the race in 2000 for Carly Motors.

[kmchow]

I was just about to post a thread regarding the declared entries to Macau. I'm expecting the usual Asia Touring Car Challenge Toyotas/Pugs will be there to give the BMWs some form of competition?

[Asa]

There are no Peugeots in the ATCS anymore. WK Longman stopped operation since the end of 2002.

Ao's Racing is running a S2000 Altezza, but I doubt it will be a frontrunner. It just wants to avoid being lapped.

I heard 778 Autosport will be running an Accord Type R (Euro R).

[Wilbo]

Edenbridge will be there with their ETCC Car and Tim Harvey at the wheel.

[nsxr]

my hero Noburto Taniguchi will be there in the advan toyota altezza. what class I dont know.

[kmchow]

Originally posted by nsxr
my hero Noburto Taniguchi will be there in the advan toyota altezza. what class I dont know.

Yeah, they've been there for the last several years. They would be running against the BMWs. However, I don't think they've really been a factor in the last several years.

[cos]

Priaulx will join Dirk and Jorg in Schnitzer BMWs.

[Wilbo]

Is there any TV coverage of this race?

[touringcarnut]

Originally posted by Wilbo
Edenbridge will be there with their ETCC Car and Tim Harvey at the wheel.

[j_t_8_8_8]

Priaulx will join Dirk and Jorg in Schnitzer BMWs.

Not Carly? I thought he will run with Huisman in the dutch team

[cos]

SJM GUIA RACE WORLD’S TOP TOURING CAR STARS HEAD FOR MACAU

The Macau Guia Race has attracted its most high-profile entry in years as the race gears up to become the final round of the new FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) for 2005.

In preparation for 2005, the Macau Grand Prix Committee (MGPC) has modified the regulations and format of the race this year to bring them closer to the FIA WTCC rules. This year, the SJM Guia Race will be run over two legs of 8 laps each (approximately 50km each), with a 15 minute break between legs.

This season's event has also been opened up to the Super 2000 specification cars that compete in the FIA European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), which has been afforded world status for next season, the Asian Touring Car Series (ATCS), the Hong Kong Touring Car Championship (HKTCC), Macau competitors, and other national series which allow Super 2000 machinery. That has ensured a healthy entry of cars for the 2004 race.

The entry list is dominated by BMW, which enjoyed a clean sweep of the drivers', manufacturers' and independents' titles in the ETCC this year. Newly-crowned ETCC champion Andy Priaulx is confirmed for Macau in a Schnitzer-run Team BMW Germany 320i.

The squad also brings two 320is for regular drivers Jorg and Dirk Muller, who shared out five ETCC victories between them. They have been consistent frontrunners in the first two years of the ETCC in 2002-03, and were in contention for this year's title until the final round of the season. They are joined by Carly Motors, winners of the past four touring car races at Macau. Duncan Huisman, who has claimed Guia honours for the last three years, setting a new record, drives one car, while ETCC Independents' champion Tom Coronel races Carly's second 320i.

Another BMW is entered by Edenbridge Racing, a regular at Macau in both the Guia race and the Formula 3 Grand Prix. The British team has entered a solo car for Tim Harvey, a winner of this race at the wheel of a Ford Sierra R500 back in 1989 and a former British Touring Car (BTCC) Champion.

BMW is also represented by a trio of teams from the German DMSB-Produktionswagen-Meisterschaft (DPM) series. Team Engstler Racing and Team Wiechers have been frontrunners in their domestic championship with Franz Engstler and Marc Hennerici respectively. Both will be looking to improve on their podium finishes from last year's Guia race. Guia regular Ratanakul Prutirat has been drafted into the Engstler squad along with newcomer Jody Coseteng of the Philippines.

Schubert was last year's DPM title winner and its three-car BMW squad is led by team boss Torsten Schubert, another driver familiar with the streets of Macau.

Spanish manufacturer SEAT's in-house factory team is bringing two of its Toledo Cupra R contenders to Macau. Former Macau F3 GP winner Rickard Rydell, who gave SEAT its first ETCC victory at Oschersleben in Germany in September, drives one, while Jordi Gene will be behind the wheel of the other.

Jan 'Flash' Nilsson represents Volvo with a solo S60. He is a frontrunner in the Swedish Touring Car Championship with a car originally developed by race and rally specialist Prodrive Engineering in Britain. Another front-line Swedish team, Tomas Engstrom Racing has entered a Honda Civic R for BTCC regular James Kaye.

GR Asia also represents Honda. The team that starred in last year's Guia race with Simon Harrison is back with the two Civics it has run in this year's ETCC. Harrison, who set fastest lap at Macau in 2003, drives one, while Finland's Toni Ruokonen, a former class winner in the BTCC, drives the other.

The region’s leading touring car experts join the international field from the Asian Touring Car Series (ATCS) and the Hong Kong Touring Car Championship (HKTCC), and there is also a strong contingent of eight Macau drivers.

ATCS Division 1 points leader going into the final round of the 2004 season, Hong Kong’s Lo Ka Fai, will be at the wheel of his 778 Autosport Honda Integra, and is joined by series regulars Lo Ka Chun, second on the leaderboard, Chen Jun San of Chinese Taipei, and 2003 ATCS Champion Gary Sham.

From the HKTCC, championship leader Kenneth Look drives a Honda Integra DC5, while Paul Poon and Samson Fung are in the pair of China Dragon Racing Team Honda Civic EP3s. Rolly Sham and Lau Keung Tak make up the remainder of the HKTCC contingent also in EP3s for the Cheong’s Speed Limited team.

[cos]

...and the full entry list is here.

[E46]

Thanks, very interesting. It should be a good BMW-SEAT battle. I hope any "outsider" with Honda (Kaye or Harrison).

[Asa]

Looks like it will be a BMW walkover. 3 SEATs against 13 BMWs...

Simon Harrison's chances doesn't look good given his car's ETCC form...

[E46]

Originally posted by Asa
Looks like it will be a BMW walkover. 2 SEATs against 13 BMWs...

[FIRE]

Originally posted by j_t_8_8_8
Not Carly? I thought he will run with Huisman in the dutch team

See my posting of 10 Oct 2004 18:58h.

[Hazard]

Probably reading into this a bit too much - but since Seat aren't taking Diefenbacher - chances are he's out of a drive next season?

Shame if true - his end of season form seemed pretty good.

[kmchow]

Wow, a Volvo at Macau! I wonder what brought Volvo to Macau? Who is sponsoring the S60? Volvo Asia? Ericcson as in previous years?

[SALEEN S7R]

Hmm excuse my ignorance but who is Jan Nilsson? Never come across him before, hopefully hes a decent driver though that way we could perhaps see the Volvo up in the top 6 and add some much needed variety.

[cos]

Sorry Saleen... Jan Nilsson has withdrawn his Volvo entry from this race.

[SFonseca]

Originally posted by cos
Sorry Saleen... Jan Nilsson has withdrawn his Volvo entry from this race.

But Franz Englester will enter an Alfa Romeo 156 GTA for a japanese driver.

[FIRE]

Originally posted by cos
Sorry Saleen... Jan Nilsson has withdrawn his Volvo entry from this race.

Reason?

Originally posted by SFonseca
But Franz Englester will enter an Alfa Romeo 156 GTA for a japanese driver.

If I am right normally he (and his team) are racing some BMW's in German championship. Is he hiring a car from AutoDelta or Oregon for this race? Why is he (as Alfa dealer) entering BMW's instead of Alfa's in the German championship?

[racer69]

Originally posted by SALEEN S7R
Hmm excuse my ignorance but who is Jan Nilsson? Never come across him before, hopefully hes a decent driver though that way we could perhaps see the Volvo up in the top 6 and add some much needed variety.

Won the Swedish title in 1997 and is a regular in the Swedish Championship.

Also raced at Bathurst in 1997 & 1998 in factory Volvo's (with Cameron McLean in 1997, Tim Harvey in 1998), finishing 5th in 1997.