On 15 April, the 2017 China GT Championship Official Test was launched during a press conference at the Beijing Audi Goldenport Motor Park. The China GT Championship is organised by the Federation of Automobile and Motorcycle Sports of People's Republic of China (CAMF) and operated by Beijing Automobile and Motorcycle Sports Development Limited, with China GT Management Co., Ltd. as the official promoter.
In its maiden season in 2016, China GT has achieved the unachievable in China’s motorsport history, with 4 race weekends, 9 teams and 28 cars competing in the GT3 and GTC classes. China GT has also sparked enthusiasm among fans: the races attracted 325,000 spectators, 120million TV and online viewers and made 1.5 billion online impressions! In 2017, China GT is poised to stage an even better and more exciting festival of speed for our teams, fans and partners.
Among the distinguished guests in attendance at the Official Test press conference are: Chairman of CAMF, Mr Zhan Guojun; Vice-president of the Board of Directors of the Automobile General Association Macao-China, Mr Li Jiahong; Vice Chairman and Secretary General of Beijing Motor Sports Association, Mr. Li Chunsan; Chairman of Goldenport Holdings, Mr Jim Ming-Qin Ye; representing Pirelli - China GT’s official tyre partner, Pirelli Motorsport Marketing and PR APAC, Ms. Rebecca Li; representing R+ - China GT’s official fuel partner, General Manager, Mr. Harris; representing P.G.Freight - China GT’s official logistics partner, General Manager, Mr. Sun Wei; Motorsport Manager of Porsche (China) Motors Limited, Mr. Alexandre Gibot; Director of Audi sport customer racing Asia, Mr. Bernd Goeres and General Manager of China GT Management Co.,Ltd, Mr. Chen Zhong.
Chairman of CAMF, Mr Zhan Guojun
Chairman of Goldenport Holdings, Mr Jim Ming-Qin Ye
General Manager of China GT Management Co.,Ltd, Mr. Chen Zhong
China GT Official Tyre Partner - Pirelli
Pirelli Motorsport Marketing and PR APAC, Ms. Rebecca Li
The format of China GT - an hour-long sprint race – is highly demanding on the tyres. In 2017, China GT will continue its partnership with Pirelli, and will feature new types of tyres to accommodate our new marques and racing category. China GT and our teams put our trust in Pirelli to help drivers achieve superior performance level.
China GT Official Fuel Partner - R+ Racing
General Manager, Harris
China GT supercars need to be powered by special race fuel to keep up with their high revving engines. As the official partner of China GT, R+ Racing will donate specially-formulated race fuel worth 700,000 RMB to the teams (100 GT race fuel and 103 GT race fuel) and will provide professional racetrack safety measures. The fuel has a produced research octane number (RON) of 108.6, fully showcasing the superior performance of GT engines.
China GT Official Logistics Partner - P.G.Logistics
General Manager, Mr. Sun Wei
There are over 60 expensive racecars competing on six different circuits at the 2017 China GT Championship, and solving the logistics problems for such a lavish nationwide event is no easy feat. P.G.Freight will ensure that all the supercars will be shipped to their designated locations with speed and precision.
The reigning champion JRM will bring 8 cars and an even bigger and more impressive lineup to China GT, and will be competing in the GT3, GTC and GT4 classes.
Bentley Team Absolute has put three Bentley Continental GT3 cars on the track for the official test and has revealed an international lineup, with Hong Kong racer Adderly Fong partnering with Thai driver Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak, and Malaysian Chinese driver Weiron Tan sharing a wheel with Korean driver Andrew Kim. Plus, Swiss racing driver and rising talent Alexandre Imperatori has taken a mystery partner for a spin at the official test. All drivers will contest with Bentley Continental GT3 cars and are aiming to be the fastest on the track!
FAW T2M will enter two Porsche 991 GT3Rs into the 2017 China GT championship battle. FAW T2M is operated by the freshly entitled team, HubAuto Racing, who is the Porsche Motorsport 911 GT3 R Official team. On the drivers side, Hiroki Yoshimoto will be representing the team at China GT.
KINGS is one of the most popular teams competing at China GT. KINGS dazzles with its distinctive livery and its star driver Xu Jia, and it doesn’t hurt that KINGS’ founding partner Qin Fen has a massive following. For the new season, KINGS will be entering the race with their brand new Audi R8 LMS and Ferrari 458 GT3.
Xtreme Motorsports has made its presence known by entering the British and Austrian supercars Radical and KTM. Rising star Ling Kang has been confirmed as one of the drivers.
Taiwanese hotshot D2 Racing will join China GT for the first time, fielding a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 and a Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo in the GT3 and GTC class. Driver pairing Kuo Kuo Hsin and Huang His Chan has been confirmed for the championship.
China Equity Racing will make its debut in the 2017 China GT Championship, confirming four Aston Martin Vantage GT4 cars with support from Prodrive. China Equity Racing is a shareholder of Aston Martin and will also be supported by strategic partner Global Wings. Powered by the successful British manufacturer, China Equity Racing will have the opportunity to take the fight to the established teams and is on-course to make a strong showing in 2017.
Wan Er Bu Fan Racing is another first-timer at China GT, and its Aston Martin Vantage GT4 cars will be competing on the Beijing Goldenport International Circuit and many more to come.
2016 China GT heavyweight Spirit Z Racing has confirmed a return to battle in the GT3 class with a Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3. Their aim is simple: to claim the championship title in the GT3 class of 2017 China GT!
True Visions Motorsports Thailand is a unique presence at China GT, and will be fielding a Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo to compete in the GTC class. True Visions’ star driver Suttiluck Buncharoen expressed his excitement about competing in China GT and for the rapid growth of China’s motorsports.
The Winning Team is yet another serious contender, and McLaren China's Managing Director, Mr. David McIntyre will be behind the wheel of a McLaren 570S GT4.
