Deluge casts pall over Macau racing

Eunice Lam

The four-day Macau Grand Prix concluded yesterday, with Hong Kong racer Damon Chan Tat-man clinching victory in the Macau Roadsport - Macao SAR Establishment Cup.

Due to heavy rain in the morning, the Cup was the only event that could proceed.

The rainy conditions led to a slippery track, prompting officials to temporarily halt the race after accidents involving at least three competitors.

A safety car was deployed for the first five laps.

Despite precautions, fellow Hong Kong racer Loo Long-yin hydroplaned into the barriers.

After the safety car left on the sixth lap another red flag came up when a car collided with a guardrail, losing its bumper, and another car spun out.

Ultimately, polesitter Chan secured his victory in the 10-lap race, followed by Macau's Cheang Kin Sang and compatriot Ivan Szeto Wing-shun.

Chan, reflecting on the challenging conditions post-race, admitted he lacked full confidence in his ability to win.

"It kept raining heavily and conditions were awful. The windshield was blurry and I couldn't see anything," he said. "When driving over 150 kilometers per hour on a straight, the car would float due to the puddles."

The Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, originally scheduled for 8 am, was canceled because of the wet track and weather.

Trophies were awarded based on the previous day's qualifying results, leading to Briton Davey Todd celebrating his first victory in the event. Finland's Erno Kostamo, the 2022 winner, took second while four-time champion Peter Hickman finished third.

The Macau Guia Race - Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Event Race 2 - was postponed until the afternoon.

Some racing fans expressed disappointment over the motorcycle event's cancelation.

Hong Kong spectator Tong, who attends the event annually regardless of weather, said there was a positive atmosphere. While he was disappointed by the cancellation, he said safety is paramount.

A visitor from Zhongshan, Liang, also felt a bit let down but was satisfied with the remaining races.

As the weather improved in the afternoon, races resumed. American driver Ugo Ugochukwu triumphed in the FIA FR World Cup, the tournament's final event.

Hong Kong's Lo Ka-chun won the Greater Bay Area GT Cup, finishing a miniscule 0.008 seconds ahead of Beijing's Alex Liang Jiatong.

In the postponed Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Event Race 2, Serbian Dusan Borkovic crossed the finish line first, followed by Argentina's Esteban Guerrieri and Italian Marco Butti.

The championship title for the world tour series went to Hungarian driver Norbert Michelisz.