Shorter rally race track blamed on materials delay

Eunice Lam

The track for Hong Kong's first FIA World Rallycross Championship is 400 meters shorter than expected as construction materials could not be delivered in time, Hong Kong Automobile Association president Ringo Lee Yiu-pui said.

Lee said yesterday the materials could not be delivered in advance as there was no space to store them at the race venue in Central, adding that the event organizer did not have enough time to prepare for the track.

The double-header eventually raced on a half-gravel, half-tarmac track that was shortened to 800 meters - from 1,225 - or two thirds the length of the planned track after "unforeseen delays in the construction."

Lee said the organizer had only two weeks to build the track and that "the track was built with sand, mud, and gravel, and it required a long time for construction. In other cities, it would take at least three weeks."

The main reasons for the truncated circuit was due to a late shipment of anti-collision bars from South Korea and the organizer being allowed to close the road only on Friday - a day before the race.

"They were supposed to send us [the anti-collision bars] in three shipments, but we only received the first two," Lee said, adding that the organizer also saw challenges in storing the construction materials. "Since the circuit had to go through safety checking from the FIA and the Automobile Association, the FIA decided not to pose risk to the circuit, as the most important thing is safety."

He also said the government had provided a big helping hand throughout event preparations, including approving the organizer's "M" mark event application - which usually takes around a year.

FIA reached out to the association early this year over holding the event in Hong Kong, and the association was responsible for finding a venue, with Lee saying the government was positive over the event being held here.

However, Hong Kong lacks a standardized venue for car racing, and the Central Harbourfront, the championship's venue, was fully booked until June, with the association being told it could use the venue this month.

Lee suggested that organizers of future racing events should work on enhancing road closure arrangements, as well as the storage of construction materials.

However, he remained conservative when asked about whether the rallycross championship will return next year.

"If the event is successful, there is a big chance Hong Kong will hold the championship in the next couple of years," Lee said.

"But it is hard to say so, as Hong Kong is not the only city in Asia."