Preview: Macau's Asia-Pacific Championships

press release

Only two weeks after hosting its traditional Formula 3 event and the final of the FIA World Touring Car Championship, Macau is preparing to welcome Karting aces within the framework of the CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific KF1 and KF3 Championships.

For international Kartists it will be the last major event of a very busy season, but for participants the 2008 edition of the Asia-Pacific Championship will also – or mainly – be a dress rehearsal before the World Championship which the Automobile Association of Macau-China (AAMC) will be privileged to organise in 2009 (from 9 to 11 October). And for the very fi rst time in its history, the World Karting Championship will be held in Asia. Small though it is (only 28 sq. km), the Macau territory comprises a permanent circuit dedicated to Karting. Located on the Coloane isle, 12 km from the town centre, the Karting track is 1,200 m long and has had a CIK-FIA licence since 2004.

As the end of the year is near, not all teams will take part in the show on 28-30 November but the KF1 entry list is nonetheless first quality as it includes in particular the top three classified Drivers in the 2008 World Championship, the Italian Marco Ardigo, the Czech Libor Toman and the Briton Gary Catt. Against this reference three-some, a few youngsters will take advantage of this opportunity to make their début in KF1 and ideally prepare 2009 after a fruitful season in KF2. Proclaimed winner of the World Cup for KF2, Britain’s Oliver Rowland will participate, and so will his compatriots Robert Foster-Jones (2008 KF2 Vice-European Champion) and Jack Harvey (2007 European Junior Champion and 2008 KF2 Asia-Pacific Champion).

The European contingent will also include some experienced Drivers such as the Italians Alessandro Bressan and Sauro Cesetti, the Frenchmen Armand Convers and Manuel Renaudie and the Brit Richard Bradley. Concerning Drivers from the Asian continent, Japan’s delegation will be led by Katsuda Takamoto (4th and first classified Japanese Driver in the 2008 KF2 Asia-Pacific Championship held at Suzuka/J last may). As for the Filipino Stefano Marcello, he will try to confirm the good performance he made at Macau in 2007.

In addition to races counting towards the Asia Zone Championship, the programme of the meeting also comprises the single event of the CIK-FIA Asia-Pacific Junior Championship (KF3).

The Italo-Russian Danil Kvyat, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr, the Swede Mans Grenhagen, the Italian Vittorio Ghirelli and the Russian Sergei Sirotkin are among the favourites.

Qualifying practice and heats will be staged on Saturday 29 November, and pre-finals & finals on the Sunday.

All the results will be available live on www.cikfia.com.

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