HONG KONG AT LE MANS - NEXT MONTH
We have news... Matthew Marsh will race in the 2007 Le Mans 24-hours. Tune into www.matthewmarsh.net for details (and find out why this site will need a re-design).
- posted by Matthew @ 22:24   

 
STAY TUNED
With the Hong Kong Le Mans team on hold, for a while at least, it will be best to visit Matthew's website (www.matthewmarsh.net) for up to date news about Le Mans, etc.
- posted by Matthew @ 22:14   

 
LE MANS, etc
They say no news is good news. Well, I still can not confirm that Hong Kong will not be at Le Mans this year. Indeed, I can tell you that I certainly will be racing this year on the famous 13.65 kilometre track - one way or another.

There might be only 10 days until the Test Weekend (June 3/4) but there is still a chance that we will be racing in this year's 24-hours. It's amazing how many cars do not yet have all their drivers confirmed - especially in the context of our Hong Kong entry being rejected despite appearances in last year's Le Mans Endurance Series, having confirmed our driver line-up before we sent the entry form, etc. Indeed I am now aware that one team received an entry without actually owning the car they will race this June. It's quite bizarre - and rather annoying.

So, until you hear news to the contrary there's a chance that the bauhinia will fly at the Le Mans 24-hours in June 17/18th. Stay tuned for updates later this week.

And now for very positive and exciting news: I will be racing at the Le Mans Classic on July 8/9th. This is one of the foremost historic racing events and I am very privileged to have been invited. Once we've confirmed what's happening with the June event I'll provide full details of the fabulous cars I will be driving in July.

In closing, perhaps I can direct you to my personal website www.matthewmarsh.net which will be kept up to date with all the developements - including those of the Hong Kong Le Mans team.

Matthew
- posted by Matthew @ 10:51   

 
NEWS UPDATE
A lot has happened since last I wrote...

In mid-January the year ahead appeared quite full. I was looking forward to a fourth season in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia and my third with A-Ha Racing. They had made a committment last August to continue in the series and ordered a new 997 Cup car which arrived in Malaysia in late January.

Then there was the Supercar Challenge. It looked likely I would be racing in this series of four races in China which caters for various sports cars on street tyres. The best part was that I would be re-united with my old A-Ha 996 Cup car. I raced this car for two years and we acheived a lot together.

And of course there was the Hong Kong Le Mans project which has been constantly in my mind for, well, I suppose about a decade!

Things started to go a little off course when A-Ha decided not to continue with the Carrera Cup Asia. Their involvement in the series had been part of a carefully planned brand marketing exercise and one which had proved successful. The focus for 2006 is on driving sales in China and thus it was decided a regional racing series was less relevant than before. The bad news then was a last-moment cancellation of my Carrera Cup season; the good news was confirmation of the Supercar Challenge in the trusty 996.

Then the Le Mans organisers, the ACO, released their second entry list which showed the first 38 cars to be invited - from a total of 50. Our Hong Kong team was not included. Whilst it was too early to start contemplating suicide this was certainly not good news.

The ACO's job is very tough: they had received 79 entries for 50 places - and 26 alone for the GT2 class in which our Porsche RSR runs. Indeed of these 26 GT2's some 16 were Porsches. Of course ours is the only entry from Hong Kong and would be the first team from Asia in the 74 year history of the 24-hours. Hopefully that will help us in our bid for selection.

The final entry list will be published very shortly after the Sebring 12-hours on March 18th. If you don't find the HK car on that list it's probably best to take care when walking close to tall buildings in Hong Kong. I won't be wearing a parachute...
- posted by Matthew @ 10:44   

 
KWAN BACK BEHIND THE WHEEL FOR LE MANS

Hong Kong’s greatest motor racing driver, Charles Kwan, is coming out of retirement to boost the SAR’s pioneering Le Mans team.

The track legend has agreed to compete for Noble Group-GruppeM Racing if they are invited to the Le Mans 24 Hours in June.

Kwan, 42, retired after the 2004 Macau Grand Prix following an illustrious 20-year career in the sport.

But the lure of driving for Hong Kong’s official team in the world’s greatest sports car race has proved too strong.

“I had a great career and I’m happy in retirement, so it’s fair to say Le Mans is the only race that can get me back behind the wheel,” said Kwan.

“The Hong Kong Le Mans team is a fantastic project and, after giving it careful thought, I’ve agreed to be one of the drivers.

“I’ll obviously need to do some testing and it’s possible I may compete in a couple of races here in Asia as a warm-up, but I don’t think it will take me long to get back to the level I was at.”

Kwan was already an off-track advisor to Noble Group-GruppeM Racing but now, after months of intense lobbying from team spearhead and fellow driver Matthew Marsh, he has agreed to put on his racing suit once more.

“Matthew has been very persuasive!” laughed Kwan. “But, seriously, I’ve been following the team with interest and they’ve had some good results. I’m impressed by what they’ve achieved.

“Now, I’m looking forward to going to Le Mans and flying the flag for Hong Kong.”

Kwan carved his name in Macau Grand Prix folklore in 1993 when he became the only driver in the event’s history to win three races in the same weekend – the Macau Cup in a Group A BMW M3, the Supercar Race in a Porsche 911 Turbo and the Guia Race aboard a DTM BMW M3.

He capped his career by winning the inaugural Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia series in 2003.

Marsh was delighted by Kwan’s decision. “This is fantastic news,” he said. “Charles is, quite simply, the finest driver Hong Kong has ever produced and to have him back behind the wheel for our team is a massive boost. When I conceived this project it was all about driving with Charles in the world’s greatest race. This is not only the final piece of the jigsaw – it’s the whole picture.”

Noble Group-GruppeM Racing are attempting to become the first Hong Kong team to compete at Le Mans.

The team, which races a bauhinia-emblazoned Porsche GT3 RSR, was launched last June. Being unable then to lure Kwan from retirement, Marsh gave up-and-coming local racer Darryl O’Young the opportunity to share the driving with him in series of six-hour races in Europe as well as last October’s three-hour FIA GT race at Zhuhai.

A two-man team is enough for six-hour races but three will be needed for the gruelling Le Mans 24 Hours. The identity of the third driver will be confirmed soon.

Marsh has just submitted the team’s entry application to the Le Mans organisers, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO), and will learn in March whether it has been accepted.

“In most cases, entry to Le Mans is by invitation only and is at the discretion of the ACO,” he explained. “They take into account various factors, including results, organisation and capability, as well as what a team can bring to the race in terms of profile and publicity.

“Given our performances, the media interest we have generated and the fact that we would feature the first ever Chinese driver at Le Mans, we’re quite hopeful.”
- posted by Matthew @ 10:17   

 
NEW TEAM GEAR


- posted by Matthew @ 09:56   

 
HONG KONG's TEAM ON DISPLAY IN HONG KONG
The Hong Kong team's Porsche RSR was on display in the prestigious IFC Mall for four days in early December. Click here for photographs
- posted by Matthew @ 09:53