ATCC: Paul Chan Zhuhai double win report

Zhuhai International Circuit, China.
Paul Chan Scores Double Win In Zhuhai

Paul Chan won his first race of the season in the Rd 13 ATCC race this morning, and made it a double by taking the Rd 14 race later in the afternoon as well.

Paul took full advantage of C Nattavude's engine problems in the first race, and managed to fend off a strong challenge from Kenny Chun and Lo Ka Chun, who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.

An ecstatic Paul later said, "I'm very lucky to have won this race, as Nattavude had set the quickest lap times during yesterday's qualifying session.

In the Rd 14 race later in the day, Paul again took the chequered flag, with Lo Ka Fai (Ka Chun's brother) and Adrian Fu completing the podium trio. Nattavude made a decision not to race in this round. "I want to `save' my car for the upcoming Macau Guia race next month. Besides, as Chen Jun San is again absent for Rounds 13 & 14, I have basically won the ATCC Div 1 championship."

In the Div 2 championship, Takayuki Fujita had a scare earlier in the day, when the brand new engine put into his Honda Civic buckled under the demanding conditions in Zhuhai, and caught fire earlier on in the race. The Japanese - always the entertainer - jumped out of his car, grabbed a fire extinguisher from a marshal and played Fireman Tom himself.

"I am abit disappointed that the new engine we put in for today's race caught fire. My mechanics have just reinstalled the old engine in, and I hope to at least finish the Rd 14 race," said Fujita.

And finish it he did. Fujita was driving a very defensive race, which is very unlike him, to just finish and collect the points to secure his Div 2 ATCC Championship. However, the racing spirit got the better of him, and before long he faught his way through the field to finish the race 5th overall - and 1st in Division 1.

Danny Stacy Chau, the veteran touring car driver, and one of the founders of the Asian Touring Car Championship series also had a good race weekend in China. After finishing 1st in the Div 2 race, he was again on the Div 2 podium for the Rd 14 race - finishing a respectable 2nd behind Fujita and ahead of Lee Tat Cheong.

"It's good an old man like me can still win races," he said. "But it's all luck. My car isn't running as good anymore because it is a very old car.

The Asian Touring Car Championship now moves to Macau, where it becomes part of the prestigious Macau Grand Prix event (16-18 Nov 2001). This time however, the Division 1 and Division 2 class cars will race separately; Division 1 cars will race the two legs of the Guia Race, while the Div 2 cars will race in the Macau Cup race (1 leg).

-AFOS-