GT ASIA NEWS
A weekend of emotions in Macau
2011 GT Asia Series came to a conclusion on 58th Macau Grand Prix. It was a shocking weekend for Asia Racing Team despite the good results of Macau’s Keith Vong and Hong Kong’s Sasha Chu.
Focus on the Championship, Eddie Yau qualified fourth of the GT Asia Series participants and eleventh overall. Teammate Sasha Chu started from 26th place. Local driver Keith Vong qualified as the second best of GTM class entries and took the thirteenth spot on Sunday’s grid.
On Sunday morning the start of the race went exactly according to plan. Yau made a good clean start and got into the top 3 of the GT Asia Series drivers, followed closely by Vong. Meanwhile Chu was picking up some spots. But everything changed on lap three.
Caught out by oil on the track from Akihiro Tsuzuki’s Audi, Yau hit the Armco coming in to the same turn, bouncing across the track and into the barrier opposite before coming to a stop in the middle of the track. The next few cars managed to get through without contact, but John Shen’s Ferrari came into the turn too fast hitting the outside barrier and bouncing into the stationery ABSOLUTE PIONEER Porsche 911 GT3 R.
It was a massive impact, but fortunately the strength of the Porsche prevented Yau from sustaining any injuries.
Vong managed to pass intact through the Mandarin corner chaos, even if he was slightly hit from behind by an opponent. Vong’s crew repaired the damage during the red flag period and he had done a great job, fending off the quicker GT3-spec machinery until the chequered flag. “Finally I had luck this season. I am proud of doing well in front of my hometown and I’m very happy with 2min36s lap time I did”, said the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia regular.
Chu also avoided the accident and kept his steady pace over the remaining seven laps, crossing the finish line 16th overall, collecting points of a third place in GT Asia Series, his best score of the season.
From the start of the year, Eddie Yau has been in the top five of the points table collecting seven podium finishes and before the race he was only 2 points shy of the second position driver. In the end, Yau was third and his teammate Chu seventh in the GT Asia Series as Asia Racing Team finished second in Teams’ Championship.
Said Asia Racing Team’s Team Manager Philippe Descombes: “We’ve come away with far more than we expected, and sitting 3rd in the Championship standings is a reward for the hard work, determination and commitment the team and the drivers have put into this season. It was not the end of season we wanted but today, the most important thing is Eddie is fine and got away with no injuries.”
Photo @ Cheung Chi Wai
ART’s strong pace goes unrewarded at Autopolis
Eddie Yau and Asia Racing Team experienced an unjust race weekend at Autopolis as the Hong Kong driver and championship title contender was taken out when was leading the Race 1. Teammate Sasha Chu did in Autopolis his two best overall results of the season so far.
Even with 100 kg of “Success Weight Ballast“ handicap Yau showed his intent early, qualifying in the 4th position on Saturday for both races. Meanwhile Chu placed his Porsche 911 GT3 R twice on the fifth row.
Race 1 saw the #72 ABSOLUTE PIONEER climbing one position before the pit stops. Yau’s well-timed pit stop allowed him to leave the pit lane ahead of race leader. With two laps to go, and seeing victory on the horizon, Yau was punted off in the hairpin. His opponent got a “stop & go” for “avoidable accident” but Yau’s destiny was to retire in the pits, ruining his chances of becoming champion.
He said of the incident and the race, “throughout the race I had a really good pace. I passed Tunku and unfortunately for Mok he had a drive through and I passed him too. Dilantha was giving me a lot of pressure, he followed me for a few laps and I was watching him very carefully. I didn’t think he had any way to pass me. I don’t feel it was fair for him to do that, the last two or three laps. You know, if you can’t find a way to pass somebody, you can’t pass him. Not by hitting him out, so…”
Chu had a less eventful race but the #11 PIONEER ABSOLUTE’s 911 GT3 R had an interesting duel with a Lamborghini. Chu was strongest in the last laps and crossed the finish line in 8th overall.
Despite the huge set back Yau did not give up on his Race 2 and managed to leave Autopolis with a podium finish. The Asia Racing Team driver quickly grabbed the 3rd position and then maintained his pace despite the charges from an opponent.
“The tyres didn’t last very long, by the first few laps it was gone. I was following David for a while, and had a good time behind him but I couldn’t find a way past. Then after I got my rhythm back it was too late already” said Yau.
Chu held his 9th position at the start and he kept fighting in the middle of the pack throughout the 40-min race. In the end of an admirable race exceeding several rivals, Chu emerged 8th overall, securing important points for the championship.
Reflecting about the race weekend, Team Manager Philippe Descombes added, “It was very unfair for Eddie to be taken from the race that way. Although Eddie’s gap to the leaders in the standings is large we’ll continue to give everything as long as Eddie still got mathematical chances of becoming champion. Once again we saw Sasha improving his pace and we are glad to see that he is going to take the challenge of racing in the Macau Grand Prix.”
Heading into the last race of the season, Yau is now 3rd in Drivers’ championship Standings and Chu lies on 9th. Asia Racing Team is currently second in the Teams’ Standings.
The GT Asia Series continues in Macau on 17-20 November 2011 for the Season Finale during the 58th Macau Grand Prix.
Photo by Benny Luey for afos.com
Eddie Yau takes the lead at Suzuka
Asia Racing Team’s Eddie Yau kept his GT Asia Series title challenge on track at Suzuka with two solid second-place finishes. He is now leading the championship by three points. Teammate Sasha Chu endured a tough debut weekend in the famous Japanese circuit.
In Qualifying 1 Yau was the fourth with the fastest lap in the 15-minute session at 2:08.421 and the sister No. 11 Porsche was fifteenth quickest. In Qualifying 2, Yau improved his lap-time and set a 2:08.115, lining up third for the Race 2. Teammate Chu also improved, qualifying thirteenth.
In Race 1 Yau had a brilliant start, pushing past the Lamborghini LP560 of Dilantha Malagamuwa at the start. The Hong Kong native was immediately alongside the Ferrari F458 of Mok Weng Sun into turn 1 and almost took second place before giving a clean path for Mok to keep his position into turn 2. The Ferrari was penalized later on with a one-second stop-go penalty, allowing Yau the second spot on the podium. Yau moved back to the top of the championship table.
“Mok was very consistent and didn’t make a single mistake in the first eight laps and he was pulling away slowly every lap. Dilantha was behind me about half to one second away so I was just going my pace. Then on the second last lap it got pretty bad and I was practically on third gear all the way back to the chequered flag”, said Yau.
The white and green PIONEER ABSOLUTE 911 GT3 R of Chu had a short Race 1, having been forced to retire after 11 laps.
In Race 2 Yau had another impressive getaway, overtaking the car in front of him in the first corner. He did not keep that position for too long, his opponent found a way past him on the same lap. But at the next lap the adversary was caught into a spin while avoiding a backmarker, losing his position again to the white and blue ABSOLUTE PIONEER 911 GT3 R. Without the speed to run after the victory, Yau focused to finish second and score important points for the championship standings.
Reflecting on his second weekend podium, Yau said, “I had a really good start and I was right next to the leader on the inside line and I really didn’t know where to go so I just backed off. Then I had a better line into T2 and passed Mok. I calmed down a little bit and focused on not making any mistakes. I am happy about leading the Championship and I hope to lead it all the way to the end.”
Still very inexperienced under wet conditions, Chu conducted a very cautious 40-minute race, and brought home a 17th place overall.
Team Manager, Philippe Descombes, added, “We had another great weekend in Japan with Eddie. Sasha struggled to take the maximum out of the car in a new track for him, but this is a learning season for him. Eddie did a fantastic job during the weekend with two flawless races. We are seeing some great racing from the three championship leaders who were racing in very close proximity. We expect an exciting end of the season.”
Yau now leads the Championship, heading into the last three rounds with a three point lead. Asia Racing Team is currently second in the Teams’ Standings.
The GT Asia Series will head to the Autopolis International Circuit for the penultimate weekend in the 2011 Season this 30th September to 2nd October.
Photo @ AFOS (www.afos.com)
Yau captures first-ever GT victory for Asia Racing Team
Eddie Yau captures first-ever GT victory for Asia Racing Team
Eddie Yau took Asia Racing Team first ever GT Asia Series win in a memorable race one at the Fuji Speedway, whilst team-mate Sasha Chu scored valuable points this weekend.
Already in the qualifying Eddie Yau showed his speed and the Porsche 997 GT3 R was the second fastest car out on the track in the early part of the session, but he was penalized for crossing the pit-entry line and had his best time removed, relegating him down to fifth. For the second race Yau lined up in fourth place. Teammate Chu meanwhile qualified twelfth and thirteenth.
Race 1 saw Yau crossing the finish line in first place with a total of 22 laps completed in the 40-minute race. The Hong Kong native beat the firm favourite Ferrari F458 and the Lamborghini LP560 to the podium. After a good start, Yau quickly made his way to second place, and a precise pit stop allowed him to inherit the first position which he hadn’t lost.
Chu had an exciting battle with Christian Chia with the duo changing positions several times throughout the first half of the race. The white and green PIONEER ABSOLUTE 911 GT3 R finished tenth, scoring four precious points.
Speaking about his first win, Yau said, “From the very first practice all the way through I was doing a really good pace. I had a really good start off the grid and I really like Fuji. I was about one and a half to two seconds behind the two front drivers, waiting for my chance, which came sooner than I thought. I was getting quicker and quicker and caught up a bit and when everybody went into the pits, I managed a flying lap. I had a good pit stop and came out ahead of them, a 3 seconds lead and I just kept on driving.”
From lights on an "exhausting" race started for Yau, as he had to defend his position against several opponents until the finish line. Starting from fourth, Yau rapidly moved to third but a slow pit stop, cost him position on the podium. When the white and blue ABSOLUTE PIONEER 911 GT3 R was in final countdown to leave the pits, an opponent parked his car in front of Yau, giving no room for ART prepared car get back to the track without the assistance of the team mechanics, costing vital seconds in the pits. Even a 70kg handicap could not prevent Yau rallying to finish fourth under the extreme pressure of the Audi Japan supported R8 and just a second way from a deserved podium place.
Racing this weekend for the very first time at the Mount Fuji track, Chu ran clean and well in early laps of Race 2, holding eleventh. He saw window of opportunity to make into Top-10 and did it again, finishing ninth.
Team Manager Philippe Descombes was delighted with Yau’s victory and team’s performance, “It was a great weekend for us. That’s quite a feat, considering 2011 marks the first year Asia Racing Team has been involved in GT racing. After starting the year with three podium results, we arrived at Fuji with high expectations and our sights set on earning team’s first-ever victory. Eddie was spectacular this weekend and just a very unfortunate pit stop in Race 2 slow him down. Sasha had two scoring finishes and keeps improving his pace every race. We go to Suzuka looking forward to repeat the Race 1 performance.”
Asia Racing Team is currently second in the Drivers and Teams’ Standings, with Eddie Yau now just one point adrift from first. The next races of the GT Asia Series will be held in four weeks time, from 19th to 21st August 2011, at Suzuka.
Photo @ www.AFOS.com
Asia Racing Team scores double podium in Sepang
Asia Racing Team drivers did an outstanding job in both races of the second round of 2011 GT Asia Series on the Malaysian circuit of Sepang. Hong Kong’s Eddie Yau finished third in both races, climbing one position in the championship standings, and his teammate Sasha Chu scored the first points this season.
Straight from the beginning, Yau showed that he was in Malaysia to be on the top. Having finished in the podium once in the inaugural round last month, Yau was P5 and P6 in qualifying. But the best was yet to come - he started in fifth and came home in third in Race 1, thanks to an astonishing consistency and another master pit-stop of the team.
In the Race 2, despite the blistering heat, Eddie Yau finished third to claim his second podium in the Porsche 911 GT3 R for Asia Racing Team. Yau started the race in sixth, kept a clean race and maintained a steady race pace leaving the battle between his opponents ahead of him to pay off. Speaking after the Race 2, Eddie Yau said: “The race was really good, it was really very hot. I was following Siu Yuk Lung for about 10 laps and defending from Samson Chan for the entire forty minutes so it was very tiring for me. Throughout the race there was a lot of overtaking and trying to pass one another, it was fun. Two podiums, I’m happy this weekend and I’m very excited for Japan. I’ve always liked Japan and I’m really looking forward to it”.
Teammate Sasha Chu had a great weekend too, showing a noticeably improvement. The inexperienced Hong Kong native driver shaved eight seconds to his best lap time around the Malaysian F1 track, and his pace is now just 5 seconds away from the top drivers of the category. After a good getaway, and following the team orders, the #11 Absolute – Pioneer Porsche
911 GT3 R took a conservative and smart approach, crossing the finish line in ninth, scoring points for the first time this season.
In Race 2 Chu did another clean start, escaping superbly without a scratch to the first corner confusion. A clear run and a successful pit stop strategy paid off with a tenth place in the end.
The team’s strong and consistent results, pitching their talent and experienced against the biggest field in the series’ history, has put them within few points of the top of the team championship leaderboard in second place with seven races still to go. Eddie Yau also secured the second position in drivers’ classification.
The next round of the GT Asia Series takes place at Fuji in Japan in two weeks.
Photo @ Henry Chan
Asia Racing Team and Eddie Yau on top
Asia Racing Team had a spectacular first appearance in GT Asia Series, and after the two first races of the season in Sepang, the Macanese outfit is leading the team standings by two points.
Eddie Yau put on a great show, climbing on the podium in third in his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup R in round 1 and finishing a creditable fourth in round 2. The Hong Kong driver currently lies third on the Championship Points standing.
Racing the new Porsche 911 GT3 Cup R for the second time, Sasha Chu was getting the feeling of the car for the whole weekend. The Hong Kong native was twelfth in the Race 1 and finished seventeenth in the second race.
The round two result currently remains, pending an appeal by a driver and his team. Rounds 3&4 of the GT Asia Series will be held from June 18-19.
GT Asia: Asia Racing Team‚ Eddie Yau and Sasha Chu to race Porsche in 2011 GT Asia
Asia Racing Team will be running two Porsche 997 GT3 Cup R in the GT3 class of the GT Asia Series in 2011 for the Hong Kong racers Eddie Yau and Sasha Chu.
Eddie Yau, a GT3 Asia Challenge race winner and a regular among the front-runners, will be partnering with another familiar face from the series, Sasha Chu. They will drive the last GT3 spec car manufactured by Porsche and prepared by the Macanese team based in Zhuhai.
The 911 GT3 R born to be raced in series based on international FIA GT3 regulations. It features a four-litre six-cylinder boxer engine delivering 480 hp, and a six-speed sequential gearbox transmits the power to the rear axle.
Speaking ahead of the new season, Yau, said: “From my previous outings in GT3 Asia, I know we face fierce competition. Sasha and I believe in this partnership with Asia Racing Team. I’m doing my best in order to arrive at the first race with a good understanding with the team and the car so that we all feel comfortable together.”
His teammate Chu, added ‚ÄúI’ve really enjoyed the tests I’ve completed so far and already feel part of the team. I know I have a lot to improve on and I take the team advices as a motivation to continue to train hard.‚Äù
With a vast reputation in single seater championships in the region, the GT Asia Series campaign will be another string to the Asia Racing Team’s bow.
Team Manager, Philippe Descombes, stated: “We have looking to enter in the championship for some time now. The Porsche is a winner car in Europe and we have the right drivers. Eddie and Sasha together not only create a great atmosphere in the team, but also can perform. Eddie is well known in the house from his past participations in our training courses, and he made a strong first impression in the Pan Delta event. Sasha is improving every time he jumps in the car which is a good sign for the season ahead.”
The 2011 GT Asia Series series will be held over six meetings at Asia’s leading circuits. The highly competitive series sees the Asia Racing Team Porsche up against cars from famous marques such as Ferrari, Lamborghini and Ford in the competition for GT3 class honours and the overall title.
