High-octane weekend of motorsport

Races and rich variety of sideline action made the Champions Festival the highlight of the year for true enthusiasts, Li Fangfang reports.

For die-hard motorsport fans, there is nothing more exciting than spending the whole weekend watching as many races as possible.

The 2013 Sports Car Champions Festival made it a reality on Oct 26 and 27 in Shanghai, with six iconic brands - Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche and Volkswagen - joining forces for the second year to make the Shanghai Audi International Circuit the premier venue for local motoring aficionados.

Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche and Volkswagen all brought their high-performance models to the 2013 Sports Car Champions Festival in Shanghai. [Photos Provided to China Daily]

More than 12,000 spectators witnessed five racing series and got an up-close look at an array of classic models.

A rich variety of sideline activities added to the allure as spectators of all ages enjoyed the high-octane weekend of motorsport.

"As leaders in the sports car market, the six brands have been contributing to China's motorsport and motoring culture," said Markus Nels, director of the sports car projects at Volkswagen Group China.

"In the past two years, they have jointly held a full range of activities including the Sports Car Champions Festival and the Star Racing Academy to support China's young drivers," Nels added.

With adrenalin-pumping competition on the course and entertaining trackside activities, "the Sports Car Champions Festival is the perfect gathering for motorsport lovers from across the country", he said. "After the festival, the six brands will continue to promote motoring culture in China."

Young drivers experienced high-speed excitement at the Star Racing Academy event held during the festival. [Photos Provided to China Daily]

Exciting series

Intense action on the track was the highlight, with the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup, Audi R8 LMS Cup, Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia Series and Formula Masters China Series all showing spectators the excitement of auto racing.

In a year that marks the 50th anniversary of Porsche's iconic 911, the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia celebrated the completion of 10 thrilling seasons. The flagship event at the forefront of motorsport development in Asia staged its grand finale of the year during the festival.