• Car featured on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing takes to the streets of Macau
• Le Mans class winner Watts aims for Macau GT victory at the third time of asking
• GR Asia-sponsored McLaren MP4-12C GT3 development car can be a winner on first Macau outing
Danny Watts from Thornborough has high hopes that his partnership with the McLaren MP4-12C GT3 in the forthcoming Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup will provide the pairing with a perfect quick step of their own as they take to the streets of Macau this weekend (November 17 - 20th).
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| Holly Valance and Artem Chigvintsev took a spin in a McLaren MP4-12C on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing Read more on the Daily Mail website: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2057775/Strictly-Come-Dancing-2011-Alex-Jones-paces-James-Jordan.html#ixzz1drB0pkob |
Over 11 million viewers watched McLaren’s Ron Dennis put the MP4-12C through its paces recently as he gave Strictly Come Dancing contestants, Holly Valance and Artem Chigvintsev, a hair-raising ride in the super sportscar in an attempt to put some fizz into their fast-moving jive dance.
However, former Le Mans class winner Watts won’t be giving any rides as he races the GR Asia Ltd-sponsored development car in anger at Macau for his 10th year in 2011. And this will also be his second successive year with Leeds-based Anglo-American team United Autosports, for which he is also employed as a driver coach.
“It was quite interesting watching Ron Dennis put the car through its paces on Strictly Come Dancing as it gave people an insight into what the car can actually do, what its capabilities are, how fast it is and how good the handling is”, said 31-year old Watts.
Watts drove the McLaren MP4-12C sports racer at Silverstone for the final round of the Blancpain Endurance Championship last month, and has no doubt the car will suit the Monaco-style Macau event down to the ground. He continued: “The circuit is quite a tight, twisty, bumpy street track which is pretty dirty. The car apparently has got a good change of direction, it’s got great traction and a huge amount of power and I think it will be well-suited to the track.
“Macau is my favourite track in the world. I’ve been on the podium the last three years with a second and two thirds, so this year - my 10th anniversary of racing in Macau - I want to put that right and win it. I’m incredibly grateful to Hong Kong-based Tim Huxley and GR Asia Ltd for making this happen for me every year in Macau – the level of support is just fantastic – and coupled with the professionalism from United Autosports, it really is the perfect package.”
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| Danny Watts raced for United Autosports in 2010 |
Watts considers Audi driver Edoardo Mortara his main opposition, the Italian being the only driver to have won the coveted Macau Formula 3 race twice. However, Danny is no stranger to winning in Macau either, having taken victory in the Formula Asia 2000 race in 2002, before changing disciplines again to lift the trophy in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia race in 2007.
United Autosports will also be running Hong Kong-based Briton, Richard Meins in the team’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 in the prestigious GT event. Meins is also a Macau regular and has competed on the Guia Circuit in many different formulas over the years.
Macau
The 58th running of the prestigious Macau 3.8-mile lap races, which attracts over 300 drivers, is headlined by the F3 Macau Grand Prix, and is the only street race in the world with both car and motorcycle competition taking place on the same weekend. This year the Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup will be a 12-lap counter, two laps more than last year, clearly denoting the popularity of the over-subscribed event.
In addition to the high profile Formula 3 and GT races, the four-day event also features the FIA WTCC - Guia Race of Macau, the CTM Macau Touring Car Cup, the City of Dreams Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, as well as a road sport challenge race.
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| United Autosports / GR Asia's McLaren MP4-12C GT3 car that Watts will race this weekend |
Provisional Timetable (all times are local):
Thursday, 17 November - 12.00 – 12.30 Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup – Practice 1
Friday, 18 November - 13.55 – 14.15 Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup – Practice 2
Saturday 19 November - 12.50 – 13.10 Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup – Qualifying
Sunday 20 November - 09.00 – 10.00 Star River-Windsor Arch Macau GT Cup – Race, 12 Laps
For further information please contact:
Linda Keen
Press Officer
United Autosports
T: +44 1424 250840
M: +44 7745 121790
Email: linda@unitedautosports.com
Skype: lindakeen
For further information on-event, please contact:
Jay Ashton
M: +44 7919 186291 (UK)
M: +852 968 07642 (HK)
E: jay@unitedautosports.com
Skype: Jay_Ashton
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