Adderly Fong charges to victory in second round thriller in Shanghai 29.04.2012: China Audi R8 LMS Cup at Shanghai round 1 and 2 • Yoong leads championship after opening rounds

 China Audi R8 LMS Cup at Shanghai  round 1 and 2



 
•         Yoong leads championship after opening rounds

•         Fong takes maiden career victory

•         Aaron Kwok tops Amateur Drivers Cup after class win
 


Hong Kong’s Adderly Fong took victory in Round 2 of the Audi R8 LMS Cup at the Shanghai International Circuit today in just his second ever sportscar race, also setting the fastest lap of the race.
 

The 22-year-old Sino Vision Racing driver triumphed after a dramatic 18-lap race which saw the lead change hands five times.  Second was winner of Round 1, Alex Yoong of Audi GQ.  Audi Ultra driver Marchy Lee took the final podium place after Team Erdos Xinan Sun Zheng spun just two laps before the chequered flag.
 

Hong Kong artiste Kwok took his first Audi victory, winning the Amateur class ahead of SMD’s Byron Tong and Adrian Fu of FuSpeed Racing in the Child’s Dream charity-liveried Audi R8 LMS Cup car.  Amateur class winner of Round 1, Pauian Archiland J-Fly Racing’s Jeffrey Lee fell victim to an early racing incident.
 

Yoong tops the Overall Classification after two races, six points ahead of Fong in second, with Lee in third.  Kwok leads the race for the Amateur Drivers Cup after a superb weekend on track, two points ahead of SMD’s Byron Tong.
 

After the rain of the morning’s race, the 4.603km Shanghai circuit was dry for Round 2, and as the lights went to green at the rolling start, Yoong again got away well, holding the lead into Turn 1 from a hard-charging Marchy Lee.
 

A fierce battle ensured, with Yoong coming under pressure from Lee who then came under attack from Fong.  Sun Zheng, meanwhile, was keeping the leading trio well in his sights.
 

Lee dived down the inside to grab the lead from Yoong, with Adderly seizing the advantage to follow him by, demoting Yoong to third.  As Lee set about pulling away at the front, Yoong was keeping Fong within range. 
 

Race leader Lee was the first to encounter back markers.  His hopes for victory were dashed after contact with a back marker saw him spin, rejoining the race in 4th. 
 

That gifted the lead to Fong, but Yoong was far from done and began piling on the pressure.  The young Hong Kong talent drove for all he was worth, and when Yoong made his move, held firm. As the Malaysian tried to go on the inside, he lost traction on the kerb and spun, managing to rejoin and hold on to 2nd.
 

Kwok had a trouble-free race this time around to take the Amateur category win and 7th overall.  He put his performance down to some excellent coaching from Yoong and Marchy Lee.
 

Sun looked good for the final podium place, until he made an unforced error that saw Lee charge past the 20-year-old.
 

 Team Betterlife’s Wang Jian Wei, starting from the back of the grid after an incident in the earlier race, was a man on a mission, neatly overtaking Kwok on his way through the field.  Wang continued his charge to finish an impressive 5th.
 

Sun Chao of PD Group Team and KLM Team driver Mak Hing Tak of Hong Kong duelled throughout, with Chao finally emerging ahead of Mak in 8th.
 

After a spectacular debut for the first Audi one-make championship in the world, the Audi R8 LMS Cup will be back in action from June 1-3 at the Zhuhai International Circuit in China’s Pearl River Delta.
 




Adderly Fong (Sino Vision Racing) “It was unlucky Marchy hit the backmarker, but I took the opportunity.  This is the first time I have ever led a race, and I think the adrenaline got too much and Alex and I came together.”
 


Alex Yoong (Audi GQ) “It was a very exciting race!  I think I was in endurance racing mode too much at the start.  Marchy made a hard but fair move, and I would have done the same to him.  I lost a place to Adderly and I tried to get back at him, but I spun and had to settle for 2nd.”
 


Marchy Lee (Audi Ultra) “Unfortunately a backmarker hit me and pushed me off.  The backmarker didn’t see me at all.  My start was very good. I got by Alex, and if he says (the move) is fair, then it’s fair.  It’s a shame – I was supposed to win this race, but I’ll win again this season.”
 


Aaron Kwok (Audi R8LMS Cup Driver)“I believe I was very steady when others had contact and spun, and a major factor was luck. Alex and Marchy have talked to me a lot and helped me.


I performed well and did what I was supposed to do, but I believe there is still more improvement to come.  Thank you to Audi for the team work and encouragement they have given me. The Audi R8 is one of the best GT3 cars.”

 

 Rene Koneberg (Director of Audi Sport customer racing China) “We set out to raise the bar on standards of motorsport in Asia, and our fantastic field of drivers, and fleet of superb Audi R8 LMS Cup cars, have done just that.  We could not have hoped for a more exciting first weekend of Audi one-make racing, and for us to debut here in China makes it all the more special.”


The enthusiasm with which the Audi R8 LMS Cup has been received by the motorsport fraternity has been extraordinary, and we have no doubt we will go from strength to strength this season.”
 


 
Round 2 Results
 

1    27    Adderly FONG (HKG)         Sino Vision Racing    33:26.045

2    8    Alex YOONG (MAL)         Audi GQ    +2.764

3    1    Marchy LEE (HKG)         Audi Ultra    +16.154

4    33    SUN Zheng (CHN)         Team Erdos Xinan    +28.068

5    9    WANG Jian Wei (CHN)         Team Betterlife    +52.612

6    6    ZHU Hu An (CHN)         Team Zhe Jiang Aotong    +53.266

7    88    Aaron KWOK (HKG)    Am    Audi R8 LMS Cup Driver    +59.868

8    77    SUN Chao (CHN)         P D GROUP Audi Team    +1:29.951

9    68    MAK Hing Tak (HKG)         KLM Team    +1:49.922

10    3    Byron TONG (HKG)     Am    SMD    1 Lap

11    13    Adrian FU (HKG)    Am    FuSpeed Racing    1 Lap

12    66    ZHANG Ran (CHN)    Am    Audi Castrol    1 Lap

13    75    Eric HSIANG (TPE)    Am    J-Fly Racing Team    2 Laps

DNF    99    HUA Xia Wei (CHN)         Team Chengdu New Elements    16 Laps

DNF    7    Jeffrey LEE (TPE)    Am    Pauian Archiland  J-Fly Racing    17 Laps

DNF    23    Eric KWONG (HKG)    Am    AK Racing    -


(Am)    Amateur Cup Competitor
 


Fastest Lap: Adderly Fong/Sino Vision Racing/1:50.045/Lap 11
 



Points after Round 2
 
Overall Drivers Championship (Top 5)
 
1    8    Alex YOONG (MAL)    Audi GQ    43
2    27    Adderly FONG (HKG)    Sino Vision Racing    37
3    1    Marchy LEE (HKG)    Audi Ultra    34
4    33    SUN Zheng (CHN)    Team Erdos Xinan    22
5    7    Jeffrey LEE (TPE)    Team Pauian Archiland J-Fly Racing    15
 


Amateur Drivers Cup (Top 5)
 

1    88    Aaron KWOK (HKG)    Audi R8 LMS Cup Driver    35
2    3    Byron TONG (HKG)    SMD    33
3    7    Jeffrey LEE (TPE)    Team Pauian Archiland J-Fly Racing    26
4    66    ZHANG Ran (CHN)    Audi Castrol    24
5    13    Adrian FU (HKG)    FuSpeed Racing    23
 


Team Cup (Top 5)
 

1    8    Audi GQ    43
2    27    Sino Vision Racing    37
3    1    Audi Ultra    34
4    33    Team Erdos Xinan    22
5    7    Pauian Archiland J-Fly Racing    15

 
Audi R8 LMS Cup Official Website at: www.audir8lmscup.com
 

-PR Plus Hong Kong - photos Audi