The 6th round of the 2013 CTCC China Touring Car Championship in Zhaoqing has just concluded. Han Han dropped from second to eighth place due to a fuel pump failure in the penultimate lap, finishing the race, while veteran driver Wang Rui also retired due to car trouble. The next day was Han Han's 31st birthday, and this racing "gift" was not a pleasant one. However, fans carefully presented him with a cake labeled "No. 6" to wish him a happy birthday, and CAMEL, the strategic partner of the Volkswagen 333 Racing Team, also promptly sent a birthday cake to celebrate Han Han’s special day.
Setbacks in races are common, but for a team that has gone through twelve years of ups and downs in motorsports, one loss is merely a stepping stone to the next victory. Twelve years hold too many stories, witnessing the growth and glory of the Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team.
In March 2001, the Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team made its debut in Songjiang, Shanghai, becoming a regular contender in the National Rally Championship. Right from the start, the team achieved remarkable results with one championship and one third-place finish. If one win could be considered a fluke, then the team’s performance two months later in the high-altitude city of Kunming left no doubt about the fearsome competitiveness of Volkswagen 333. In that round, facing extreme cold, thin air, and highly experienced opponents — conditions they had never encountered before — the team surprisingly swept the top three spots. This was an unprecedented myth in the history of Chinese motorsports. The young rookies, full of the boldness of youth, fought their way through and began a high-flying, championship-winning journey.
The team’s key drivers — Wang Rui, Han Han, Gao Huayang, Wang Shaofeng, Li Junyi, and others — have repeatedly won championships in the CRC, CCC, and CTCC, creating one legendary feat after another in China’s motorsport scene. In 2007, Wang Rui, a star of the Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team, claimed the championship in the final round, while Han Han secured the annual drivers' title. The Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team thus claimed both the team and drivers’ “double championship.” Just like a camel, the team moved forward step by step, resolutely and steadfastly, ascending to the peak.
As the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. The continuous achievements of the Volkswagen 333 Racing Team have been hard-won through repeated setbacks and challenges. In August 2001, when the rising Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team was at the height of its fame, an unexpected large rock ended the races of three championship contenders prematurely, including Wang Rui and Li Junyi. That marked the first time the team narrowly missed out on the title. In March 2003, at the Shanghai round, they lost the championship by just two seconds on home turf, and in July in Changchun, they again finished as runners-up by a narrow margin. In 2006, they lost the National Touring Car Championship for the third consecutive year by just five points. There was much frustration, but also the determination and effort to fight for the title the following year.
Having gone through so much, the Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team has tasted hardship, joy, bitterness, and maturity. With strong support from its sponsors, the team resolutely joined the inaugural National Touring Car Championship (CCC), advanced to world-class competitions, and kept on winning. At the beginning of 2013, CAMEL became the official apparel sponsor of the Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team. Both are champions in their respective fields, and the high-performance, dynamic racing gear complements the unrestrained style of CAMEL, bringing new opportunities for the development of both sides.
The 7th round of the 2013 China Touring Car Championship returns to Zhuhai. The last race in Zhuhai was chaotic due to sudden heavy rain, but now, with the next race in Zhuhai approaching, an exciting high-speed battle is about to unfold. The Shanghai Volkswagen 333 Racing Team is fully prepared for the competition, and as fans, we look forward even more to witnessing a thrilling, high-speed showdown.