Looking back at 2011: China's motorsports reach new heights
The 2011 annual work conference of the Federation of Automobile Sports of China and the Federation of Motorcycle Sports of China was recently held in Wanning, Hainan Province. Representatives from automobile and motorcycle associations, clubs, teams, racing circuit operators, and automakers across the country attended to review achievements and discuss future development plans.
In his annual work report, Zhan Guojun, Vice Chairman of both the Federation of Automobile Sports of China (FASC) and the Federation of Motorcycle Sports of China (FMSC), reviewed the key work. He pointed out that in 2011, various domestic auto and motorcycle sporting events remained stable and showed growth, operating smoothly. A total of 103 events were held throughout the year, two more than in 2010. Of these, 86 were car races and 17 were motorcycle races.
Of the 86 car races, there were six rallies, five tarmac rallies, 13 autocross events, four long-distance off-road races, eight China Touring Car Championships, 14 karting races, two drift series events, four China Formula Grand Prix events, 14 heavy-, medium-, and light-duty truck races, one drag race, and one energy-saving and environmentally friendly vehicle race. In addition, there were 16 international car races, including the FIA Formula One World Championship, FIA World Superbike Championship, FIA World Touring Car Championship, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Asia-Pacific Rally Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup, Ferrari Challenge, and ASEAN Rally.
He stated that overall, in 2011, while maintaining the scale of traditional domestic events, additional competitions were added, bringing the total number of national championship series to nine. In addition, local events such as the Pan Delta Super Racing Festival and Southwest Touring Car Race, along with club-level events like the Scirocco Cup and POLO Cup—though not counted among national events—greatly contributed to the foundational growth of motorsports and helped cultivate a vibrant car culture. Furthermore, international brand events—the FIA World Superbike Championship and FIA World Touring Car Championship—made their first appearances in China. By Zhou Meng
Awards go to the winners: FASC holds annual recognition
At the recently concluded 2011 annual work conference of the Federation of Automobile Sports of China, 20 teams including the Guizhou BaiLing Racing Team and over ten events such as the CFGP China Grand Prix received annual recognition. The powerhouse rally team—the Guizhou BaiLing Racing Team—won three team championships during the 2011 season, topped the points standings with 77 points, and proudly claimed the honor of 2011 Champion Team. This victory finally broke the team’s longstanding “even-year wins, odd-year losses” curse, marking its fifth championship win and making it the only active domestic rally team to have won five annual titles.
In the presence of numerous media representatives and industry peers, the FASC awarded the Guizhou BaiLing Racing Team one of the most prestigious prizes of the 2011 China Rally Championship—the International Group Annual Team Championship. As Guizhou racing icons Wei Hongjie and Mao Zhijun received the trophy from FASC officials, thunderous applause erupted from the audience. The Guizhou BaiLing Racing Team also received the title of “Outstanding Club.”
The second edition of the China Racing Golden Champagne Awards, selected by media and experts, was also announced at the conference. Ma Qinghua (automobile) and Huang Zhiyu (motorcycle) won the Drivers’ Awards; Haima Fuma Racing Team (automobile) and Tianyu DTU Racing Team (motorcycle) received the Teams’ Awards; Cao Zhuo (karting) and Zhou Shengjunjie (motorcycle) were honored with the Rookies’ Awards; Lu Ningjun and Xu Baoshan received the Achievement Awards; and Zhu Jiaqin (automobile) and Zhou Haiming (motorcycle) were given the Checkered Flag Awards.
