Asian Touring Car Championship
Encyclopedia
The Asian Touring Car Series (ATCS) is a touring car racing
series that takes place each year across several Asia
n nations. It includes events at circuits in Malaysia, China
and Indonesia
. It ran as the Asian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) between 2000-2001, and 2005-2006.
The championship consists of three classes. Division 1 uses cars built to Super 2000
or BTC Touring
regulations. Proton
provides the only factory team, whose main opposition is the independent German BMW
team of Engstler Motorsport. Division 2 uses Super Production regulations for cars with engine capacities of not more than 2000cc. Engstler Motorsport has a single entry in this class and is the main competition to the four-car line-up of DTM Bel’Air Racing from Hong Kong
. Division 3 is a 1600cc class and is the most production-based of the three. Only DTM Bel’Air Racing fielded entries in this class during 2006.
, with his teammate Paul Chan and EKS Motorsports entered two BMW 320i to defend his title. Rival Henry Lee Junior
joined WK Longman Racing to fight for the championship. Charles famously won the race at Shah Alam
from the very back of the grid that year, but his car broke down in Zhuhai
and Macau, allowing Henry Lee Junior to win.
In 2001, Charles Kwan moved with EKS Motorsport to race in the JGTC. WKS Longman Racing entered Thai driver Nattavude Charoensukhawatana in the championship and he won the title almost unopposed. The only serious rival he had was Chen Jun-San's Toyota Altezza of AAI Motorsports from Taiwan
.
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a general term for a number of distinct auto racing competitions in heavily-modified street cars. It is notably popular in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Scandinavia and Britain.-Characteristics of a touring car:...
series that takes place each year across several Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n nations. It includes events at circuits in Malaysia, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It ran as the Asian Touring Car Championship (ATCC) between 2000-2001, and 2005-2006.
The championship consists of three classes. Division 1 uses cars built to Super 2000
Super 2000
Super 2000, also known as S2000, is an FIA specification and classification for production based race cars. The specification is split to cover both rally and touring car racing. Super 2000 rally cars are also permitted to compete in Super 2000 World Rally Championship events...
or BTC Touring
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
regulations. Proton
Proton (company)
Proton is a Malaysian automobile manufacturer headquartered in Subang Jaya and Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia, with a manufacturing plant in Tanjung Malim, Perak. Founded in 1983, it was Malaysia's only carmaker until the establishment of its competitor and arch-rival, Perodua, in 1993...
provides the only factory team, whose main opposition is the independent German BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
team of Engstler Motorsport. Division 2 uses Super Production regulations for cars with engine capacities of not more than 2000cc. Engstler Motorsport has a single entry in this class and is the main competition to the four-car line-up of DTM Bel’Air Racing from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Division 3 is a 1600cc class and is the most production-based of the three. Only DTM Bel’Air Racing fielded entries in this class during 2006.
2000 Super Production Era
In 2000, the ATCC moved from Super Touring to Super Production regulations. Reigning champion Charles KwanCharles Kwan
Charles Kwan Siu-Cheung is the most successful Hong Kong racing driver who has competed in the Macau Guia Race, Japan GT Championship, FIA GT Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, South East Asia Touring Car Zone Challenge and the Asian Touring Car Championship...
, with his teammate Paul Chan and EKS Motorsports entered two BMW 320i to defend his title. Rival Henry Lee Junior
Henry Lee Junior
Henry Lee Man-Kee Junior is a Hong Kong celebrity and a racing driver.-Early life:Lee is the son of Henry Lee Hok-Ping who was a motorcycle racer and worked for Sime Darby. Lee Jr. majored in Business Administration and graduated from University of Southern California. He was an auto racing fan...
joined WK Longman Racing to fight for the championship. Charles famously won the race at Shah Alam
Shah Alam
Shah Alam is the state capital of Selangor, Malaysia situated within the Petaling District and a small portion of the neighboring Klang District. It is located about west of the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur. Shah Alam replaced Kuala Lumpur as the capital city of the state of Selangor in 1978...
from the very back of the grid that year, but his car broke down in Zhuhai
Zhuhai International Circuit
Zhuhai International Circuit is located at Jin Ding town in Zhuhai City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China.Motorsport started in Zhuhai when it hosted a race on its street circuit in 1993, racing continued until 1996 when the motor racing circuit was constructed and became China’s...
and Macau, allowing Henry Lee Junior to win.
In 2001, Charles Kwan moved with EKS Motorsport to race in the JGTC. WKS Longman Racing entered Thai driver Nattavude Charoensukhawatana in the championship and he won the title almost unopposed. The only serious rival he had was Chen Jun-San's Toyota Altezza of AAI Motorsports from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
Champions
| Season | Champion | Team Champion | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 |  Henry Lee JuniorHenry Lee Junior Henry Lee Man-Kee Junior is a Hong Kong celebrity and a racing driver.-Early life:Lee is the son of Henry Lee Hok-Ping who was a motorcycle racer and worked for Sime Darby. Lee Jr. majored in Business Administration and graduated from University of Southern California. He was an auto racing fan... |
WK Longman Racing | Peugeot 306 Peugeot 306 The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002 replacing the 309. Peugeot gave the 306 many updates and aesthetic changes to keep up the competition but it was replaced by the 307 in 2001. Cabriolet and estate versions continued until 2002... GTI |
| 2001 |  Nattavude Charoensukhawatana |
WK Longman Racing | Peugeot 306 Peugeot 306 The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002 replacing the 309. Peugeot gave the 306 many updates and aesthetic changes to keep up the competition but it was replaced by the 307 in 2001. Cabriolet and estate versions continued until 2002... GTI |
| 2002 |  Toni Ruokonen |
WK Longman Racing | Peugeot 306 Peugeot 306 The Peugeot 306 is a small family car built by the French car manufacturer Peugeot from 1993 to 2002 replacing the 309. Peugeot gave the 306 many updates and aesthetic changes to keep up the competition but it was replaced by the 307 in 2001. Cabriolet and estate versions continued until 2002... GTI |
| 2003 | Gary Sham Gai Tong |
3 Crowns Racing | Honda Integra Type-R |
| 2004 | Ka Chun Lo |
3 Crowns Racing | Honda Integra Type-R Honda Accord Honda Accord The Honda Accord is a series of compact, mid-size and full-size automobiles manufactured by Honda since 1976, and sold in a majority of automotive markets throughout the world.... |
| 2005 |  Franz EngstlerFranz Engstler Franz Engstler is a German auto racing driver. He currently competes as an independent driver in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in a BMW 320 TC under the Liqui Moly Team Engstler banner... |
Engstler Motorsport Engstler Motorsport Engstler Motorsport is a German auto racing team based in Wiggensbach, run by driver Franz Engstler. It has competed successfully in the Asian Touring Car Championship and the ADAC Procar Series... |
BMW 320i BMW E46 The BMW E46 is the fourth generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW, produced from 1998 when it succeeded the BMW E36 until it was replaced by the BMW E90 in 2005.... |
| 2006 | Franz Engstler Franz Engstler Franz Engstler is a German auto racing driver. He currently competes as an independent driver in the FIA World Touring Car Championship in a BMW 320 TC under the Liqui Moly Team Engstler banner... |
Engstler Motorsport Engstler Motorsport Engstler Motorsport is a German auto racing team based in Wiggensbach, run by driver Franz Engstler. It has competed successfully in the Asian Touring Car Championship and the ADAC Procar Series... |
BMW 320i BMW E46 The BMW E46 is the fourth generation of the 3 Series compact executive cars produced by BMW, produced from 1998 when it succeeded the BMW E36 until it was replaced by the BMW E90 in 2005.... |
| 2007 |  Fariqe HairumanFariqe Hairuman -BTCC:Fariqe is possibly best known as a driver for Team PETRONAS Syntium Proton in the British Touring Car Championship in 2004.-ATCC:He is also known for having driven in the Asian Touring Car Championship... |
Petronas Syntium Team | BMW 320si BMW E90 The saloon model was the first model sold of the 5th generation BMW 3 series. Debuting in the US in 2006, the E90 came in two trims, the 325i/xi and 330i/xi models... |
| 2008 | Jack Lemvard |
Engstler Motorsport Engstler Motorsport Engstler Motorsport is a German auto racing team based in Wiggensbach, run by driver Franz Engstler. It has competed successfully in the Asian Touring Car Championship and the ADAC Procar Series... |
BMW 320si BMW E90 The saloon model was the first model sold of the 5th generation BMW 3 series. Debuting in the US in 2006, the E90 came in two trims, the 325i/xi and 330i/xi models... |
| 2009 | Cheung Chi Sing |
Team IMSP | Honda Integra DC5 Honda Integra The Honda Integra is a compact luxury performance coupe made by Honda during the years 1985 to 2006. The sporty front wheel drive car is able to house five passengers with a two door hatch or four door sedan available.The Integra was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in... |
| 2010 | Charles Ng Charles Ng (racing driver) Charles Ka-Ki Ng is a professional racing driver from Hong Kong. He currently resides in Rowland Heights, California.-Career:... |
G.Harris Racing Team | Honda Integra DC5 Honda Integra The Honda Integra is a compact luxury performance coupe made by Honda during the years 1985 to 2006. The sporty front wheel drive car is able to house five passengers with a two door hatch or four door sedan available.The Integra was on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list six times, in... |
| 2011 | Jun San Chen | Team AAI - Buddy Club | Honda Civic FN2 Honda Civic The Honda Civic is a line of subcompact and subsequently compact cars made and manufactured by Honda. The Civic, along with the Accord and Prelude, comprised Honda's vehicles sold in North America until the 1990s, when the model lineup was expanded... |