Time is ripe for growth, says Tsui
Watching BG Racing boss Steven Tsui Sing-chai at work, it is easy to see he goes about his business with the enthusiasm of a teenager. And with the MotoGP weekend looming, he is even more animated than usual.
Tsui, who has a passion for motorcycles and has played a pivotal part in the success of his team in the China Superbike Championship, believes the opening of the Shanghai circuit to the cream of motorcycle racers will see the sport enjoy tremendous growth on the mainland.
Shanghai will play a major role in the promotion of the China Superbike Championship and although points from the race will not count towards the championship, being a one-off support race, it will give the series more exposure, a great opportunity to race in the same frame as the China MotoGP event.
'The future is really bright, thanks to circuits like Shanghai,' says Tsui. 'Chinese families are becoming more affluent. Kids now have money to spend. That's why you see more and more young kids taking up the sport.
'Shanghai has also become part of the China Superbike Championship circuit and this will give our series more exposure as the event will be televised on Zhuhai and Shanghai TV.
'We still need more exposure. It's a chicken-and-egg situation, because without exposure, the sponsors won't step forward and if the sponsors don't step up, exposure will lag behind. We have to provide a good series to show potential sponsors it is worth putting in money,' he said.
'Shanghai will provide the perfect showcase for our series with the next five rounds in Zhuhai. There's also a possibility of Beijing becoming one of the legs because they are also building a track there too. With our series being showcased in Shanghai, more people know it's a high-level race. It will grow. We wanted a superbike series because it is closer to the world elite level.
BG Racing currently has four professional riders, including their star biker, Huang Shizhao.
'We pay them salaries and bonuses if they perform well. We even have a female driver in Loretta Tsui Lok-sze, who is the best woman rider in Hong Kong and the region. We have another 17 or 18 riders who are semi-professionals.
'In the old days, we had no support, no circuit and it was a struggle, but things are beginning to look a lot better, especially since Shanghai has come into the picture,' he said.
