bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

YOU could tell that western decadence had pervaded the poleteriat slumberland of Zhuhai by the 12-metre plastic Zhuhai Brewery beer bottle perched outside race headquarters.

  It was also clear you were in China when the coffee shop inside offered Zhuhai Brewery beer but could not deliver.

  A query about why the beer was on the menu brought the response of a smile, a shrug and the suggestion of Lowenbrau, Heineken or a Philippines San Miguel.

  ''Sorry, no Zhuhai Beer, Tsing Tao?'' the waiter said nationalistically.

  The city, adjacent to Asian moto sport mecca Macau, has been overrun by tens of thousands of foreigners wanting to witness communist China's first venture into the high-speed lane.

  ''May the first China Zhuhai motor race be great success!'' proclaims a large character banner above the entrance to Zhuhai Resort Hotel, home to the race organisers.

  The town was a-buzz since early afternoon yesterday when the first of 105 brightly coloured cars began arriving on lighters from the territory. They were given a VIP welcome with a police escort, sirens blaring, from the wharf to the entrance garage, where normally the outdoor market stands.

  Thousands of locals lined the streets, mesmerised as the throbbing engines growled along part of the four kilometre street circuit.

  Three exuberant bike racers, unaware of the necessity for an escort, took off for the garage alone, but were hotly pursued by anxious Public Security Bureau officers. As sirens wailed, two of the bikers realised their mistake and stopped, but were almosthit by the chasing vehicle.

  The third bike fishtailed and swerved, almost bringing down the rider.

  ''I thought we were going to have a casualty even before the races began,'' said Stephanie de Krantzow of PR Plus, who are co-ordinating the event.

  Throughout the evening thousands of locals had their noses pressed against the wire fence enclosing the garage where pit crews were revving the engines of cars never seen before in China.

  The Zhuhai Government have spent about $3 million repairing the public road system for its inaugural motorsport.

  They are building a Formula One Grand Prix-standard track further inland, where they hope to stage fully fledged international racing in the future.

  Clerk of the course and Hongkong Automobile Association chief executive Phil Taylor had the last word before racing begins.

  ''This is China's first car race meeting, behave like gentlemen and leave behind a good image when we go,'' he said at last night's drivers' briefing.

  But that, just as whether Zhuhai beer reappears on the menu, remains to be seen.

    Tickets have been selling like hot cakes, not so much because the locals are eager to see what life in the fast lane is like but rather an opportunity to win a host of prizes.

  Astute marketing has very much struck the right chord with the population, a penchant to have a flutter.

  Up for grabs are a new Mercedes Benz, a motor cycle, a colour television and a host of minor prizes.

 Tickets are selling at HK$50, expensive by China standards.

  The bulk of the estimated 100,000 tickets on offer are for the local populace.

  In fact a number of factory-based teams were eager to be part of the historic occasion but were turned away by the organisers.



Excitement brewing at roadshow