THE inaugural Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship stalled before it even got into gear yesterday when manufacturer BMW withdrew its support from the proposed seven-leg series.
And, in a second major setback, series co-ordinator Promo Marketing International, of New Zealand, also announced it had withdrawn its support.
''The onus is now on the individual tracks to organise their own legs and attract fields,'' Promo senior executive Andrew Maher said last night from Auckland.
Ever since the ground-breaking series was conceived last year, a string of difficulties had been encountered in linking the seven venues.
The series was scheduled to begin in Madras, India, on October 24 then switch to Shah Alam, Malaysia, a week later. Indonesia's new Formula One-standard track at Sentul, near Jakarta, was the next venue scheduled for November 7 and then Macau was to follow on November 21.
The series was then scheduled to head south to the Phillip Island circuit in Australia on November 28 before crossing The Tasman to Wellington, New Zealand, for the sixth leg on December 5.