Macau trip for British Touring Car Championship racers won't happen

The event's organising body, the Macau Grand Prix Committee, approached TOCA earlier this year about the possibility of BTCC teams running the series' NGTC-specification cars in the Guia race and offered to cover transport costs.

It then announced last week the race would be open to two-litre turbocharged touring cars, such as those that compete in the BTCC.

However, AUTOSPORT understands the proximity of the BTCC finale - which takes place at Brands Hatch on October 10-11 - to the November 21-22 event means it would not be possible to sea freight the cars.

Transporting them by air would have been too expensive and the idea has been dropped.

A medley of cars that run in Asia, such as those that will race in the regional TCR series, will contest the Macau race - which was part of the World Touring Car Championship until 2014 - instead.

"Many marques and models will be eligible to compete, including those running in TCR, and I believe that we can look forward to the fierce competition which the traditional signature of the Guia Race of Macau," said Chong Coc Veng, co-ordinator of the MGPC's sporting subcommittee.

"While some in the racing industry, particularly those who are fans of the WTCC, regard the departure of this series as a loss for Macau, we do not believe 'loss' describes the situation."