Marsh Relishing Monaco Challenge

Hong Kong racing driver Matthew Marsh cannot wait for the green light in Saturdays Porsche Michelin Supercup around the fabled streets of Monaco.

(PRWEB) May 22, 2005 -- Hong Kong racing driver Matthew Marsh cannot wait for the green light in Saturdays Porsche Michelin Supercup around the fabled streets of Monaco.

Marsh, 36, has already made history this week by becoming the first SAR driver to tackle motor racings most famous road circuit after taking part in practice and qualifying.

Now, proudly displaying the Bauhinia flag on his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racing machine, he is ready to go wheel to wheel with some of the worlds best sports car drivers.

Marsh, who will start 14th on the on Saturday, said: Practice and qualifying have been a fantastic experience already, so I can only imagine what its going to be like to actually race.

Its an extremely tough circuit. Most of the corners are blind and even though I was taking the right lines, I wasnt going quickly enough because I wasnt sure what lay ahead. Its different from driving in Macau, because Id attended Macau as a spectator and TV commentator for seven years before finally racing there in 1997, so I knew the circuit very well. Monaco has been a very steep learning curve."

Marsh was invited to take part in the Porsche Michelin Supercup -- one of the support races to Sundays Monaco Formula One Grand Prix -- after winning last years Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia series, and he leapt at the chance.

Its just an extraordinary privilege to be driving here," he said. This is the most exclusive motor racing event in the world and there are only a handful of support races, so obtaining an entry is next to impossible. Every racing driver dreams of competing at Monaco."

Marshs appearance at the glamorous Mediterranean resort could not come at a better time as he accelerates his campaign to put Hong Kong motorsport on the world map.

He is currently spearheading an ambitious project that will see an SAR team attempt to take part in the worlds greatest endurance race -- the Le Mans 24 Hours -- in June next year.

It will be the first time ever that a car owned and sponsored by SAR companies and piloted by Hong Kong drivers has competed in the blue riband event of sports car racing.

Marsh has already secured major corporate sponsorship for the new team -- Noble Group-GruppeM Racing -- and expects to announce his two co-drivers within the next two weeks. The teams new Porsche GT3 RSR will be delivered to the UK next month for testing at Silverstone.

Taking part in a high-profile event like the Porsche Michelin Supercup can only help the Le Mans project," confirmed British-born Marsh, a 14-year Hong Kong resident. The movers and shakers of European motor racing are all gathered here in Monaco this week and we are making many valuable contacts."

###