30 Jun 2014 A decade of Pan Delta, from follower to leader
Over the weekend of 14-15 June 2014, Pan Delta Super Racing Festival draws back its curtains at Zhuhai International Circuit. This is already the tenth year of Pan Delta. From being a follower to a leader, Pan Delta has witnessed the development of national motorsport. Pan Delta was established when there was no meaningful national race events and grew to today's mega event with over 30,000 spectators.
Over the years, Pan Delta has established itself firmly as a grassroot motorsport event that belongs to the fans. It has now grown into one of Asia's largest motorsport festivals. For the 2014 Summer Race, Pan Delta has updated itself in every way. With more manufacturer involvements and Asia Talent Cup's first venture into China, there is really no rest for the race fans.
Yamaha, Kawasaki and Wuyang enter races at ZIC
ZIC Superbike, a mainstay of the Pan Delta Super Racing Festival, is at the pinnacle of Chinese motorcycle sport. In the 2014 Summer Race, it can be considered a historical moment. First entered the Chinese market in 2013, Kawasaki Motors has enjoyed very good commercial success so far. It is also entering Chinese motorsport for the first time. Not only is the company showcasing its products, it is also sponsoring teams for the first time.
Wuyang Honda Young Cubs are also entering the Superbike race with two young riders: Zhou Sheng Jun-Jie and Chen Yuan-Peng.
The first Moto3 class race
New for 2014, Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup offers a staircase towards world class motorcycle competition. Established by Dorna, the company that promotes MotoGP. The Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup aims to provide a doorway for all of Asia's talented young riders towards MotoGP. For the Zhuhai race, Wuyang Honda Young Cubs rider Chen Yuan-Hang is the only Chinese representative. He performed well this weekend, scoring his personal best 12th place and collecting more points.
Yamaha launches new bike at Pan Delta
Yamaha has been a forerunner in road racing. It has been involved with every level of road racing and is a key participant. This time, not only is the manufacturer taking part in the ZIC Superbike race, it is also launching the new YS250 Fazer with a launch and test ride event. ZIC's Pan Delta provides the perfect platform for Yamaha.
Yamaha have picked fan club captains for the test rides. They rode around the track for 30 minutes behind Yamaha works rider Huang Shi-Zhao.
Commercial area overflows with activity
With ever increasing number of fans, the commercial activities behind the grandstand has become more and more varied, too. Food stalls, vintage cars, and tuning parts capture the focus of the crowd. Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Shell, Mini all have their stalls set out to reach out to their potential customers.
10 years is the time Pan Delta took to develop from a caterpillar into a butterfly. ZIC has witnessed the growth of motorcycle sports. Pan Delta has grown so much but it still needs its fans, commercial partners, teams and drivers to work together to further this growth.