Macau Grand Prix

OK, when it comes to cars I admit I'm a bit of a rev head. I love their shapes, different sizes, sounds, engines, wheels, hub caps, you name it. Each car has its own personality. I used to race day/night rallies in Tasmania in my worked Hilux 4 wheel drive and the thrill of speed is still with me.

So, there was no question whether I would be going to the Macau Grand Prix when the Federation Internationael de l'Automobile offered to host me. The FIA runs motorsport globally, responsible for GT, WTCC, F1 and all things rally. A bit like FIFA runs football.

As such, I had a full day of meetings with television execs, motor sport teams, drivers and car manufacturers but I also managed to squeeze in some race time, watching the touring cars and hanging out with the guys in the pits.

Before each race I got to hang on the grid and feel the tension before the race. This is the view looking towards the pace car and an empty track from pole position.

Pole position dorises always add colour to the races.

The madness on the grid.

The drivers are inundated by media before each race.

I'm a bit of a Beemer fan myself.

The vehicles are production cars, meaning they are based on manufactured-for-sale factory models. They have been stripped though of everything that adds weight, including the battery - the vehicles are started by an external battery before each race which is then wheeled off the course. The tyres are heated independently to keep them track warm and sticky.

The grid girls get most of the attention.

Motor racing rev head.

Muller runs through final checks before the start.

View from the WTCC VIP stand overlooking the starting grid,.

And the race is on.

A big crash in the second round takes out three cars and results in a broken shoulder to one of the drivers. Two are taken away by ambulance.

The round is not restarted due to the size of the crash and the fact that so many cars have been eliminated because of accidents. The eventual winner is BMW Team Germany driver Argusto Farfus. But the overall 2009 championship winner is SEAT driver Gabriele Tarquini, from Italy. You can see the 44 year old standing on the roof of his car at the finish line celebrating his win.

The day also ended in high drama in the F3 GP with a spectacular crash on the first lap. The crowd certainly got its money's worth of action.

Hong Kong driver, Darryl O'Young was chasing his 3rd consecutive win in the GT Cup at Macau but had to be content with second place to Japan’s Keita Sawa, who finally claimed victory at the wheel of his LKM-backed Lamborghini Gallardo GT3. I caught up with O'Young after the race, pictured below with FIA Motor Commission president, Gabriele Cadringher. He was disappointed that he didn't win his hat trick but understandably happy at finishing so strongly in second place. He pushed Sawa the entire race but the Lamborghini was just too powerful on the straights and the narrow streets make passing under breaking a difficult task.

O'Young is a talented driver, committed, young, with a good business head on his shoulders. He now has several motoring codes chasing him with contracts. His future is definitely assured. He is another successful Hong Kong product who could do with a lot more corporate support from his home.