Chinese driver eyes Champ Car

According to AutoRacing1.com sources in China, Chinese driver Marchy Lee (pictured right) is trying to line up a Champ Car test in December in Sebring. Lee began his racing career in karts at the age of 13, before moving up through the single seater categories and attending the famous La Filiere racing school in France. Best known for his Formula BMW Asia series wins, Lee has given up on his F1 aspirations because F1 teams want a driver to bring astronomical amounts of money.

Although not from mainland China, Lee, from Hong Kong, could be the best way for Champ Car to introduce their product in China ahead of racing there in future years. It is imperative that Champ Car have a Korean, Japanese and Chinese driver in their series ASAP, preferably 2006, if they are serious about racing in those countries in the future. It is pure folly for them to think that they can go into those countries and be successful without a local driver for the race promoter to market.

Ho-Pin Tung is another Chinese driver that Champ Car is looking at, but his citizenship is in Holland. Tung won the 2003 Formula BMW Asia championship. At least Lee lives in China, speaks fluent Chinese, and is very well known in China because he has been racing there.