CHINESE MOTORSPORT HEAVEN

4x4magazine | 25/11/2014 | 0 Comments

MOUNT LU INTERNATIONAL SPORTS CARNIVAL

Six month of preparation and 8 million CNY (more than 1.1 million EUR) of total budget resulted in one of the biggest motorsport event in China in 2014.

Preparations took more than 6 months, after the Memorandum Of Understanding was signed on 8 March for the Mount Lu International Sports Carnival, scheduled for the golden autumn days.

Kluang 4×4 Club from Johor, Malaysia led by Jackie Toh, was chosen as the international partner of the event. Jackie Toh gained his reputation by scouting and designing the route and special stages for the famous Rainforest Challenge.

By selecting Lushan in Jiangxi province, a scenic district with unique characteristics for the venue, the event was sure to distinguish itself from others of its kind. Cui Feng, president of Lushan Co. Ltd., said that the organizers of the event combined elements of Chinese traditional culture with those of the auto sports industry.

Mount Lu or Lushan in Jiangxi, is one of the spiritual centers of Chinese civilization as well as one of the educational centers in China’s imperial history. Bailudong Academy (White Deer Cave Academy), established in 940, belongs to the four most famous ancient academies in China.

In the late 19th and 20th centuries, the area became a popular resort thanks to picturesque scenery and cool weather in the summer. During the 1930s and 40s it was the official Summer Capital of the Republic of China.

In 1982, Lushan became one of the first National Scenic Areas and one of the First Class National Nature Reserves. Since 1996 Mt. Lu is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The oval-shaped mountains stretch 25 kilometers, spanning 10 kilometers in width, and cover an area of 300 square kilometers. There are more than 19 peaks, with the Dahanyang Peak (1,474 meters) as the highest.

Lushan owes its reputation to its wonderful, elegant, steep and spectacular features that embrace ravines, waterfalls, grottoes, rocks and rivulets.

There are 12 main scenic areas, together with 37 attractions, over 900 cliff inscriptions, and over 300 steles.

The center of Lushan is Gu Ling, at 1,164 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains on three sides and a valley on the fourth. The original name of Gu Ling was Guniu Ling, as the town resembles the form of a bull.

In the Central Park, built in 1954 and covering an area of over ten thousand square meters, stands the stone statue of a great bull, the symbol of Gu Ling. It is two meters high and four meters long.

The 1,167 meters long Gu Ling Street is the main street showcasing a variety of shops, hotels, restaurants, bookshops, bars, coffee houses that together form a living town high in the sky.

During the Mount Lu International Sports Carnival, Gu Ling Street was the perfect venue for the drift race, while the winding road up to the mountain challenged the rally drivers, and the open woody area in front of the South Entrance was just suitable for off-road competition.

Except the rally race, both the off-road and the drift race was absolutely spectator-friendly and thousands of locals gathered to witness the rubber-burning show-down or the thrilling 4×4 actions.

But not only the crowd inspired participants coming from all over China, Malaysia and Australia to perform at their best, but also the 1 million CNY (approx. 140 thousand EUR) of prize money which was divided among the winners.

The first off-road race with two cars racing in parallel manner through the man-made obstacles, was not a easy exercise.

The technically demanding course tested both drivers and their machines to the limit, and no wonder that this event was dominated by the Chinese buggy drivers with huge support teams.

The next event, a Malaysian style off-road race with 9 special stages, required machine power, strategic thinking and excellent driving skill. A fast and powerful winch and smart winching played a key role in completing some of the SS’ successfully.

Team No. 317 from Malaysia, Tan Eng Joo, the only 3x winner of the legendary Rainforest Challenge, gave no chances to the local competitors. He won 6 of the 9 special stages, and in the remaining 3 he finished twice in the second and once in the third position.

Meanwhile the rally drivers also completed their special stages on the route winding up from the South Entrance to Gu Ling. The selective stages were not too long, but the cranky road did not include any straight stretch longer than one hundred meters.

The drift competition took place at the top of the Gu Ling Street. Drift is a pretty new form of motor sport in China, therefore this event was more like a demonstration with 7 cars and drifters from Malaysia. But the interest from the fans and local media proved that it has a future potential.

Every evening the main square in Gu Ling was turned into a festive scene, complete with concerts and beauty pageants. As the high season for tourism finished already, the Mount Lu International Sports Carnival brought excitement to the mountains and it could expand further in the upcoming years, putting Lushan not only the map of hikers, trekkers, mountain bikers and paragliders, but also for motorsport enthusiasts.