KEY POINTS:
The comparative youth of China as a motor racing venue and A1GP as a series came into stark relief when practice was abandoned and the Beijing street circuit drastically shortened after a small problem: The cars couldn't get round the hairpin.
The first driver to approach the tight
turn in the circuit was Germany's Nico Hulkenberg who, despite dropping his speed almost to a crawl, ran out of road trying to get round it.
Following drivers had to queue as traffic bottle-necked at the hairpin. The Lebanese car became stranded and practice was called off after two more attempts ended the same way.
Ireland's John O'Hara said: "It's a disaster really. We knew it might be difficult for two cars side by side but didn't think it would be so bad for a single car. I never got to try and take the corner properly - the track was blocked every time."
Thought was given to try to widen that part of the circuit but eventually it was decided to shorten the course. Drivers will tonight negotiate a street course that is 2km long and not 3km and which does not have a hairpin.
A1GP could have done without the loss of credibility inherent in this but a saving grace is that it is the same for everyone. Matt Halliday will be in the driver's seat, with the New Zealand team eager to improve their 13th equal position on the points table.
Meanwhile, Subaru driver Petter Solberg is targeting the Rally of NZ starting in Hamilton on Thursday.
Solberg arrived in Auckland yesterday for the penultimate round of this year's World Rally Championship (WRC). He is in sixth place in the driver's championship and has not won this year.
"This year has not been so good," said the 2003 world champion from Norway. "But the last few events the car has been getting better and we are very close to the others."
Solberg and co-driver Phil Mills finished second in the Rally of Australia. If they had not lost 40 seconds because of thick dust clouds, he would have been challenging for the lead.
"I think New Zealand will suit us better," Solberg said. "It is not as hot as Australia which will be better for our tyres."
This year's event has shifted to at Mystery Creek. Friday's rallying is in the Pirongia-Otorohanga area, Saturday's at Te Akau and as far north as Port Waikato.
The final day is around Raglan.
Local interest will focus on the efforts of Chris West in the Subaru New Zealand Impreza WRX STI competing in the Production WRC class, together with national champion Richard Mason and Dunedin's Emma Gilmour, also in Impreza WRX STIs.
* Ford Performance Racing scored a one-two result in the first V8 Supercar race in Tasmania yesterday, while Holden's Rick Kelly overtook Craig Lowndes on the standings.
Jason Bright snared the win ahead of teammate Mark Winterbottom while Rick Kelly brought the first Holden home in third place. Kelly now leads the championship by 50 points from Lowndes,
With the triple sprint format adopted for this weekend's racing, Kelly is expected to increase his title lead tomorrow when he starts from the second row. Lowndes is on the rear.
The Tasmanian round continues today. The V8 Supercar series has two rounds after this weekend's racing.
