Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia RaceSeries partner Mobil1 has confirmed former Formula 1 and current WPS V8 pilot Alex Yoong as its VIP driver in the Shanghai round of the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia supporting China’s first ever Formula 1 Grand Prix on September 26.The Malaysian driver took a convincing victory in the final round of last year’s series at the Macau Grand Prix for Mobil1 as a guest driver, and will be a hot favourite to take the honours in Shanghai.Said Geoffrey Hanley-Steemers, Advertising & Motorsport Advisor – Asia Pacific for ExxonMobil Asia Pacific: “Alex did a great job for us in winning Macau in 2003, and with this being an inaugural race in Shanghai, we were happy to have Mobil1 represented by Alex again.  It’s a great way for us to demonstrate our product and no better place than in a Porsche.” Yoong is also looking forward to racing in Shanghai and getting behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car again.  “I enjoyed my first outing in the series last year, and it was great to race in Macau.  I hope I can notch up another victory for Mobil1, especially as it will be the first Grand Prix in Shanghai.”Yoong with the victorious Mobil1 Porsche in Macau 2003

With all eyes on China’s brand new state-of-the-art circuit, all the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia drivers will be hoping to shine, and the competition will be intense.  Series newcomer this year and fellow Malaysian, Rizal Ramli, has taken the series by storm and Yoong believes that the competition is better than ever and is looking forward to mixing it up with the other drivers.A former Minardi F1 driver, Yoong began competing in motocross at the tender age of eight, and clinched his first car racing victory at only 15.  His first taste of international competition came a year later when he took third in his class in the Macau Grand Prix’s legendary Guia Race.  More recently he competed in the Champ Car World Series in 2003, and this summer joined the Wright Patton Shakespeare (WPS) Racing team to campaign in the 2004 Australian V8 Supercar Championship.Arguably one of the region’s most experienced drivers, Yoong not only has a successful career but is also helping other young Asian drivers to develop in the sport, something he believes is key to its future.“As with any sport, it is important that youngsters are helped and encouraged.  With China hosting its first Formula 1 Grand Prix this year, it is an exciting time for motorsport in the region,” he said.Supporting the series are two of the most recognised names in international motorsport, Mobil1 and Michelin. Mobil and Porsche have been partners since 1996. Close co-operation in research and development has to led to every new Porsche engine being filled with Mobil1 high-performance lubricant.  Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia drivers also have the advantage of high technology tyres, supplied by series partner Michelin, that have consistently improved the performance of many teams in international motorsport.  The partnership between Michelin and the Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia has emerged from a worldwide agreement signed between Porsche AG and the Michelin group in 2001.The Porsche Infineon Carrera Cup Asia runs as part of the Asian Festival of Speed, organised by Malaysian-based Motorsport Asia Limited.