Hong Kong driver Lo Sze-ho finished yesterday’s Galaxy Entertainment Macau Guia Race in second place but later was disqualified for breaching the regulations concerning maximum turbo boost pressure, according to a statement by the Macau Grand Prix Organising Committee (MGPOC).
Lo Sze Ho (盧思豪) told The Macau Post Daily after the race that yesterday was the fifth time that he competed in Macau.
He was third in the Guia Race last year while the winner of last year and this year was the mainland’s Jason Zhang Zhiqiang (張志強).
Lo pointed out that he is not a professional racer as he has to take care of his motor-racing business so it was a last-minute decision to compete in the Macau Grand Prix this time. He underlined that he only had a few days’ practice with his racing car before the race and that it was the only race he competed in this year given the travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking before his disqualification, Lo said that he was indeed “very lucky” that he finished second yesterday and third in Race One on Saturday. He said that Zhang and his team-mate Ma Qinghua, also of the mainland, of Shell Teamwork Lynk & Co Racing are excellent racers and it was unfortunate that Ma suffered a puncture while leading on the final lap. Lo said he was glad that he was able to drive his best at the right time.
Lo, who yesterday competed for Z-Challenger Racing in a Hyundai I30 N TCR, said that he’s been watching the Macau Grand Prix since he was a child and it is every Hong Kong racer’s dream to win in Macau. However, he pointed out, there is no suitable circuit for them to practise in Hong Kong and racers have to go to places in the mainland such as Zhuhai or Shaoxing (紹興) in Zhejiang province to practise.
Lo, 30, said that he started racing in Macau in 2013 but stopped participating after the Macau Grand Prix committee amended its race regulations in 2015. It was only last year he joined the Macau Guia Race, which he finished in third place.
Lo said he hoped the Macau Grand Prix would consider organising entry-level races to attract new drivers as many people are unable to afford the hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars to compete in just one race unless they can find a sponsor or are wealthy enough. He told The Macau Post Daily that he spent about HK$100,000 on a car so that he could race in Macau in 2013.
He said that he planned compete in the Macau Grand Prix again next year if the circumstances allow.
Hong Kong driver Lo Sze-ho looks on during yesterday’s press conference after the Galaxy Entertainment Macau Guia Race. Photo: Rui Pastorin
