Ordos to host first of groundbreaking Chinese rounds

Superleague Formula by Sonangol travels east to race in China this October with the Ordos International Circuit kicking off back-to-back Asian events. Rounds 10 and 11 of the 2010 season will be the football-themed series' first outside of Europe and complete this year's 12-date calendar.

Ordos to host first of groundbreaking Chinese rounds Credit: Superleague Formula

The Ordos International Circuit is a brand new, purpose-built motorsport facility in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. The 18-turn, 3.751km FIA Grade 2 race track is due to be completed in July and Superleague Formula will be the first international series to visit on 2/3 October.

The second Chinese race will take place the following weekend on 9/10 October.

That none of the series' drivers will have any prior experience of Ordos makes the opening Chinese round one of the most hotly anticipated. Ex-Formula 1 and Champ Car drivers will go head-to-head with Superleague Formula's homegrown heroes around an unfamiliar and technical track layout which is widely expected to sort the men from the boys.

Ordos will be a two-day event and feature Superleague Formula's unique Group Stage / Knockout Qualifying format on the Saturday, followed on Sunday by two 45-minute races, the second of which includes a fully-reversed grid, and a six-car, five-lap Super Final where a 100,000 Euros prize is up for grabs for the winner.

Ordos, translated from Mongolian as 'palaces', is one of China's wealthiest regions. The city itself is a prosperous mining area where its population of roughly two million people enjoys a GDP per capita of about 20,000Euros. That's higher than the mainland's average and is expected to surpass Hong Kong's by 2014.

The area is also extremelyrich in natural resources and harbors one sixth of China's coal reserves. The pillars of its economy are textile (wool), coal mining, petrochemicals, electricity generation and production of building materials.

In just six years, the local authority has spent a substantial 1.942 billion Eurostransforming the area into a stunning postmodern metropolis with spaceship-like government towers, Dubai-style skyscrapers, museums, libraries, theatres, sculpture squares and luxury bungalows.

Visiting Ordos this autumn marks the championship's first foray outside of Europe since its inception in 2008. In a competitive market saturated with single seater series, growing gradually and sustainably has remained Superleague Formula's priority. This move outside of motorsport's traditional European heartland into developing markets represents the next stage of fulfilling that philosophy.

The two flyaway events should also prove to be critical in the Superleague Formula title chase as they're placed just before the season-finale at the new Circuito de Navarra in Spain on 23/24 October.

Robin Webb,Superleague Formula Competitions Director: "We're extremely excited to be announcing these groundbreaking events in China. The Ordos International Circuit is a magnificent, brand new facility and we're proud to be the first international series to visit. Our debut outside Europe will be a significant moment in the championship's history and one which we hope will bring the Chinese football and motorsport fans out in force.

GuangZhongYun, Mayor of Ordos City: "Ordos City welcomes Superleague Formula in 2010. We are working hard to ensure that China's first SF event is a successful and memorable one, which we believe will encourage the area's development of culture, sport and economy. We invested nearly 80million Euros to build a FIA Grade 2 circuit in 2009 and that brand new venue will be ready before September, making SF the first international racing series to compete at the Ordos International Circuit. I hope the championship, teams and drivers enjoy their time and hospitality on offer in Ordos this October."

Superleague Formula by Sonangol 2010 calendar:

Apr  3/ 4     Silverstone UK 
May 15/16     Assen Holland 
May 22/23     Magny-Cours  France 
Jun 19/20     Jarama Spain 
Jun 26/27     Nürburgring Germany 
Jul 17/18     Zolder Belgium 
Jul 31/Aug 1  Brands Hatch  UK 
Sep  4/ 5     Adria  Italy 
Sep 18/19     Portimão Portugal 
Oct  2/ 3     Ordos China 
Oct  9/10     TBC China 
Oct 23/24     Navarra Spain 

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