來自台灣的TEAM SX83攜手南港motorsport前往中國參戰中國汽車耐久賽（簡稱CEC)的最終封關戰-珠海四小時耐力賽，面對眾多強敵與夾帶地主優勢的當地車隊，TEAM SX83以實力強勢衝擊賽場。
Taiwan's TEAM SX83, in partnership with Nankang Motorsport, heads to China to compete in the final round of the China Endurance Championship (CEC) – the Zhuhai 4-Hour Endurance Race. Facing numerous strong rivals and the home-field advantage of local teams, TEAM SX83 is set to make a powerful impact on the track with their formidable strength.
CEC總共分成三日的賽程，分別是週五的排位賽、週六的雙人衝刺排位賽與週日的４小時耐久正賽，TEAM SX83此次使用的車輛為上篇文章中打破廣東國際賽道場地最速前驅車-VW Golf GTI TCR，車款組別為房車耐久組（簡稱TCE），在週五的排位賽中，得益於TEAM SX83車隊運用賽車模擬器提前熟悉車輛及賽道的特性，彌補了無法像其他車隊能實際於珠海國際賽車場訓練、測試後的車手適應度和車輛調教這兩個最大劣勢，結合當天氣候狀況微幅調整車輛設定後，取得了週六的雙人衝刺排位賽第二位起跑的絕佳位置。
The CEC spans three days of competition, starting with Friday's qualifying session, followed by Saturday's dual-driver sprint qualifying race, and culminating in Sunday’s 4-hour endurance race. TEAM SX83 competes in the Touring Car Endurance (TCE) category, driving the VW Golf GTI TCR – the same car that previously set the record as the fastest front-wheel-drive vehicle at the Guangdong International Circuit, as mentioned in the previous article.
In Friday's qualifying session, TEAM SX83 overcame their two main disadvantages: the lack of on-site training and testing at the Zhuhai International Circuit, which other teams had utilized to adapt their drivers and fine-tune their vehicles. By leveraging racing simulators to familiarize themselves with the car and track characteristics in advance, combined with minor vehicle adjustments tailored to the day’s weather conditions, the team secured an excellent second-place starting position for Saturday's dual-driver sprint qualifying race.
週六雙人衝刺排位賽中，TEAM SX83沒有浪費這第二位起跑的優勢，一路緊咬前方車輛，即便在執行進站之後依然未被第一名的車隊拉出過大差距，在一個小時衝刺賽結束之後確定以同樣第二位進行週日的耐久賽起跑，雖未能奪得杆位起跑，但車手的穩定輸出和車隊完美的策略執行仍為當地其他車隊帶來不小壓力，畢竟在此之前這可是一支來自台灣的車隊，姑且不論這台也僅僅只有開過一次的賽車，在賽前也僅用模擬器認識賽道，實際駕駛時數只有練習賽的兩個小時，這群車手們恐怖的適應能力和對賽車模擬器這種科技的運用讓當地車手為之震撼。
In Saturday's dual-driver sprint qualifying race, TEAM SX83 fully capitalized on their second-place starting position, staying close behind the leading car throughout the race. Even after their pit stop, they managed to keep the gap with the first-place team. After the one-hour sprint, TEAM SX83 secured second place again, ensuring the same starting position for Sunday’s endurance race.
While they didn’t claim pole position, the drivers’ consistent performance and the team’s execution of strategy put significant pressure on the local competitors. It’s worth noting that this was a team from Taiwan. Their pre-race preparation relied solely on simulators to learn the track, and their actual driving time was limited to just two hours of practice sessions. The drivers’ remarkable adaptability and effective use of simulator technology left the local teams thoroughly impressed.
週日的正賽TEAM SX83不只要面對同組別的強敵，同時也要注意同場比賽其他組別的GT3、GT4的快車將會在這4小時中不斷從旁經過，稍有閃失有可能就將站上頒獎台的機會葬送在本就不屬於自己的戰爭中，起跑之後車隊即全速前進試圖拉開後車和緊跟前車，在賽程如預期中發展時，車輛機件臨時產生了故障影響了車輛表現，隨後的進站車隊技師們決定搶修，即便用了極短的時間便搶修完成，但在爭分奪秒的賽場上依舊不可避免的丟失了位置，最終以第四名的成績完賽。
In Sunday’s main endurance race, TEAM SX83 faced not only fierce rivals within their own TCE category but also the challenge of sharing the track with faster GT3 and GT4 cars. These high-speed vehicles constantly passed by during the 4-hour race, creating a significant risk of incidents that could jeopardise their podium chances in what was effectively a different battle.
At the start, the team pushed forward aggressively, aiming to widen the gap from the cars behind while keeping close to those ahead. However, as the race unfolded as anticipated, an unexpected mechanical issue arose, impacting the car’s performance. The team quickly decided to make an unscheduled pit stop for urgent repairs. While the crew completed the repairs in an impressively short time, the inevitable loss of position in such a time-sensitive competition proved costly. Despite their best efforts, TEAM SX83 crossed the finish line in fourth place.
雖然最終的結果並不完美，但在眾多劣勢的夾擊之下，車手及車隊的表現依舊展現出能與地主車隊分庭抗禮的強勁實力，精彩的表現也為即將由星曜南港代理進中國的 Nankang Motorsport打響知名度，也將南港輪胎在當地以經濟取向的形象打破，向競技更加靠攏。
Although the final result was not ideal, the drivers and team demonstrated impressive strength, holding their own against the local teams despite numerous disadvantages. Their remarkable performance also boosted the reputation of Nankang Motorsport, which will soon be represented in China by Team SX83 Nankang Motorsport APAC. Furthermore, it helped reshape the perception of Nankang Tyres in the region, shifting its image from being primarily budget-focused to one closely aligned with competitive motorsport.
