Line-up for Macau Grand Prix in November taking shape as entries close for famous race in southern China

Last year’s event was wiped out after a typhoon brought wet weather, throwing practice and qualifying into chaos with only a handful of laps being completed.

The race was cancelled after more rain arrived, with the organisers declaring a result based on qualifying positions.

This meant that Davey Todd was announced as the winner for the FHO Racing BMW team from Finland’s Erno Kostamo and Todd’s team-mate Peter Hickman.

Todd and Hickman, who set up their own team this year under the 8TEN Racing banner, are set to return to the Far East from November 13-16 for the 57th running of the race.

Magherafelt man Paul Jordan will also close out his season in Macau, when he is due to be joined in the Jackson Racing Honda team by newcomer Mitch Rees, who raced at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT this year for the first time.

Republic of Ireland rider Michael Sweeney also appears set to race in Macau for the first time since 2019.

The race was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic and returned in 2022, when many of the leading names were absent because of prohibitive restrictions, including quarantine regulations, which remained in place.

Kostamo won the race for the first time in 2022 and will return again in November, with the entry also including Wigan’s Rob Hodson, Manx riders Michael Evans and Marcus Simpson, Phil Crowe and newcomer Maurizio Bottalico.

North West 200 event director Mervyn Whyte, who has close links with the Macau organisers, will again be on hand this year to lend his expertise.

“I’m still involved with the event and I agreed back in the early part of this year that I would continue to help,” Whyte said.

“There’s very little change in the criteria and there’s a maximum of 20 competitors, and they’re invited based on results at the North West 200 and TT.

“Entries closed last Friday (September 19) but they’re not completely finalised.

“The schedule for practice and racing is basically the same as what it was in 2024 and the race will run again on the Saturday morning.

“Davey Todd and Peter Hickman are both entered and you’ve got Paul Jordan and Mitch Rees, who’s a newcomer, and then you have the likes of Erno Kostamo and Rob Hodson.

“Maurizio Bottalico is a newcomer and is riding with Phil Crowe, and Michael Sweeney is another who has entered.”

On the links between the NW200 and Macau, Whyte added: “The organisers have been coming over here for a good few years to discuss riders and teams, and I’ve been working with them for a number of years to lend my expertise from a race direction point of view.

“It has helped us as well at the North West because we have a good relationship and they do some marketing for us and things like that, so we’ve had that link for a number of years and hopefully that will continue moving forward.”

Michael Rutter, who has won a record nine times at Macau, has been ruled out of the race as he recovers from a heavy crash at the TT.

Rutter was back on a bike for the first time since the accident when he took part in a parade lap at the Classic TT in August.