Marchy Lee

Marchy Lee Ying-Kin (Traditional Chinese: 李英健) is a racing driver from Hong Kong. Born in 1976 in Hong Kong, Marchy started his racing career at just 9 years old and has become one of the top race car drivers in Hong Kong.

He is the first Formula 3 driver from Hong Kong and is also the first to win 4 different international championships.

Marchy is currently the only professional driver from Hong Kong that has the prestigious title of a manufacturer factory driver (Audi) as well as Brand Ambassador for Audi Hong Kong.

For 2015, he will be racing in the Nurburgring 24h, Blancpain Endurance Series (Europe) and the Audi R8 LMS Cup (Asia).

Marchy currently resides in Hong Kong with his wife and their two lovely daughters.

Early career

Marchy was born on 2 September 1976 in Hong Kong. Marchy's father was also a racing driver and he has been karting at a young age. When the Zhuhai International Circuit was built in 1996, he enrolled in the inaugural China Formula Campus Championship. Upon winning the championship, he received a scholarship to join the La Filière racing school in Le Mans, France to continue his development.

He spent 3 years in France, progressing from Formula Campus to French Formula 3, achieving respectable results.

But his funding ran out and he returned to Asia afterwards, competing in some Asian and Australian F3 races. He won 2 Asian Formula 3 races at Sepang and finished 7th in the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix.^[1]

In August 2003, driving a Dallara F301 Renault, he took pole position in the Australian Formula 3 race at Philip Island in treachrous conditions.^[2]

Later that year he won two Formula BMW Asia races in Beijing and finished 2nd to Hideaki Nakao in the Formula Renault race in Macau.^[3] He also took part in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia race and finished fifth, despite a problem with the gas pedal, behind Alex Yoong, Charles Kwan, Matthew Marsh and Nigel Albon.^[4]

Formula BMW Asia, F1 and Formula Asia V6

Marchy racing in Formula BMW Asia in 2004.

In 2004, Marchy teamed up with the top Asian racing outfit, Team Meritus, to race in the Formula BMW Asia series. He won 12 races out of 14, making him the first Chinese formula racing champion in an international series. Lee received an extra prize in recognition of his extraordinary achievements – a three-day test with the Team Rosberg Formula 3 outfit.^[5]

After winning the 2004 Formula BMW Asia title, Marchy also had the chance to test an F1 car with the Minardi team.^[6]

Marchy failed to get any sponsorship deals in 2005 and 2006 to support a full season's racing. But a last minute deal allowed him to re-unite with Team Meritus in the Formula Asia V6 by Renault race at Zhuhai. He finished a strong second in the final round of the season to Matt Halliday and set the fastest race lap in the process, rekindling his hopes to race professionally again in 2007 and beyond.^[7]

2007

Marchy raced in the Asian Super Car Challenge in Zhuhai on 24–25 March, claiming one win and one second place in the Ferrari 430. He then drove in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in Sepang where he finished second twice.

Marchy has been confirmed as Meritus Racing's driver for the 2007 Formula Asia V6 by Renault series. He hopes that by achieving success in the series, he will be able to progress to the Champ Car World Series in 2008.^[8]

On 13 July 2007, Marchy was announced as the driver for a new team set up by Adrian Fu to compete in the remainder of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia series under the banner "Racing for Charity", in help increase the profile and visibility of the Child's Dream Foundation.^[9]

On 1 August 2007, it was announced by A1 Team China that he will join the rookie test at the end of August at Silverstone, alongside three other drivers. The best performer from this test will join Cheng Congfu as China's two A1GP representatives.

On 20 September 2007, he was officially announced as the second driver for A1 Team China. He made his debut for the team in round 2 at the Czech Republic on 12 October 2007, he gathered data for the team in the rookie sessions. Cheng Congfu went on to score 10th and 4th-place finishes.

On 4 November 2007, Marchy took part in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia at Zhuhai International Circuit and won both rounds 11^[10] and 12.^[11]

On 18 November 2007, he also took part in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia race in Macau, and finished fourth on the road (later promoted to third place after on the road winner Danny Watts was given a 30-second penalty for passing under a yellow flag.)

2008 Speedcar Series & Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Marchy Lee became the first Chinese driver to race in the inaugural Speedcar Series. He drove car no. 50.^[12] He failed to finish his first two races in Malaysia, as well as his first race in Bahrain, but took 4th place in race 2. He then finished 5th and 3rd in the two races in Dubai.

He is also competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. Racing for Team BetterLife, he finished 2nd and 4th in the opening rounds at Sepang. Then he took 2nd and 5th in round 2 at Shanghai.

2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia

Marchy Lee, Alex Yoong and Matthew Marsh (from left to right) with their Intercontinental Le Mans Cup – 1000km of Zhuhai GTC class winners' trophies.

In 2010, Marchy raced in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia for Red Bull Racing (team is run by Dynaten Motorsports). He scored two wins at Zhuhai in June. At the last round in Zhuhai, the Hong Kong racer, who began as the only other championship contender, fought hard every inch of the way battling first Simonsen and then Christian Menzel, but he could not do enough to stay in the running and became championship runner-up for 2010.^[13]

On 7 November 2011, Marchy partnered Matthew Marsh and Alex Yoong to drive an Audi R8 LMS for KK Performance (Again, team is run by Dynaten Motorsport) in the 2010 1000 km of Zhuhai race, part of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Starting eleventh on the grid, the Audi R8 LMS No. 98 was at the heart of the race, before inheriting the lead of GTC after the retirement of the sister car of United Autosport. Lee, Yoong and Marsh took the chequered flag in 12th position overall.^[14]

Two weeks later, on 21 November 2010, Marchy drove the same Audi R8 LMS race car to second place in the Macau GT Cup, beaten only by defending champion Keita Sawa's Lamborghini LP560 GT3.^[15]

2011 World Touring Car Championship

On 10 March 2011, Marchy Lee announced that he will join the 2011 World Touring Car Championship with KK Motorsports.^[16] But he left the championship after just 3 rounds.

2012 Audi R8 LMS Cup

On 11 November 2012, Marchy Lee became the first ever Audi R8 LMS Cup Champion after crossing the line second in the twelfth and final round at the Shanghai International Circuit.^[17]

Racing career

• 2015 Nurburgring 24h
• 2015 Blancpain GT Endurance Championship
• 2015 Audi R8 LMS Cup
• 2014 Audi R8 LMS Cup - 5th place overall
• 2013 Macau GT Cup - 4th-place finish
• 2013 Audi R8 LMS Cup - 3rd place overall
• 2012 Audi R8 LMS Cup – Champion
• 2010 Macau GT Cup – 2nd place
• 2010 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup – 1000 km of Zhuhai – GTC class win
• 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia – 2nd overall
• 2006 Formula Asia V6 by Renault (Round 12, Zhuhai) – 2nd & fastest lap
• 2004 Formula BMW Asia Series – Champion (12 wins out of 14 races)
• 2003 Formula Renault (Macau) – 2nd
• 2003 Formula BMW Asia (Beijing) – 1st & 2nd
• 2002 Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix – 7th
• 2000 French Formula 3 Championship (Class A) – 9th
• 1999 French Formula 3 Championship (Class B) – 5th in class
• 1998 French Formula Campus – 4th overall
• 1997 China Formula Campus – Champion

Complete WTCC results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

References

External links

• Marchy Lee on Facebook
• Marchy Lee career summary at DriverDB.com