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Changan Ford FRD Team reveal refreshed line-up for 2019

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The Changan Ford FRD Team will again contest the China Touring Car Championship this year, fielding four fourth-generation Ford Focuses in China’s premier saloon car series.

The team introduced their new car mid-season in 2018 at Ningbo, which resulted in them taking a ten-place grid drop in that round’s races, which dented their title charge.

The team, which have won the title three times before with Andy Yan, retain the Hong Kong driver for this season, with Rainey He also returning to drive for the squad.

The team’s two new signings are Marchy Lee and Jim Ka To. Ka To joins the team from the championship-winning Dongfeng Kia squad, while 42-year-old Hong Kong driver Marchy Lee will be making the switch to front-wheel drive touring cars after mainly competing in sports cars in his racing career.

The team has not yet confirmed its international driver, which they can run for four events during the course of the season. Last year the team ran Australian driver Josh Burdon for three events, before signing then World Touring Car driver Pepe Oriola to join them for the season finale.

During the first part of last year, this shared car was also driven by Macau Touring Car Cup winner Sunny Wong, and Zhang Da Sheng.

Their full-time driver Martin Cao has now left the team, with the Chinese driver believed to be headed to race for Kia, which has so far only confirmed Leo Yi Hong Li will return to defend his title, along with Jason Zhang as his team-mate, and Alex Fontana as their international signing.