BTCC ace Huff bids to extend Macau wins record

Veteran returns with Audi with aim of 12th victory

British tin-top veteran Rob Huff is to return to the Macau Guia race next month to bid for a record-extending 12th win on the famed Far East street track.

Huff, who claimed his 2012 World Touring Car Championship crown at that year’s Macau finale, called time at the end of last season on his activities in global tin-top competition to return to the British Touring Car Championship.

But with the domestic season at an end, the 44-year-old will return to the Audi fold to contest the final two rounds of the TCR World Tour, starting with next week’s penultimate event at the Zhuzhou circuit in China and finishing with Macau on 16-17 November.

Huff is hoping to avenge his 2023 experience in Macau, where he was in contention for the TCR World Tour title in the season finale before being eliminated by damage caused when he was brake-tested on the mountain section.

His return to the cockpit of Audi’s RS3 LMS TCR contender will come with Spanish team Volcano Motorsport, alongside his former Comtoyou Racing team-mate, Corsican tin-top specialist John Filippi. He explained that the deal was brought together by the German manufacturer’s TCR boss Detlef Schmidt.

“I’m going to do the last two rounds of the World Tour, which is very exciting,” Huff told Autosport.

“We’re doing Zhuzhou first to get me dialled back into the Audi.

“From my side of things it’s very much down to Detlef – he’s the one who got me into Comtoyou, and his baby is the RS3 LMS TCR car.

“He asked me if I’d like to do what we didn’t manage to do last year, which is win Macau.

“I’ve got a great relationship with China and with winning in Macau, and now that the BTCC is over and done with I can be fully focused on the last two rounds of TCR World Tour.

“I’m excited for it and it will be good fun.”

Huff, who hot-footed it straight from the Brands Hatch BTCC finale last weekend to Italy to contest the Modena Cento Ore rally in a Jaguar E-type with his friend and regular Goodwood historic racing co-driver Richard Meins, said that he hopes to remain at the Speedworks Motorsport-run Toyota Gazoo Racing GB squad for 2025.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being back in the championship,” said Huff, who scored two race wins in his first full BTCC season since 2004.

“I’d like to improve a few things within myself, within the team and with the car, and we’re working hard to make that happen.”