Chengdu International (Goldenport) Circuit Has Closed – Our Final Farewell | Asia Motorsports Network

By: Jim Moore

January 10, 2021

No News Isn’t Always Good News

When I heard the news Chengdu International Circuit (CDIC) had closed I wasn’t surprised, only saddened.  I’ve traveled all over in China visiting performance shops and race teams and Chengdu was always one of my favorite stops.  Back in the day, the company I was working for had some suppliers in the area so I visited Chengdu frequently.  While there I took every opportunity I could to hit some of the tuning shops and race teams.  I was trying to get a better understanding of the culture as it was different from other places I frequented.  It is hard to describe, but Chengdu as a whole just seemed to have a different vibe and energy to it.  I always felt welcomed and relaxed being there.  It will be interesting to see if not having a proper circuit will change that vibe next time I’m able to visit.

The one shocking part is the fact I only recently found out it closed! How could it take me so long to hear about announced in October 2018!?!  It’s a stark reminder of the difficultly in staying on top of what is happening in China when all (99%) of the news is only in Mandarin.  I only stumbled across the news because I am writing an overview of all the new tracks in China and wanted to include a recap of the original tracks.  CDIC website link was no longer working which isn’t an indication of anything in China, but it sent me searching for news.  Guess what…  there’s not much other than a couple of hard to find social media posts and a brief mention on one of CDIC’s the two Wikipedia pages.  Even that has the date of the announcement off by nearly a full year.

Time to turn to Google Translate

With no other choice, I had to turn to Google Translate and a search for 成都国际赛车场 which is the Chinese name for the circuit.  BINGO! Lots of articles about the circuit, but still hard to decipher why it closed.  Online translation has improved dramatically since I first started researching the performance market in China in 2006, but it is still critical to know exactly what Chinese words to use for an effective search.  Once I added 拆除 (demolition) the news became clear quickly.  On October 29, 2018 CDIC Management announced (only in Chinese of course) that due to “municipal planning” the entire circuit would be completely demolished by the end of November.  Luckily they were a little aggressive on their demolition date and the circuit remained mostly intact for nearly another year.

I knew that circuit had fallen off the radar for even the China based series with the CTCC last racing there in 2013. Other than a stop in 2017 by China GT Championship there wasn’t much buzz being generated regarding the circuit.  Couple this with the fact when it was built in 2007 it was considered to be in a remote part of the city not impacting any urban development.  Fast forward through a decade of China’s building boom and now all of a sudden you find it to be located on prime real estate near the heart of the city.  Not much can withstand the sprawl of urban development in China and CDIC was no exception.  Again, I’m not a surprise as I’ve seen it happen before to numerous manufacturing companies as well as tuning shops throughout China.

STCE Has Their Farewell

I was happy to see that at least the Sichuan Touring Car Elite (STCE) series was able to hold a final Good Bye event for racers and enthusiasts.  The STCE series was created by the circuit back in 2009 as a way to draw attention to Motorsport in Southwest China.  It had been a staple of track for nearly a decade and with its low entry threshold and affordable fees it regularly attracted racers and enthusiasts from all over SW China. 

On April 21, 2019 CDIC was open for racers and fans one final time with the running of the 2019 STCE opening round.  The day included a drift battle as well as an enthusiast parade allowing anyone with a vehicle to take a final ride on the short lived circuit.  Had I known in advance I would have definitely been in attendance to say my own goodbye to a place I’ve enjoyed so much over the years.  There is talk of a new F1 grade circuit being developed in Chengdu, but for now one of China’s most enthusiastic markets is left without a place to race.

Sources: Sergio Fonseca Tweet, 车手视觉 Article (Rider Vision), CLauto酷乐汽车 Article and 搜狐四川资讯 Article

About Chengdu International Circuit (CDIC) – 成都国际赛车场:

Located in the Jinjiang District of Chengdu in Sichuan Province the FIA Grade 2 Circuit first opened in 2007.  While CDIC initially hosted some international events it fell off the radar even for China based series.  In October of 2018 CDIC  announced that due to municipal planning CDIC was closing and the circuit would be demolished.  On April 21, 2019 the Sichuan Touring Car Elite series organized one final send off for racers and fans to say Good Bye.

The China Touring Car Championship last raced there in August 2013 and the China GT Championship series only raced at CDIC once in 2017. The China F4 series made regular stops at CDIC from 2016-18, before the closing announcement.  In terms of local racing, the Sichuan Touring Car Elite (STCE) series was launched by the circuit in 2009 as a way to promote Motorsport in Southwest China and run through April 2019.