SINGAPORE — His goal is to win the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) title this season after an encouraging debut last year, where he finished fourth in the overall standings.

But local race driver Andrew Tang is not content with just one title this year. The 22-year-old also aims to win the China GT Championship — an endurance race that spans 12 races across six cities in China.

Tang will partner amateur Chinese driver Pan Chao in the nationwide competition after earning a fully-sponsored co-driver slot with Team JRM. Pan will sponsor the cost of Tang’s participation, including his airfare and accommodation.

While he will be busy juggling duties in both series, Tang is confident of his chances in China. “Pan and I make a strong pairing, and if we play our cards right, stay focused and keep working hard, we will definitely be successful,” he told TODAY.

“Despite having met only during the test days (in April), we have already established quite a good relationship. We’re on the same wavelength and have the same ideas, so everything is going well for us so far.”

The first race of the series will be held at the Audi Goldenport Motor Park in Beijing on Friday, and Tang is looking forward to his debut. “The China GT uses the same car model as the one used at the PCCA, so I’ve been able to adapt quickly, and I’m ready to go this weekend.”

Tang believes that racing in two series will help sharpen his skills on the track as he makes a bid to win his first-ever PCCA and China GT titles this season. He won two races in his rookie PCCA season to finish fourth overall, and he will be racing again for the Porsche China Junior team on a one million yuan (S$204,300) sponsorship.

“Most of the professional drivers in the PCCA race in at least two series, whereas I was only competing in the PCCA, so I was at a disadvantage because I wasn’t getting as much time on the track as them,” said Tang.

“It’ll also be more beneficial to have more exposure to racing on different types of tracks, where I can learn, experiment and further develop my skills as a driver.”

Tang, who dreams of racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is prepared to dig in for the busy year ahead.

“Participating in both the China GT and PCCA means that I’ll be travelling a lot more this year and I’ll be much busier,” he said. “But this is something that needs to be done, as it will help me take my driving to the next level.

“I enjoy myself every time I’m in the car and out on the tracks. I’m looking forward to facing all challenges head on. I’m feeling good, and I’m sure that this will be a good year for me.”

WHAT IS THE CHINA GT CHAMPIONSHIP?

The China GT championship, which spans 12 races across six cities in China, sees drivers competing in hour-long endurance races while driving a GT3 (Cup Grand Touring) car.

Due to the high-level of endurance required for each race, drivers are allowed to swap with co-drivers midway through, although some drivers opt to compete solo.

China GT permits three types of driver pairings: Professional and Amateur, two amateurs, and a solo amateur.

Teams and drivers will compete for a total prize purse of seven million yuan (S$1.4 million).