From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Walker’s Shanghai surprise

Chris Walker flew the flag for Foggy PETRONAS Racing at this weekend’s PETRONAS Shanghai International Race Festival in China.

With FPR owner Carl Fogarty out of action with a knee injury sustained in a Jet-Ski accident last week, and with Troy Corser hit by a stomach bug in China, Chris rode the PETRONAS FP1 race and road bikes around the specially constructed street circuit as part of the build-up to the inaugural Formula One Chinese Grand Prix on 26 September 2004 in Shanghai.

THE FPR team was joined by Sauber PETRONAS F1 driver, Felipe Massa, F1 test driver Neel Jani, as well as the PETRONAS EON rally team, in performing demo laps as back-up to the main highlight of the festival – a DTM German Touring Car race.

Chris, who also took the opportunity to try out the F1 car seat for size, said: “This was a real experience and I was pleased to put on a show for PETRONAS and all their guests. The surface did not have too much grip so I wasn’t able to perform some of my usual tricks but the crowd reacted well and I wish everyone well for the first Chinese Grand Prix in September.”

PETRONAS also used the festival to announce the launch of its range of premium grade automotive and motorcycle engine oils in China on 14 July 2004, officially entering the country’s lubricants market.

PETRONAS’ Vice-President of Oil Business, Datuk Anuar Ahmad said: “This festival gave us an excellent communications tool for building awareness of our brand and it opens up some good business opportunities for the PETRONAS group. To be able to demonstrate Formula One on the streets of Shanghai to the local population is an excellent way to prepare them for their first ever Formula One Grand Prix in September.”