HAMPSHIRE'S former British Touring Car Independents champion Rob Collard takes on a new challenge in the Far East on Sunday.

Collard will be contesting the famous Guia Saloon Car race, main event on the final day of the 51st Macau Grand Prix meeting held just along the Chinese coast from Hong Kong.

He'll race against some of the top saloon racers from across the world as well as a pack of fiercely competitive locals in two action-packed eight-lap races on the famous street circuit.

It's like no other track in motorsport, varying in width from 14 metres along the main straight to just seven metres as it twists through the back streets of the former Portuguese colony.

Though Collard has never seen the circuit before, he has been supplied with some in-car video footage by the Kent-based Edenbridge Racing team who he'll be driving for.

And he is confident of a strong performance in their BMW 320i despite never having driven the car before.

He said: "I've been given a video with some in-car footage from previous years that I need to watch before I travel, but having done a rally just a week ago and not known any of that - I'm sure I can learn a new circuit pretty quickly!

"I'm really looking forward to it, there will be some familiar faces out there from the BTCC, as well as some of the top Europeans to take on - including the new European champion."