“We all know about famous lady drivers in international motor racing, such as Maria Teresa de Filippis and Lella Lombardi in GP, Sabine Schmitz in VLN GT, Michele Mouton in Rally, and many others. But what about the race that is already 69 years old and happens each year in the motor racing pearl of Asia, the City of Dreams – Macau? The annual Macau race week that includes open-wheel F3, Touring, GT, and Moto racing is not less legendary than any racing event in Europe, and its Guia city race circuit is even more unique and tough than Monaco. And here, it was a legendary win by beautiful Singapore racing lady Anne Wong, who made the win from last to first. And all this happened in 1970.”
Anne Wong, the winner of the 1970 Macau Grand Prix race in a Mini, is a renowned Singaporean driver. Born in 1949, she spent her teenage years traveling between Singapore and Malaysia. Her father and uncle were involved in the local motorsport scene, which sparked Anne’s interest in cars. At the age of twelve, she learned to drive, and by sixteen, she had passed her driving test.
While attending college in the UK in the late 1960s, Anne enrolled in the Motor Racing Stables driving school at Brands Hatch. However, she did not complete the course. It wasn’t until she returned to Singapore and watched a friend race a car that her father had prepared that she became serious about motorsport. She planned to race the Hillman Imp herself but never made any starts in it.
In 1970, Anne entered her first significant race, the Singapore Grand Prix, on a 4.8km street circuit. Unfortunately, her Mini Cooper did not last the distance. A few weeks later, she finished third at Batu Tiga track at Shah Alam in Malaysia. In April of the same year, she won the under-1000cc class at the Selangor Grand Prix.
Anne’s big breakthrough came at the end of 1970 when she won the touring car race at the Macau Grand Prix in her Mini Cooper. She started from last on the grid and steadily progressed up the grid to take the lead after Johnny Leffler’s Ford Escort suffered a broken differential and Dieter Quester’s works BMW lost its gears.
Her victory led to numerous offers to race across the Asia-Pacific region. In June 1971, she raced at Wanneroo Park in Australia, sharing a Mini with Australian driver Ric Lisle in a six-hour enduro. They were leading their class when a piston cracked after an hour and a half.
Watch this video of photo and video footage of Macau Raceweek 1970 on very interesting YT channel.
She also finished seventh in the Mini at Macau in 1971, one of her first events with her new sponsorship from Malaysia Singapore Airlines (MSA). By now, she was a popular media figure and also worked as a motoring journalist for the Straits Times and other papers.
Anne was set to participate in the Philippines Grand Prix shortly after but did not make the start for unknown reasons. She had already declined an entry in the BP Rally to focus on the Philippines race. While driving a Simca 1200 offered by National Motors of Hong Kong in the Rothmans event in Hong Kong, she predicted that the Philippines Grand Prix would be won by a Mini Cooper S.
In her second attempt at the Singapore Grand Prix, Anne finished seventh overall in the Mini from 26 starters, despite a lengthy pitstop to deal with a loose exhaust.
In 1972, Anne was set to participate in fifteen events, including some of the saloon rounds of the Tasman Series in Australia. Her first event was the Manila Grand Prix, where she raced against 173 men. However, the results are difficult to find. She may have also taken part in another Singapore Grand Prix.
In April, Anne participated in her first race in Indonesia at the Penang Grand Prix. Later that year, she won the saloon race at the Indonesian Grand Prix held at Antjol. She started from third and defeated eleven other drivers.
Unfortunately, Anne’s third Macau Grand Prix ended in disaster when she had to retire on the first lap due to an electrical short-circuit fire in her Mini. Despite this setback, Anne Wong remains a celebrated and accomplished driver.
At that point in time, she encountered difficulty obtaining sponsorship. MSA transformed into Singapore International Airways and they were procrastinating in providing the funds needed for the Macau race. Subsequently, she withdrew from the Singapore Grand Prix in early 1973, having previously sold her Mini. Her explanation in the Straits Times indicated that competing against factory teams was not economically viable for a private entry.
She took part in the Malaysian Grand Prix using a V8 Ford Fairmont, but the wide vehicle was ill-suited for the narrow circuit. Her own account of the event that she had triumphed was not accurate, since she had received a black flag. She apologized for this misrepresentation in print.
In May, she was registered for the Penang Grand Prix with an Alfa Romeo Berlina, although it remains uncertain whether she actually started the race.
She retired from racing in 1974 and continued pursuing her writing and advertising careers. In June, she made her debut as a jockey and succeeded in a pro-am ladies’ race at Bukit Timah.
During 1979, she acted as the official starter for the Malaysian Grand Prix. However, her passion for high speeds had not completely diminished and she attracted praise in the Singapore press in 1984 by competing in powerboat racing. As much as six years later in 1990, she returned to the Rally of Singapore for the first time in nearly two decades.
She persisted in her advertising profession and subsequently tied the knot.
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By the way, you can enjoy the ride on authentic production cup Mini Cooper S in the livery of Anne Wong in racing simlator Assetto Corsa. Liveries for the car can be found HERE (free access)
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