Absolute Racing and Arbox Team Up with JD.com for the Beijing Street Circuit Challenge

GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS heads to the streets of Beijing Yizhuang this weekend for the next double-header of the season. Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific customer team Absolute Racing joins forces with long-term partner ARbox and new partner JD.com for another crucial round of the 2026 campaign.

This weekend, the #911 Porsche 911 GT3 R will appear on the streets of Yizhuang in a new special livery. The "Bobshark" character created by ARbox remains the central element of the design, now joined by Joy, the JD.com mascot. The special-edition #911 is also the first car to race in JD.com colours since the partnership with Absolute Racing began, bringing collectible culture and motorsport together in the streets of Beijing.

Behind the wheel of the #911 car are once again Chinese driver Huang Ruohan and Porsche Junior Alessandro Ghiretti. With the season now entering the decisive phase of the title fight, the Sino-French pairing will battle for every point as they chase the overall championship.

The Beijing round marks the first time JD.com has joined Absolute Racing in GT World Challenge Asia. JD.com has steadily expanded its IP collaborations and product ecosystem in recent years, drawing on JD.com’s established online and offline channels and its self-operated retail system to offer consumers a wider choice of collectibles.

JD.com focuses on the model toy segment, bringing together popular categories including die-cast cars, mecha models, military models and collectible toys. Drawing on JD.com’s Super Supply Chain, it serves players and collectors, connecting online and offline communities and promoting collectible toy culture. Deepening its focus on this vertical segment is a long-term strategy for the business, which works with brands across the industry chain to build a healthy ecosystem. Through its "Top New Arrivals" range and the weekly "Top New Arrivals Day" IP marketing every Thursday, it connects the full chain from new product incubation to community engagement. It has also introduced its "Authentic Models, Tenfold Compensation for Fakes" service, continuing to tap into interest-driven consumption, supporting the standardised development of the collectible model industry and working with industry partners to open up new growth opportunities in the collectibles sector.

Yizhuang, home to JD.com’s headquarters, is fittingly the first circuit on which the two parties will race together. On the Beijing Yizhuang street circuit, not far from the headquarters, the new Joy-branded""Bobshark" #911 will take to the track for the first time.

Absolute Racing has long been committed to building racing programmes with distinctive identities alongside its partners. Having made ARbox's "Bobshark" a key visual signature of the team, the arrival of JD.com now gives the #911 car a fresh visual identity.

Throughout the GT World Asia season, Huang and Ghiretti have repeatedly shown the pace of the #911 car. Heading into the second half of the campaign, both drivers remain in a strong position in the title fight, and the Beijing's E-Town street race offers another important opportunity to add to their points tally.

Following the setback at the Okayama round earlier in the season, both drivers produced impressive results on the international endurance stage in September.

On his debut in September’s Suzuka 1000km, Ghiretti claimed an overall podium for Absolute Racing. Sharing the No. 7 ARbox Bosch 911 GT3 R with his team-mate, he finished third overall, adding another important podium to the team’s international campaign this season.

Huang Ruohan, meanwhile, took a class win in the recently concluded Shanghai 8 Hours. Representing HZO Fortis Racing by Absolute Racing, he joined his team-mates in helping Absolute Racing secure the Am class victory.

The two drivers’ recent endurance performances provide a more positive signal as they return to the GT World Challenge Asia.

The Beijing E-Twon circuit first joined the GT World Challenge Asia calendar in 2025 and became the first street race in the series’ history.

The circuit is 4.9 kilometres long and features 12 corners, located in the scenic Beijing Yizhuang Economic and Technological Development Area. The circuit was created by Apex Circuit Design, which also designed the Miami F1 Grand Prix circuit, and makes full use of public roads and urban expressways. Running between modern buildings and Tongming Lake Park throughout, it showcases a unique charm that blends the urban landscape with the aesthetics of speed.

The event will officially get underway on Friday. Two 15-minute qualifying sessions will take place on Saturday morning, followed by two 60-minute races on Saturday afternoon and Sunday respectively.

“We had a very strong start to this year’s GT World Asia season, and Huang Ruohan and Ghiretti have continued to grow throughout the races. Although the results at the two Japanese rounds did not meet expectations, both drivers achieved good results in the two endurance events in September and gained more valuable race experience. Coming to Beijing, we hope to carry the momentum we have built recently into the GT World Asia. At the same time, we are delighted to be competing with our long-term partner ARbox and our new partner JD.com’s trendy toy business, bringing ‘Bobshark’ and Joy together on the new livery of the No. 911 car. Being able to race in Yizhuang, where JD’s headquarters is located, is a special experience for us, and we look forward to repaying our partners’ support with our performance on track and continuing to push hard for championship honours in the final part of the season.”

“Racing a 911 GT3 R featuring the JD.com logo and Joy to Beijing Yizhuang naturally feels like coming home. ARbox, together with JD.com’s trendy toy business and Absolute Racing, has come to race where JD.com’s headquarters is located, so this time it also feels like we are racing on home turf. The right timing, the right place and the right people are all in place, and we hope we can turn this home advantage into good results on track.”

“This year’s GT World Asia campaign has entered its final sprint, and we are finally back racing in China. At the moment, Alessandro and I are in a position where we are chasing in the championship standings, so the goal for this weekend is very clear: to put the disappointment of the two Japanese rounds behind us, give our all in the remaining four races, and recover as many points as possible Coming to Yizhuang and being able to race near the headquarters of the team’s new partner JD.com is also a very special experience for me. We are delighted to start our cooperation with JD.com’s trendy toy business in this way, and Ghiretti and I also hope to repay that support with our performance on track. Every remaining race is very important. We will focus on every detail in front of us and continue to fight for the championship title.”

“The season is gradually drawing to a close. Although Ron and I have experienced some ups and downs, overall we have still shown good competitiveness. Having put the low points of the two Japanese rounds behind us, we need to give our all in the remaining two domestic rounds, because there are still plenty of points to fight for, and we will battle to the very last moment. Street circuits have always been a challenge I really enjoy, and this time, being able to race in Yizhuang, where JD.com’s headquarters is located, and compete with a new partner, makes this weekend even more special. We will focus on the race in front of us, take it step by step and aim for an ideal result.”