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British Touring Car Championship machinery will not compete in the 2015 Macau Grand Prix's tin-top support race.

The event's organising body, the Macau Grand Prix Committee, approached TOCA earlier this year about the possibility of BTCC teams running the series' NGTC-specification cars in the Guia race and offered to cover transport costs.

It then announced last week the race would be open to two-litre turbocharged touring cars, such as those that compete in the BTCC.

However, AUTOSPORT understands the proximity of the BTCC finale - which takes place at Brands Hatch on October 10-11 - to the November 21-22 event means it would not be possible to sea freight the cars.

Transporting them by air would have been too expensive and the idea has been dropped.

A medley of cars that run in Asia, such as those that will race in the regional TCR series, will contest the Macau race - which was part of the World Touring Car Championship until 2014 - instead.

"Many marques and models will be eligible to compete, including those running in TCR, and I believe that we can look forward to the fierce competition which the traditional signature of the Guia Race of Macau," said Chong Coc Veng, co-ordinator of the MGPC's sporting subcommittee.

"While some in the racing industry, particularly those who are fans of the WTCC, regard the departure of this series as a loss for Macau, we do not believe 'loss' describes the situation."