V&M's eastern promise.

V&M Racing is taking a break from the British winter, having confirmed that it is heading for the heat of the Far East for the 35th running of the annual Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix on 17 November.

With riders David Jefferies and Jason Griffiths on board the potent R1 Yamaha superbikes, the team is looking to end their 2001 season in style, following a successful British campaign.

Yorkshireman Jefferies is no stranger to the Guia Circuit and, after being starved of part of his regular diet of pure road events in Britain due to the foot and mouth crisis, will be relishing the prospect of racing on the public streets of Macau. The TT hero is never more at home than when he is wrestling his V&M Yamaha's 175bhp between walls or hedges.

After winning the Macau Grand Prix on only his second visit to the Far East in 1999, Jefferies narrowly missed out on a second victory in an epic battle with fellow Britain Michael Rutter in 2000. Jefferies, however, did have the consolation of smashing the lap record for the 3.8mile circuit.

"I'm really looking forward to racing at Macau again, because it really is unlike any other track in the world," he said, "We always say we do try to treat the end of season event as a bit of a holiday, but when you click the visor down and start to race, it's hard to remember you've made a statement like that."

Lining up alongside Jefferies on the second V&M R1 Yamaha is Welshman Jason Griffiths who, like his team-mate, is no stranger to street circuits. Now living permanently in the Isle of Man, he is widely regarded as one of Britain's top public road racers.

On his first visit to the Macau Grand Prix in 2000, Griffiths retired from the race with machine problems, after qualifying just outside the top ten, and he is confident he can give a good account of himself in this year's event.

"I was over the moon when V&M asked me to join the team for Macau," said Griffiths, "My own bike, which I've been using in races this year, was built by V&M, and is identical to the ones we'll be racing at Macau. After learning the circuit last year, I'm really looking forward to this years event."