Craft-Bamboo Racing will head to the world-famous Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps next weekend (2-4 May) as it continues its FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign with Aston Martin Racing.

The team – a recent merger of Asian-based Craft Racing and UK-based Bamboo Engineering – made its first foray into world championship-level GT racing at the start of this year, when it signed a deal with Aston Martin Racing to contest the GTE Pro class of the WEC.

Following a successful WEC debut at the Six Hours of Silverstone last weekend (19-20 April), the team will return to the championship for the final race before it embarks upon one of the most challenging endurance races in the world, the centre-piece of the 2014 programme, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Fernando Rees, who stood on the GTE Am class podium at Spa-Francorchamps in 2013, returns to the circuit but in the higher-level GTE Pro class and will once again compete alongside newcomers to the championship Darryl O’Young (HK) and Alex MacDowall (GB).

“It’s great to be coming back to Spa-Francorchamps,” comments Rees. “I raced here in the WEC in both 2012 and 2013 and stood on the podium here last year. However, the competition in the GTE Pro class is tough and we are a very new team.  We need to go there with little expectation but ready to continue developing.”

Also bringing experience of Spa’s undulating circuit to the team is O’Young, who has contested the Spa 24 Hours, one of the most challenging endurance races in the sportscar calendar.

“The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is incredible to drive,” comments O’Young. “It’s very hilly and twisty while being fast and flowing so it’s also techinically challenging for us drivers and the car. We will learn a lot about the car here before we head to Le Mans.”

New to the circuit is MacDowall, who, despite having not raced it before, completed a test session earlier this year in preparation for this weekend’s race.

“After testing at Spa earlier this year, I can’t wait to get back to the circuit and see what the Vantage GTE can do there,” comments MacDowall. “We made great progress as a team at Silverstone and our goal for Spa is to continue this at the same rate.”

The Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps takes place on Saturday 3 May.