Alex Tagliani has two decades of professional motorsport experience behind him, racing in some of North America’s most famous and competitive series. He is an eight time Indianapolis 500 entrant, taking pole position at the illustrious event in 2011 to achieve one of motorsports’ great career milestones. Tagliani has also been a regular competitor in various NASCAR series over the years, contesting the Truck Series and Canadian Tire Series where he took 3rd overall in 2016 with his own team, Tagliani AutoSports. Over the last three years the Canadian has driven with Team Penske in the Xfinity Series, most recently at Road America in 2016. Not content with just open-wheel and stock car racing, Tagliani got his first taste of prototype competition in 2014 when he ran in the United Sports Car Championship in LMPC, preparing him for the challenges that he will face in the FRD LMP3 Series. As a driver, Tagliani presents the complete package; his experience at the highest level of open-wheel, GT, stock car, prototype and endurance racing makes him one of the most skilled competitors on the grid who is also armed with a strong technical background.

Greg Taylor is an experienced GT driver who has competed throughout Australia and more recently in the Asian region in the Audi R8 LMS Cup China. After developing his race craft in the Bridgestone NZ Porsche Championship over numerous seasons, Taylor went on to compete in the 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Australia before taking on the 2015 Australian GT Trophy Championship where he would claim the drivers’ championship title. The following year, Taylor made his prototype debut where he drove a Ligier JS P3 at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi.  He went on to impress by taking a class victory in the endurance race and gain valuable experience in the LMP3 category.  In the same year, he went on to claim a Bathurst 12 Hour win in the AM class, finishing sixth overall in an Audi R8 LMS GT3.  The Australian driver continued his string of success and finished second in the Australian GT Trophy for 2016. He now joins Craft-Bamboo Racing to tackle the maiden FRD LMP3 Series season with teammate, Tagliani. Thanks to Taylor’s experience in the Ligier, the GT champion will be able to hit the ground running and will take no time in getting up to speed and putting the #20 Craft-Bamboo Ligier JS P3 on the top step of the podium.

With the FRD LMP3 Series offering a clear path to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Craft-Bamboo’s sole intention is to score the drivers’ title and claim the championship prize, which grants free entry into the Asian Le Mans Series with an LMP2 car. Upon winning the Asian Le Mans class title, the team would be awarded a place at the most celebrated endurance event on the planet, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Craft-Bamboo is aiming to return to the Circuit De La Sarthe since their last competitive outing in the World Endurance Championship in 2014.  The team will release details on their second LMP3 entry and its confirmed all-star lineup in the coming weeks.

Quotes

Richard Coleman, CEO of Craft-Bamboo Racing

“I would like to welcome Alex Tagliani and Greg Taylor to Craft-Bamboo Racing. Our intentions are clear for this season, which are to claim both the drivers’ and teams’ championship in the FRD LMP3 Series.  The new concept of sprint format races with LMP3 prototypes is a concept we believe in very much, and it will have a strong future here in China.  Alex needs little introduction, as he has built a hugely successful career at the top levels of IndyCar, and with the LMP3’s being new to the team, his technical knowledge will prove invaluable to the overall setup of the car. Both drivers have extensive racing backgrounds and experience in prototypes, so I expect them to be challenging for the win from the very first race in May.”

Alex Tagliani, #20 Driver

“I am really excited about working with Craft-Bamboo and really thankful for the opportunity to race in this series. Pairing with an Aussie teammate (Greg Taylor) after being married to an Aussie girl is a perfect fit. This season looks like a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to driving the Ligier LMP3 as well. Everyone I know has great things to say about the Ligier, so driving a car like that on these amazing circuits with a team like Craft-Bamboo is awesome and I am really enthusiastic about the start of the season.

The excitement for racing in Asia comes from knowing that I will be driving for a professional team that will provide us with the right equipment, and this is always a very difficult thing to find in racing. It is the tracks and cars that brings me the most excitement, so looking at the calendar, I feel this series will become very popular and it is what made me accept the deal and want to race here. The big thing in sports car racing is your teammate and I’ve heard great things about Greg and I think that the pairing becomes a big part of the decision. These were all a factor in choosing to race with Craft-Bamboo and I can’t wait to get started.”

Greg Taylor, #20 Driver

“I am very excited to be a part of the new FRD LMP3 series. This series will see us competing at some fantastic circuits in China, which will all be new to me. I love driving the LMP3 cars and took victory in the Ligier JS P3 in the Gulf 12 Hours in 2016, so I’m looking forward to returning back to the cockpit of the LMP3.  Being paired with Alex is fantastic, I’m sure it will be a rewarding experience that I will be able to learn a lot from.  I can’t wait to get the season started!”

Their enjoyment was guaranteed by some brilliant action on track too – not least of all from the Sasol GTC brigade, as South Africa’s fledgling premier tin-top race series shrugged off some recent criticism to deliver a cracking pair of races. Gennaro Bonafede (Sasol BMW) won a lovely opening race from Simon Moss (Engen Audi), Johan Fourie (EPS Couriers BMW) and Mathew Hodges (VW Jetta) after early leader Michael Stephen (Engen Audi) slowed with mechanical bothers.

Race two delivered spectacular action off a reversed grid, with several leaders and thrilling dices. Michael Van Rooyen (RSC BMW) initially led the way but a fraught dice evolved that first saw Johan Fourie’s BMW ending up in the Esses wall before Robert Wolk lost his BMW in the kink to trigger a dusty incident and Simon Moss spinning in avoidance. That left Michael Stephen to win from Hodges, the recovered Moss, Bonafede and van Rooyen after Wolk stopped.

The production GTC2 class delivered great racing too. Keagan Masters beat his works VW Golf GTI teammate Mandla Mdkane and Trevor Bland (VW Golf GTI) in race 1, but Mdakane took the GTC2 honours from Charl Smallberger (VW Golf GTI) and Masters in a most entertaining second race.

The G&H Transport Extreme Supercars was another Kyalami Motorsport Festival drawcard, but it was all about Kyalami owner Toby Venter, who not only blasted his works Porsche 911 GTR to a popular double victory, but he also lowered his own class lap record by almost three seconds in the process. Toby beat Cape visitor Johan Engelbrecht (JogaJoga Porsche), Charl Arangies (Stradale Ferrari 430), Franco Scribante (Ferrari 430) and Dawie Olivier (G&H BMW M3) in the first race and from Engelbrecht, Scribante, Arangies and Marcel Angel (Autohaus Angel Ferrari 458) in race 2.

A family wedding saw Pepper Racing’s Senior Team duo missing Kyalami, but team boss Iain played a masterful wildcard to enter Lee Thompson in absent groom Shaun La Réserveé’s Alpine Polo and Dewald Brummer in maid of honour Tasmin Pepper’s Campos Polo. Thompson promptly went on to annihilate the regular field to take a stunning pole position before going on to beat Devin Robertson (Payen Polo) and Clinton Bezuidenhout (Glyco Polo) in race 1 and Brummer and Juan Gerber (Glasfit) in race 2.

Julian van der Watt (Investchem Mygale) took both Investchem Formula 1600 single seater races to continue his iron grip on the new wings and slicks class over future stars Stuart White (Fantastic Mygale), who was second on both occasions, with Alex Gillespie and Cameron O’Connor sharing the third places.

Pole man Ben Morgenrood’s Ford Mustang dropped out on the warm-up lap for the first V8 Supercar race to leave Mackie Adlem (Mapogo Jaguar) to win from 17-year old lass Lonika Maartens (Hoosier Chev Lumina) and Franco di Matteo (Delco Batteries Jaguar). Adlem did the double in race two to beat another 17-year old, Ben’s son Benjamin Morgenrood (Ford Mustang) and Terry Wilford (Fuchs Jaguar), while Fabio Tafani (APF Mustang) took both visiting Cape V8 Masters wins from Carl Nel and Charles Arton each time.

Jason Campos (Shelby V8) took an easy couple of victories in the National Sports Car Championship races on his way to setting a new overall Kyalami lap record of 1 minute 45,309 seconds. Campos was followed by Shelby CanAm duo Brian Algar  and Michael Jensen each time.

The SKF Legends Classics delivered some great Kyalami memories and close racing as Jonathan du Toit (Chevron B9) narrowly beat Keegan Campos (Porsche RSR) with Ben Morgenrood third in his Ford Mustang. Morgenrood and Campos touched at the end of the main straight, sending the Porsche into the sand trap in race 2 to leave du Toit to a second second victory of the day from Morgenrood and Mark du Toit (Lola T70).

But the biggest winner on the day was the new Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, which not only delivered some great racing, but it also went down in a classic atmosphere as fans lapped up the action alongside their braais and friends at an iconic venue – just like it once always was. National racing returns to Kyalami in November.

The organizing committee responsible for the direction and operation of the series are:
* Kenneth Ma, Formula Racing Development Limited Founder and Director;
* Jean-Michel Pialot, who will act as Technical Delegate for the FRD LMP3 Series in addition to his duties with the Asian Le Mans Series;
* Stewart Tan, General Manager of the Zhuhai International Circuit; and
* Shane Rogers, Series Manager of the FRD LMP3 Series and Asian Formula Renault Series.

The officials appointed to the series will be:
* Arnaud Vercauteren, Experienced international official, will lead the Stewards Panel as Chief Steward.
* Jaije Wong and Josephine Lei, Macau Grand Prix and Formula E stewards, will join Mr Vercauteren on the stewards panel.
* Mario Sin, experienced international steward, race director, and Macau Grand Prix Organizing Committee member, will act as the series Race Director.

Kenneth Ma: “It is vitally important in any racing series to have the right people at the top, but it is especially vital for a new series. Putting in a mix of people with vast experience puts us in a good position to develop a premium experience, and that’s what we intend to do with the FRD LMP3 Series.”

Shane Rogers, Series Manager: “Starting the FRD LMP3 series from scratch, and delivering a great experience for all our stakeholders requires a great amount of skill, experience and enthusiasm. This team of people meets all those criteria. From a series point of view I’m very happy with the team that Kenneth (Ma) has been able to put together, and confident that they can put together a series that lives up to the LMP3 standard.”

The first round of the FRD LMP3 Series will christen the new Zhejiang International Circuit on 27-28 May, with a second visit on 1-2 July. The series will then make two stops at Shanghai on 29-30 July and 26-27 August, before completing the inaugural season on 16-17 September at Zhuhai International Circuit.

The four driver categories of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe, namely  PRO, PRO-AM, AM and Lamborghini Cup, have been confirmed also this year, with an international and high-level line-up. Many are also the new features, with a presence of almost 20 teams.

In the highest category, the focus will be especially on the young drivers, the true lifeblood of Lamborghini competitions; the company has dedicated to them a growth path by establishing the Youngster Programs. This growth program also involves teams and uses the four continental series of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo (Europe, Asia, North America and Middle East) as a springboard for the main GT championships worldwide, as recently demonstrated by some teams which are now taking part in international competitions with their  Huracán GT3s, after gaining some experience in the one-make series.

It is also worth mentioning the constant change of protagonists, starting from the PRO class, which will be a real area of confrontation between three illustrious sons of motorsport legends. Two of them will share the cockpit of the car of Bonaldi Motorsport, which will see the debut in this category of the eighteen-year-old Brazilian Pedro Piquet  (his father Nelson won three world F1 titles between 1981 and 1987) and the Venezuelan Johnny Cecotto Jr., son of the former F1 driver and champion on two wheels, Johnny Alberto. In the past two seasons, Piquet took part in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and previously won two Brazilian titles in his category. Cecotto participated in GP2 Series for several years and has been a F1 test driver for various teams.

Among the “new entries”, there is the seventeen-year-old Jonathan Cecotto, Johnny Cecotto Jr.’s brother, who will be at his debut with Imperiale Racing beside the expert driver Vito Postiglione. The latter, after fighting till the end for the title last year, is ready to take another challenge with the colors of Ivano Pignatti’s team.

The level will be equally high also in the PRO category, with the confirmed presence of  Rik Breukers and Axcil Jefferies (aged respectively 18 and 22). The two drivers have already conquered the title of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East with GDL Racing earlier this year and are now aiming at winning, with the same team, that of the European series, where the former got very close to success in the PRO-AM class in 2016.

What is new is instead the crew fielded by the team Antonelli Motorsport, which has reconfirmed the presence of Loris Spinelli, 2015 PRO-AM champion, who will share the cockpit of the car with the twenty-four-year-old Canadian Mikaël Grenier, who has some experience in the American Indy Lights and is at his debut in the Super Trofeo.

In the same PRO class, the team VS Racing will also field a new crew formed by the Brazilian Raphael Abbate, already a champion of the South American F3, and the Japanese Yuki Nemoto, who gained some experience in the Italian GT Championship with Vincenzo Sospiri’s team last year and scored four wins with a Huracán Super Trofeo. The team Leipert Motorsport has also renewed his commitment in the championship and in the PRO category, they will field two new drivers: the 23-year-old Australian Morgan Haber and the Pole Jan Kisiel.

In the PRO-AM class, one of the top crews of the team Konrad Motorsport is surely that formed by the German drivers Hendrik Still and Paul Scheuschner, who also participated in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East. The team Antonelli Motorsport will field the 18-year-old driver Kikko Galbiati, who debuted during the past season in the final round in Valencia and immediately scored a victory in the AM category. He will share the cockpit with Davide Roda, who won the opening round of the Middle East Series in Abu Dhabi last February. In the same category, the team ArtLine will be able to count on two expert drivers such as Shota Abkhazava (winner of the AM title two years ago) and Gerhard Tweraser. The team will also field a car in the PRO category for Sergey Afanasiev and Kelvin Snoeks. Fabio Onidi, another driver with some experience in the GP2 Series, will debut with Automobile Tricolore and will share the cockpit with another Italian driver, Raffaele Giannoni.

In the AM class, the team Bonaldi Motorsport will see the return of Eugenio Amos and Mirko Zanardini.

In the Lamborghini Cup, instead, the Dutchman Gerard Van der Horst (Van der Horst Motorsport) will try and defend the title conquered in 2016 and will have his teammate,  William Van Deyzen , among his opponents.

It is also worth mentioning the return of the team Autovitesse with the 2013 AM champion Laurent Jenny, who will share the cockpit with Cyril Leimer.

The other teams participating in the series are: AGS Event, ARC Bratislava, Attempto Racing, Dörr Motorsport, GT3 Poland, MN Development, Petri Corse and Target Racing.

After collecting four podium finishes in its GRC Lites debut last year, CORE has its sights firmly set on capturing its first GRC Lites win in 2017. Bennett and Braun’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship commitments will prevent them from attending three of the 12 GRC rounds, and thus take them out of a championship run.

“When we debuted in GRC Lites last year, our goal was to familiarize ourselves with the cars, circuits and specifics of the series, but also to demonstrate how competitive we were by finishing on the podium,” CORE GRC Program Manager Brian Colangelo said. “Our preparation improved with each race and our four podium finishes proved that to be true. For 2017, we have our sights set on race wins and hope to establish ourselves as the team to beat in rallycross and a viable option for OEM partners.”

One such partner already on board for CORE’s 2017 GRC Lites campaign is ORECA Gear, who will supply the team with steering wheels, seats and harnesses for both the No. 54 and No. 56 entries. This is the second-straight year CORE has partnered with ORECA Gear for its GRC Lites program.

Launched in 2013, Red Bull Global Rallycross is the perfect blend of car racing and extreme sports, bringing together asphalt, dirt and airtime for a one-of-a-kind show. The series is broken down into two categories: Supercar and GRC Lites. GRC Lites is an invaluable step toward the Supercar class. Driver talent is able to flourish in this class composed of identical tubular chassis powered by a Ford 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine with 320 hp.

The Red Bull Global Rallycross program kicks off April 29 at Memphis International Raceway in Tennessee. Television coverage of the GRC Lites race will air Tuesday, May 2, on NBC Sports Network, at 5pm ET.

Founded by owner/driver Jon Bennett in 2010, CORE autosport is a five-time Prototype Challenge champion in IMSA competition and as of 2017, has transitioned to GT Daytona competition with a Porsche 911 GT3 R. Since 2014, CORE has served as the competition partner for Porsche’s two-car GTLM factory program, which has earned two Manufacturer Championships. CORE autosport is located in Rock Hill, South Carolina, across the street from Composite Resources, a manufacturing firm started by Bennett in 1992.

Involved in motorsports for 40 years as a racing car team and constructor, ORECA has put the experience of its various endeavors to the benefit of its range of driver and cockpit equipment. Developed within the scope of sporting programs at the highest global level, ORECA products are designed to prioritize the safety and comfort of its clients.

2017 Red Bull Global Rallycross Lites Schedule
 
Rd. 1 April 29
Memphis International Raceway
Memphis, TN

Rd. 2 May 21
Kentucky Exposition Center
Louisville, KY

*Rd. 3 June 3
Thompson Speedway
Thompson, CT

*Rd. 4 June 4
Thompson Speedway
Thompson, CT

Rd. 5 June 17
Canada Aviation And Space Museum
Ottawa, Canada

Rd. 6 June 18
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Ottawa, Canada

*Rd. 7 July 9
Lucas Oil Speedway
Indianapolis, IN

Rd. 8 August 12
Bader Field
Atlantic City, NJ

Rd. 9 August 13
Bader Field
Atlantic City, NJ

Rd. 10 September 9
Evergreen Speedway
Seattle, WA

Rd. 11 September 10
Evergreen Speedway
Seattle, WA

Rd. 12 October 14
TBD
Los Angeles, CA

*No CORE attendance due to IMSA schedule conflict

Jon Bennett
No. 54 CORE autosport/ORECA Gear GRC Lites

“Auto racing is my passion no matter what form it comes in. Taking part in my first Red Bull Global Rallycross season last year was a real eye-opener to this new genre of motorsport and a blast to experience. I enjoyed learning a totally different driving style and race craft, and being encouraged to have all four wheels leave the ground was fun! Thanks to our ORECA Gear equipment though, I always felt safe.
 
“I was very impressed with our team’s ability to learn the ins and outs of these cars and this series in a short amount of time. It was fantastic to see CORE autosport on the podium in its debut in such a competitive class. We want to continue with this momentum in 2017 and show that we are a team OEMs will want to work with in GRC.”

Colin Braun
No. 56 CORE autosport/ORECA Gear GRC Lites

“I love to experience all kinds of different race cars, so getting the opportunity to do GRC Lites last year was an awesome experience. One of the things I enjoy most about motorsports is the learning process and we had a lot of learning to do in 2016. I was on the podium three times and I know that this season, a win isn’t too far off. At CORE, we’re all about constantly improving and that makes me very eager to get back to work!
 
“We’re returning to quite a few places we raced at last year, so we have some idea of the different surfaces we’ll be working with, but because GRC changes up its courses every year, it’ll still be a new ball game for all the teams. It’s going to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to get back in the GRC Lites car, especially knowing that our cockpit will be outfitted with ORECA Gear again!”

With regular drivers Henk J Kiks and Daniel Bilski both scheduled to continue with the Audi R8 LMS Cup for another year that means B-Quik Racing will be entering three of the German sportscars for the full season – the first time it has fielded a triple line-up of these machines.

Shaun impressed the team with his commitment and pace during his TSS rookie year in 2016. He also contested the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia round in Buriram last July – the first time B-Quik Racing had placed an entry in this series – while he drove our Porsche 997 GT3 Cup in TSS Super Car GTM during the September round at Bira Circuit. Prior commitments though kept him from entering the rescheduled final TSS round, the 10th Anniversary Bangsaen Grand Prix, in February.

However, despite the lack of opportunities the 23-year-old from Auckland, New Zealand, gelled very well with the team and everyone has been working hard to ensure that a programme for 2017 came together. That has now been confirmed and we’re looking forward to Shaun being able to unlock his talents during a full TSS season, which starts at Chang International Circuit, Buriram in a little over a fortnight’s time (27-30 April), behind the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS Cup.

He also has plenty of experience racing in New Zealand to call upon having competed in the New Zealand V8SuperTourers Championship, Mahindra North Island Endurance Series and the New Zealand V8 Championship, the latter in which he placed an excellent third overall.

And our plans for 2017 very likely won’t stop there, further announcements for our participation in Super Car GTM Plus are expected in due course. We’re certainly very excited by the obvious potential of the new GTM Plus category, which will require a well thought out Balance of Performance (BoP) to prosper but we’re confident that Thailand Super Series are right on top of that and we look forward to some great racing this season.

Shaun Varney: “I’m really looking forward to stepping up into the Audi R8 this season after three TSS rounds in the Porsche last year. The Audi will be a big step up and I will need to come to grips with the amount of aero these cars have. This being said I am confident we will be at the pointy end of the field and have a good chance of landing on the podium. Having previously driven a few Thai tracks and done some testing in other GT3 cars I expect to be competitive early on.”
 
Henk J. Kiks (Team Owner, B-Quik Racing): “We’re very pleased to have Shaun back in the team for this year and getting him into an Audi R8 LMS Cup has been the culmination of a lot of hard work by everyone to ensure that this programme was put together and put together right, in particular we have to thank Audi Hong Kong as their ongoing support made it all possible. Shaun clearly has a lot of talent and he slotted into the team straight away and got on with everyone but last year the programme didn’t give him a continuous platform to build on. Now he’s in the team for a full season in GTM Plus in our newest Audi and we expect him to unlock his skills and turn in very strong performances. We looking forward to the start of the season and to seeing exactly what Shaun can do.”

Thailand’s ‘touring car’ racing mix has always been robust, boasting healthy grids as well as being popular with both drivers and fans alike thanks to the incessant door-to-door action, even as this motorsport discipline has ebbed and flowed elsewhere around the globe.

TCR Thailand was added to the Thailand Super Series (TSS) programme last year and it proved a perfect complement to Super 2000, the two categories offering different attributes to different drivers and teams. For the first time in Bangsaen both were in action during the delayed 2016 season closer held back in February.

TCR Thailand rocked up for its inaugural races on the Bangsaen Street Circuit to round out a hectic debut season and crown its first ever champion which turned out to be Carlo Van Dam, the Dutchman getting the upper hand in a battle that went to the wire with Jack Lemvard, the pair trading hefty points scores during the races to eventually cancel each other out. However, as they slugged it out for the title they were somewhat overshadowed by Kantadhee Kusiri who ran away with both race victories to cement his claim to being a young star who has really now arrived.

Super 2000 ended its long glittering run in Bangsaen. It’s been the pinnacle category of touring car racing within TSS since the series was formed in 2013 and the roll call of champions has been a ‘who’s who’ of the fastest Thai drivers including Tin Sritrai and Pasarit Phromsombat – as well as the newly crowned final champion Kittipol Pramoj Na Ayudhya.

The last ever Super 2000 victories though belonged to Munkong Sathienthirakul who dominated proceedings in Bangsaen but he didn’t have it easy and the category signed off in style with its usual trademark ferocious battles, dramas, thrills and spills as well as incidents. For the upcoming 2017 season Super 2000 will metamorphosis into the ‘Thailand Touring Car Championship’, the famous moniker being seen in TSS for the first time, the rules are evolving – but the aims are still the same, to provide some of the most exciting racing in Asia.

Finally, the Sereethoranakul ‘brothers’ are really making their mark in Thai motorsport. Sarun armed himself with a Lamborghini Huracán LP620-2 Super Trofeo last season and promptly won the Super Car GTM title. This year his team is acquiring a second Huracán and so his title winning machine will be in the hands of his younger brother Saravut who steps up after completing his rookie year in Super Car GTM.

The pair will get some useful pre-season running in the new car under their belts as they will take part in the opening round of Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia at Sepang Circuit this weekend as – rather unusually – the two brothers, Sarun and Saravut, will be sharing the same cockpit during the pan-Asian series’ trademark 50-minute races which feature mandatory mid race pitstops and driver changes.

10th Anniversary Bangsaen Grand Prix: TCR Thailand Race Reports

TCR Thailand wrapped up its inaugural season at the rescheduled Bangsaen Grand Prix and that meant its first ever champion was crowned – that honour eventually falling to Carlo Van Dam of Singha Motorsport Team Thailand. The Dutchman had put his stamp on proceedings during the early part of the year, kicking off the 2016 season with three wins from the first four races and that let him control matters from the front, despite missing one round and two races mid-season.

Carlo however came into the season closer neck-to-neck with Vattana Motorsport’s Jack Lemvard who had pegged the deficit back during the later rounds. However, if Jack finished both races he would most likely have to drop one of his points scores as the best of eight out of ten scores counted; he already had a DNF to eliminate and his lowest points score was 10 points so deducting that would always put him on the back foot. It proved to be the case as the two title contenders – both behind the wheel of the similar SEAT León – were very evenly matched throughout, both collecting a second and third place to cancel each other out which left the drop scores to decide the title meaning Carlo emerged on top by a margin of seven points to claim the first ever TCR Thailand title.

They both certainly fought hard. On the grid for Saturday’s first race of the weekend – the penultimate race of the year – Jack was third and Carlo fourth but the latter got a cracking start to pass both Vattana cars, Jack as well as the tardy-starting Narasak Ittritpong. Although Jack would pressure Carlo hard over the opening laps he would eventually fade away to finish eight seconds adrift and that meant the momentum had swung in the Dutchman’s direction. He could now afford to follow Jack home in the final race – which is exactly what he proceeded to do.

The second race would see the two Krating Daeng SEATs on the front row thanks to the reverse top five, but the championship action was all on Row 2 with Jack starting third and Carlo fourth. At the green lights Jack and Carlo went straight up the middle of the two black Krating Daeng cars and headed into Turn 2 nose to tail, the ‘battleship grey’ Vattana car with the advantage. That 1-2 would become 2-3 as Race 1 winner Kantadhee Kusiri worked his way through the top order and deposed them, Carlo though had little need to take the fight to Jack as he sat back and collected the points for P3 that allowed him to wrap up the inaugural TCR Thailand title.

However, while these two titans were slugging it out for the points they needed to secure title they were both overshadowed ‘on the road’ by Kantadhee Kusiri who won both races. The Team Eakie BBR driver was returning to the series having debuted during the Buriram round where he made his mark instantly with a double win. He missed the penultimate round at Bira Circuit and returned in Bangsaen to record his second double victory and make it four wins out of four races for the year. Kantadhee, who was primarily committed to racing in EuroFormula 3 single seaters during the 2016 season stamped his mark on TCR Thailand and this year he has continued the theme by joining the opening rounds of TCR Asia Series which took place last month.

Kantadhee led the first race away from pole, eventually finishing a massive 15.249 seconds clear of Carlo while in the second race he did it all the hard way thanks to the reverse grid, fighting his way from fifth up and into the race lead, firstly after spending many laps trying to find a way past Carlo and then deposing Jack before finally taking the chequered flag after 15 laps with 8.291 seconds in hand over the #44 Vattana SEAT.

The Krating Daeng Racing Team ended the year with more podiums and the Amateur class title. Grant Supaphongs claimed fourth place in Pro-Am in the first race, one position on the road ahead of his teammate Chen Jian Hong who won the AM class for the seventh time from the seven races he entered. The Taiwanese driver then made it eight wins out of eight starts (the Krating Daeng team had missed the double header at Bira Circuit) in the final race to end the season in emphatic style while teammate Grant also made it a double podium in Pro-Am with fifth place.

Nattachak Hanjitkasem claimed two more runners up spots in AM, to make it seven second places from the championship’s ten races, and cap off a strong first TCR year after his switch from Super 2000, while we welcomed our first overseas team, Viper Niza Racing, which brought a SEAT for Malaysian driver Douglas Khoo and he came away with two trips to the AM podium thanks to his brace of third place finishes. Also of note was Paritat Bulbon who emerged from the weekend with a fifth and a sixth place in the Pro-AM class in the Sloth Racing SEAT.

In Vattana’s Honda Civic Narasak had a tough weekend. Despite a qualifying bump he had already posted a good enough time to get onto the front row of the grid but was out of the race on the first lap. Narasak – who is also the Super Car GTC champion – was on the back of the grid for the second race thanks to that DNF but worked his way up to fourth place overall by the time the chequered flag waved to earn a trip to the podium.

10th Anniversary Bangsaen Grand Prix: Super 2000 Race Reports

When the cars lined up on the grid it was Munkong Sathienthirakul who planted his aggressively aero-enhanced Honda Civic FD on the slot denoting pole position thanks to his best qualifying lap which had turned out to be a staggering 2.4 seconds quicker than the next car could manage.

Emphasising that qualifying superiority further was an empty space on the outside of the front row as Kittipol Pramoj Na Ayudhya was missing from the action leaving the blue Honda – quickly dubbed the ‘cockroach’ thanks to its big and bare carbon nosecone – all alone up front. Kittipol had suffered a misfire in qualifying but had already set a time good enough to put him the front row. His team didn’t want to break the seals to check the engine as that would have caused him a ten place grid penalty but their diagnosis quickly unravelled on the warm up lap as the engine cut out leaving the double winner here last year a spectator on the sidelines for the first race.

The second row comprised of Ekprawat Petcharak (Civic FB) – who has been getting quicker and quicker all season – and the surprise package from the previous round at Bira Circuit, Pattarapol Vongprai (Civic FD). Wrapping up the top five was Pure Hongsapan who was for the first time in a Class 1 spec Toyota Altis – and it showed with that qualifying performance, his best of the year.

At the green lights Munkong powered away and that would be the last anyone would see of him all afternoon as he romped off into the distance. Behind him there wasn’t any change on the second row of the grid as cars filed through Turn 2 and up the mountain section for the first time as Ekprawat led out Pattarapol; however the big winner at the green lights was Thamrong Mahadumrongkul who powered his way up from the fifth row of the grid to slot into P4 while the big loser was Thanakorn Buttawong in the second factory Toyota Altis who spun the red and white #64 car right round through Turn 2 and clunked the barriers on the outside of the turn with his left hand front corner, although he was able to recover and rejoin the race.

Through the mountain section for the first time the track collected its first high profile victim as Chayut Yangpichit parked the TT Motorsport Honda DC5 up just past the peak with damage gained after contact with a Toyota.

Through the first half of the lap Pattarapol was glued to the back of Ekprawat in an intense battle for second place. The grey and black Civic took a look coming into the left hander at Laem Taem Cape but Ekprawat had it covered – not for long though as they made contact on the exit, Pattarapol tapping Ekprawat into a spin, the unique Civic ‘FB’ smacking the new row of TECPRO barriers with its right hand rear as the back end stepped out while the grey and black Civic narrowly avoided the barriers but was caught up behind and came to a halt. Both got going again but Ekprawat would pit immediately to retire while Pattarapol emerged unscathed but right down at the back of the field and he would be handed a 60-second time penalty by the stewards for the incident that dropped him even further out of the reckoning.

At the end of the first lap it was game over for P1 barring any mistakes or mechanical issues as Munkong was long gone. In second place however was Thamrong in the #24 Civic FD – having started from P9 on the grid he had enjoyed a superb first lap, helped in part as the cars in second and third place took themselves out.

Early race tussling included the factory Toyota 86 of Manat Kulapalanont having to work very hard to find a way past the Honda City of Phatwit Phayakcso and Rudolf Yu, who missed qualifying and thus had to start from the back of the grid and was now working his way relentlessly up the order, he picked off the now fast fading Pure on the second lap as he made his way forward. Pattarapol was the driver on the move as the race approached half distance, but he was clawing back too much lost ground and represented no threat to the top order positions.

After deposing Phatwit out of third place, Manat was firing on all cylinders as he reeled in Thamrong in front and by half distance he had closed down the gap and a battle was erupting for second place. However just as the two got down to action it was all over as the #37 Toyota abruptly slowed up coming out of Turn 6, the mountain hairpin, and Manat would limp away into a disappointing retirement, a broken sensor had cut out the engine.

Munkong was handed a 30-second penalty for jumping the start but such was his dominance at the front he was able to absorb that and in the official results he had a final 22.953 second advantage over Thamrong who was however delighted to have put a long barren spell in Super 2000 behind him and claim the runners up spot.

The field had got spread out over the closing laps and it was another 13 seconds before Phatwit emerged to claim P3 – his best finish of the year – while another driver to enjoy a good afternoon was Wijak Lertprasertpakorn in fourth place – also his best result of the season. The podium positions were wrapped up by Rudolf who had started the race from the back of the grid and kept it together smoothly, helped in part by front running cars that fell by the wayside, to steadily work is way up the running order far enough to earn the last trophy on offer. Almost a minute adrift (once his time penalty was taken into consideration) came Pattarapol with the finishing order being wrapped up by the two factory Toyota Altis entries of Thanakorn and Pure.

Sunday’s second and final race of the weekend for Super 2000 saw the usual top five reversed on the grid and that meant Rudolf started on pole with Wijak alongside. Row 2 saw Phatwit and Thamrong lining up alongside each other while the first race winner, Munkong, would start from Row 3 with the previous day’s sixth place finisher, Pattarapol, alongside. There were some hard chargers at the back of the grid who would be looking to work their way up quickly, previous day retirees, Chayut (Honda), Ekprawat (Honda) and Manat (Toyota), as well as first race non-starter and already crowned Super 2000 champion, Kittipol (Honda).

At the green lights Rudolf made a fast start to convert pole position into the race lead and head the pack as they streamed through Turn 2 and up the hill for the first time while behind him Thamrong made a great start to come down the inside and claim P2. Wijak got hustled at the start but held onto P3 with Phatwit next up and then came Munkong, Pattarapol, Manat and Ekprawat, the latter two getting a great start from the tail end of the grid. Out of Turn 2 Munkong picked off Phatwit to move up to P4, his relentless charge for the front – and a second win from the weekend – had already begun. He would quickly pick off Wijak and move into P3 before closing up on the tail of Thamrong who was swarming all over the back of the race leader, locking up his brakes, but as yet unable to find a way through.

That set up an enthralling battle for first place as the second lap unfolded with Rudolf, Thamrong and Munkong running nose-to-tail. That however became two cars as the blue and white #24 Civic pulled up out of Turn 7 with transmission problems and before Munkong muscled through under braking into Turn 18. That was race over at the front as Munkong disappeared into the distance to eventually take the chequered flag with almost half a minute in hand over Ekprawat who had relentlessly worked his way up from the back and more than made up for the disappointment of the previous day’s first lap retirement by claiming the runners up spot in the last ever Super 2000 race.

Third place went to Pattarapol while fourth went to Chayut who also made up for an opening lap retirement the previous day with a trophy while – despite suffering braking issues that slowed him pace – Rudolf hung on to claim the last step of the podium to made it two fifth place finishes for the weekend. Then came Wijak before the classified order was wrapped up by Phatwit and Pure, they were 1- and 2-laps down respectively.

As well as Thamrong (out of lap 2), the retirement list included the Toyota Altis of Thanakorn, out a lap later, while Manat, after a second race in charging mode and looking on course to bag one of the higher podium steps, capped an unrewarding weekend by retiring on the twelfth lap when transmission problems meant he couldn’t change the gears, and that was one before Kittipol ground to a halt, the new champion crowned after the last round, who ended up the year with a zero points score – a long way from his double Super 2000 win here last year.

The Singha Motorsport Team Thailand driver had started from the back of the grid, impressively battled his way up to P3 and looked set to make a run at Ekprawat just ahead but then Kittipol felt something break in the engine on the ninth lap and two more circuits of the track later the engine overheated. It turned out later to be a timing chain problem and at the least it resolved why he had been suffering problems during qualifying and his non start of the previous day’s race.

In the final Super 2000 championship standings overall Kittipol had already won the title coming into Bangsaen – and he was lucky to have totted up a score of 102 points beforehand as his double DNF and resulting no points while Munkong nailed down two maximum scores, 40 points, meant the final gap was only 4 points. Phatwit’s double podium rounded out a consistent year that has seen him only finish out of the points in one race and thanks to Manat’s zero score from the weekend the Honda City driver moved up to third place in the final rankings with 66 points while the Toyota driver dropped to fourth on 57 points. Chayut, Ekprawat, Thamrong and Rudolf wrapped up the top eight in the championship. Thamrong took the Class B title while Thanakorn won the Class C crown.

In the Teams’ standings overall, the season long efforts of Kittipol and Thamrong as well as the contributions of Thanavud Bhirombhakdi – who missed this final round – meant that Singha Motorsport Team Thailand were the easy winners with a final tally of 149 points, 51 points clear of Ki Sugar who edged out Toyota Team Thailand by a solitary point, it ended 98 vs 97.

Bull riding brothers

The racecar that made its mark in Super Car GTM last year was unquestionably the Lamborghini’s powerful Huracán LP620-2 Super Trofeo. Sarun Sereethoranakul equipped himself with one of the striking Italian machines as he upgraded after a few seasons with his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup – and he never looked back. He kicked off the year with a three wins out of three at the season opening triple header in Buriram to open up a commanding lead in the championship points standings and that was the last anyone saw him. Sarun wrapped up the 2016 Super Car GTM Drivers’ title in Bangsaen during the rescheduled season closer back in February – where incidentally a second Huracán joined the grid, this time in the hands of another driver also upgrading from the ubiquitous Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, Bobby Buncharoen.

Sarun’s team, PSC Motorsport, has recently acquired a second Huracán so the title-winning car is swiftly being moved along the family racing ‘conveyor belt’ and will be in the hands of his younger brother, Saravut, this year. That means Sarun will have a new Huracán to drive and with the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia 2017 season opener coming up this weekend at Sepang Circuit, Malaysia, it’s the perfect time to take part in this event – before the car is swiftly shipped to Thailand for the TSS season opener in Buriram at the end of this month.

For Sarun it’s a chance to blow off the cobwebs since he locked down the title in Bangsaen while for Saravut it’s his first opportunity to get some time in the car under his belt. What makes it more interesting is that the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia format comprises of 50 minute races with mandatory pitstops that allows up to two drivers per car – so Sarun and Saravut will race together in the AM class. It’s very unusual for two Thai brothers to share a cockpit in international racing, emphasising they’re a real racing family – with another brother still to come!

The Sereethoranakul brothers won’t be the only TSS drivers to be in action in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia this coming weekend as Supachai Weeraborwornpong will kick off another season in the ‘one make championship’ reserved for the dramatic Italian sportscars. Supachai previously raced his distinctive day-glo orange Honda DC 5 in Super 2000 and last year he brought the Gallardo Super Trofeo he raced in the Super Trofeo Asia in 2015 (before upgrading to the Huracán for 2016) to our second visit to Buriram back in July. He will be behind the wheel of the Huracán for a second consecutive year across Asia during 2017 and also hopes to join some TSS races with the Gallardo during our upcoming season.

Signing off the rookie year

While the interest is on Saravut Sereethoranakul stepping up to a Lamborghini Huracán LP620-2 Super Trofeo this season, the younger brother of the Super Car GTM champion Sarun has in fact just completed his ‘rookie’ year in Super Car with his brother’s former Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. So it’s a big step certainly, but judging from last season it’s one that he seems well prepared to make.

He was starting from scratch learning the three circuits on the calendar – Buriram, Bira and Bangsaen – as well as getting to grips with the Porsche. Along the way he bagged a visit to the top step of the podium in Super Car AM and during the year he showed a plenty of promise.

That rookie season ended last month with his first participation in the Bangsaen Grand Prix – a steep learning curve and there were plenty of positives although he was side-tracked fighting car issues all week, as he explained afterwards.

“On the first practice day, Tuesday, in the first session my coach tested my car and gearbox broke so I missed all three practice sessions that day and it’s my first time in Bangsaen,” recalls Saravut. Indeed, Tuesday’s unofficial sessions give new drivers plenty of track time to set about learning this technically demanding circuit, so he would be on the backfoot for the rest of the week.

“The gearbox was fixed at night and then on the Wednesday I have only thirty mins for the official practice [session] and on Thursday is qualifying,” he notes.

Super Car GTM enjoyed a triple header format in Bangsaen so that meant three races – one each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – to get valuable laps in and press on with the learning curve – but he would he hit with transmission problems again. “On Friday I was racing okay but later on second and third gears became damaged again,” he says. “So I went to pit and the team manager told me to go back on track again because there were only three laps left so I went back and but got hit at the back because my car was slow.”

Saturday saw transmission problems rearing again although he was able to complete the race and show some pace. “The gearbox had been fixed and I finish the race but have difficulty to shift up to fourth and fifth gears,” Saravut continues. “So that made my car slow to accelerate every time I shift up to fourth and fifth so could not closely follow my competitors and was a few second behind them.”

The third and final race of the weekend saw Saravut still nursing the ongoing transmission issues but able to finally show plenty of speed and mix it in with his rivals in the hotly contested AM class. “On Sunday I was pushing hard but the gearbox still had problems, [however] I was able to overtake [Pinet Piyaoui] and almost overtake Paul [Kanjanapas] but then I too had much speed and the right side of my car touched the wall which damaged my wheel a bit,” he says. “The car still ran [although] not so fast, but I [was able to] finish the race [in] fourth position.”

All-in-all tough first ever weekend in Bangsaen for Saravut but lots of speed in evidence and a good start to learning the circuit – and a brush with the famously unforgiving walls although he was able to escape their clutches. He will be back on these streets in less than three months with plenty of useful experience, important as he will then be in a much newer and faster racecar.

With this partnership, ORECA Gear becomes Hoonigan’s official safety equipment supplier. Helmets, gloves, underwear, harnesses: the brand’s collaborators will now wear ORECA Gear products.

Both sharing similar values, ORECA Gear and Hoonigan were able to get involved together around common projects. Indeed, innovation, dynamism and youth are key aspects which have enabled ORECA Gear’s products to carve out a significant presence and leading place in the United
States. More than apparel, more than media, Hoonigan has become a partner for several drivers with a similar mindset, by supporting them in creating specific, authentic looks and communication tools, always reflecting Hoonigan’s values.

“This partnership is a new step in the development of ORECA in the United States” says ORECA’s COO Raphaël de Chaunac. “Beyond the partnership itself with this brand on the rise, it’s their philosophy which really attracted us. When launching our own brand, we aimed to be different by meeting specific needs. These values show in Hoonigan’s unusual approach of motorsport. Through this partnership, we want to set up a close relationship to discover new horizons and further expand our range of opportunities in the United States.”

“Hoonigan is ran by true automotive and race enthusiasts” adds Vin Anatra, Hoonigan Industries ’ Marketing Coordinator. “Our staff is composed of drivers, builders and influencers from nearly every discipline of racing. We are excited to team up with ORECA Gear to keep our guys and gals safe both on track and off-road. We look forward to future projects and collaborations!“

The newly launched Blancpain GT Series Asia will feature a six-event calendar, with each round consisting of two sixty-minute races. The Asian series’ format is based on the British GT Championship – a platform lauded as one of the most successful of its kind – bringing together GT3, GT4 and GTC machinery in one grid.

This year, Martin Rump will lead KCMG’s Blancpain GT Series Asia line-up following a successful 2016 campaign in the Audi R8 LMS Cup with Champion Racing. The Estonian ace alongside South Korean driver Rick Yoon are primed for a full season of highly competitive GT action, while Am/Am Japanese duo Takeda san and Shirasaka san will represent KCMG in four of the six events.

KCMG is pleased to work with Audi Sport Customer Racing Asia to enter Rump’s car for full seasons in both the 2017 Audi R8 LMS Cup and Blancpain GT Series Asia, as part of the partnership agreement between both championships. Also supporting KCMG in their new Asian motorsport effort are Champion, Hidden Cliff,  Hotelpass and Teng Tools.

Martin Rump: “The new Blancpain GT Series Asia is definitely a new challenge with many new aspects for myself and the team. It’s already my third year in a row working with KCMG and seeing the passion in the eyes of each team member assures me it’s going to be another good season ahead. I’m very excited to get back in the car! We know our way around the Audi R8 since last season so we should be looking strong and the entire team is looking forward to validate this at the first event at Sepang.”

Rick Yoon: “I am very excited ahead of the new Blancpain GT Series Asia’s opening race in Sepang. I have raced in two Audi R8 LMS Cup events – one with KCMG during the closing round in Shanghai. Martin and KCMG are the perfect team for me as I take on a higher level of racing as a gentleman driver. Audi R8 LMS has been my car of choice since I started in 2015 and Sepang has been one of the circuits where I’ve produced positive results. All these factors make me confident that we will have a strong performance during the season opener at Sepang.”

Naoto Takeda: “I’m thrilled to participate in the new Blancpain GT Series Asia with KCMG and to share the car with Takuya Shirasaka. I’m also looking forward to working with the entire team and with KCMG’s experience with the Audi R8, I am confident that we will be one of the competitive teams on the grid.”

Takuya Shirasaka: “It’s a great opportunity to be part of KCMG’s Blancpain GT Asia campaign. It will be very interesting to race against other top Asian teams around the region and my aim is to produce positive results with my teammate Naoto Takeda.  Looking forward to seeing you all at the first event in Sepang and thank you in advance for your support.”

Ryuji Doi, KCMG Head of Motorsport: “We are excited for this latest motorsport initiative that we have in Asia. Apart from racing in a new GT series in the region, the entire crew is also looking forward to work with Martin, Rick, Takeda and Shirasaka san. Similar to our Asian Le Mans Series and Audi R8 LMS Cup campaigns, we will once again have our Asian crew to support our drivers and we’re confident that it will be a strong season ahead. On behalf of the entire team, we extend our thanks to KCMG Founder Paul Ip, our major partner Audi China and our sponsors: Champion, Hidden Cliff, Hotelpass and Teng Tools for their support.”

“We are obviously delighted to have been able to sign Armaan to drive with FFF Racing Team in our Super Trofeo Asia programme,” said FFF Racing Team Owner, Sean Fu Songyang. “He is a proven race winner and putting him with Jack, who is exceptionally quick in his own right, will make them a formidable duo to beat. With Spike and Carrie in the second car, our Super Trofeo Asia programme looks very strong and we should be able to hit the ground running.”
 
Ebrahim comes originally from a background in single seaters, initially competing in Formula BMW in Asia and then in A1GP. Three seasons in the Formula 2 championship followed before he moved to Super Trofeo Asia in 2015, finishing second overall in his first attempt. Proving he had the speed to add to his tally of victories, Ebrahim took the Pro-Am honours in 2016 with seven race wins from 12 starts.

“I am very pleased and excited to be joining FFF Racing in an all Pro line-up,” Ebrahim said. “I spent the last couple of seasons driving in Pro-Am and last year even winning the title in our class. I’ve got a good team mate in Jack and look forward to working together and making 2017 a successful one! Lastly I’d like to thank the guys at FFF Racing for helping put this deal together.”

The Super Trofeo Asia series gets underway next weekend (7-9 April, 2017) with the first round at Sepang Malaysia. A further three rounds follow at Buriram, Suzuka and Fuji, before the season concludes at Imola, Italy, in November.

Stéphane Sarrazin: “I really wanted to create Sarrazin Motorsport”

Go-karting, F1, prototypes, GT and rallying, Stéphane Sarrazin has taken part in many programmes in the course of his rich and successful career. As the French sportsman begins a new campaign as TOYOTA GAZOO Racing factory driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and adding to his commitment in FIA Formula E with Venturi GP, he will rely on his experience at the highest level to lay the foundations of his own team.

Twice Le Mans Series champion (2007, 2010), three-time Petit Le Mans winner (2009, 2010, 2011), poleman and several times on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Sarrazin decided that his structure would start off with rallying. A discipline that he has also excelled in: French champion (2004) and Subaru factory driver in world championship, he has achieved a double win the Critérium des Cévennes / Tour de Corse (2014) while also coming first in different challenges such as the Mont-Blanc several times; as part of projects that were already conducted privately at the time. Launching Sarrazin Motorsport seemed to be the next natural step for him.

“I’d been thinking about launching my own team for a little while already. I really wanted to create Sarrazin Motorsport and I’m glad that this wish’s become a reality today” says Sarrazin.“I was waiting for the right conditions; it feels it’s now time to go ahead, all lights are green. My career as a driver has allowed me to learn on different levels and aspects, not only through racing itself but also across many development programmes I’ve been involved in for several manufacturers and teams. My recent entries in rallying made that wish stronger, while also allowing me to discover new things because I was much more involved in the early stages of these projects, way beyond my role as a driver. It’s an important moment in my career. TOYOTA GAZOO Racing’s programme remains my priority, as well as the FIA Formula E with Venturi GP, but I know I’ll be able to run the two in parallel and that’s fantastic. 2017 promises to be a great and wonderful year.”

First steps at the Tour de Corse!

Stéphane Sarrazin has gone for rallying. The Tour de Corse, in April, will mark Sarrazin Motorsport’s debut, entering a Skoda Fabia R5 in the WRC-2 class. Sarrazin will be both driver and boss before lining up other drivers in different programmes. He explains:  “Starting off with the Tour de Corse is a nice nod to my career; and it shows how ambitious the team is. I’ve won in Corsica before, that’s a very special memory to me. It’s also a legendary challenge, at the highest level, and within a very competitive class. That’s what the team is aiming for. Of course I wondered about racing on track vs rallying. It made more sense to go for rallying, as that’s where I feel the most prepared and that completes my entries on track very well. Sarrazin Motorsport will have the expertise required, I’ve got great people around me and strong partners. This will allow us to support young drivers in their development and quest for victories. Yet we don’t exclude racing on track at some point in the future. We’re open to all options and clearly we want to develop and improve in time. We’re going to grow one step at a time, wisely but with great ambitions.”

Sarrazin Motorsports will be based in the Cévennes, a region which means a lot to Sarrazin. The team will benefit from two Skoda Fabia R5 in its workshops, as well as a Hyundai i20 R5. The squad will also rely on Arnaud Moutier as Technical Director. For this new adventure, the French driver will be supported by partners renowned in the world of motorsport, such as KCMG, Michelin, ORECA Store, which are all official suppliers of Sarrazin Motorsport. Further information will be communicated later on.

A new chapter in the history of Wolf Racing Cars will be fulfilled in the coming days when two brand new GB08T Wolf Racing Cars will fly to Australia, in the direction of the Synep Racing Team HQ at Dudley Park in South Australia.

Giovanni Bellarosa (General Manager, Wolf Racing Cars): “We are delighted to arrive in Australia with Synep Racing Team, the fact that the company is run by Aaron Steer is a great pleasure for us. Aarons experience in the Prototype market dates back almost ten years. This experience coupled with his nine years sports car driving experience is the ideal partner for us to compete and win in the Australian Prototype Series. The partnership with Synep Racing Team will enable Wolf Racing Cars to provide exceptional customer care to all customers. Soon we will have the pleasure to present, along with Synep Racing Team, our new models, mainly designed for competitions, but also for track days, driving school and fun.”

Aaron Steer (Owner / Director, Synep Racing Team): “I am excited to partner with and showcase the Wolf Racing Cars brand in Australia and New Zealand. Personally I feel now is the best time to push for CN racing cars sales as a lot of drivers are focusing on progressing to certain race series such as, World Endurance Championship and Asian Le Mans. Currently there is nothing available in Australia to assist with progressing to other race series, so for Synep Racing Team and Wolf Racing Cars this is an exceptional opportunity to offer that option to customers. The Wolf cars have exceptional built quality and they look sexy as all hell! The new GB08T is a massive improvement from the previous model and sets a new benchmark for CN cars worldwide. Synep Racing Team are excited to receive the first two news cars, and are focusing on putting both cars on the podium at the end of the 2017 Australian Prototype Series season. I have been involved in prototype racing since inception in Australia and have never been so excited to offer on and off track race support, arrive and drive packages, servicing, development and set up to all new Wolf Racing Car customers.”

The FRD LMP3 (Le Mans Prototype 3) Series is the brand new premier prototype series in China. Backed by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), the championship brings together the best drivers, teams and selection of LMP3 cars to compete over a five-round format that will be managed and implemented to the highest international standards.

With four rounds held in China and one in Malaysia, the professional competition will see two LMP3 cars entered from each team; driven by one professional international driver and one Chinese motorsport rising star to ensure the highest quality Chinese driver development the country has ever seen.

Founder of Formula Racing Development and FRD LMP3 Series Kenneth Ma expressed that, “Me and Aaron was good friends for decades, while we were also a good competitor for each other. His racing skills was astonishing and his joining will make the series more competitive and the race will be going to be more professional. New hope will be  available for future young stars to get into the World Series in the future.”

General Manager of Zhuhai International Circuit Chen Xin Zhong said that, “This is a very good promotion for FRD to put the last event of the series in Zhuhai International Circuit, both for the race and us. More audiences will be attracted  to visit the circuit and will also bring along good economy to Zhuhai. We would like to thank FRD to have such decision  and the race will be putting into the Pan Delta Super Racing Festival in the third week of September.”

FS Sports is the second team who established by celebrity after Jimmy Lin, another Taiwan pop star. Their battle will  become one of the most flashing point in the series.

China GT’s inaugural 2016 campaign was built around a GT3 and GTC format. However, that will expand this season to include the more cost-effective GT4 class, which continues to grow in global stature thanks to an influx of manufacturers and customer programmes that take advantage of SRO’s stable regulations and tightly controlled BoP.

Indeed, with ever more GT championships around the world now adopting SRO-licensed GT4 regulations, the category has become a universally recognised first step for gentleman racers and budding GT professionals alike.

SRO’s GT4 regulations are already used in America (Pirelli World Challenge), Europe (British GT plus GT4 European Series Northern and Southern Cups) and Australia (Bathurst 12 Hours). The category is also part of the Motul Sepang 12 Hours and, from 2017, Blancpain GT Series Asia. However, China GT will become the first national championship in Asia to adopt the regulations.

The championship’s links to SRO go even further, however, with both China GT and Blancpain GT Series Asia sharing their final rounds of the season at the brand new Zhejiang Circuit on October 21/22.

China GT Championship will continue to administer its own GT3 and GTC BoP regulations throughout 2017.

Stephane Ratel, SRO Motorsports Group Founder and CEO: “Our partnership with the China GT Championship proves just how far the GT4 class has come in a short space of time. Clearly it’s now an essential component of modern day GT racing. Not only does it provide a first step into the GT ranks for less experienced drivers and budding pros but it also offers teams an opportunity to learn and then expand onto the international stage using the same cars in a more cost-effective way. I’m delighted to see a developing motorsport market like China adopt our GT4 regulations and BoP governance, and look forward to tracking its progress there over the coming years.”

Charlie Davison, Vice General Manager of the China GT Championship: “China GT is pleased to announce with SRO the arrival of its newest family member, GT4, as a younger sibling to GT3 and GTC and join them on-track in 2017. Last year’s inaugural season of China GT proved to be ultra-successful with strong grid count, mass attended events and nationwide publicity fuelling the positive vibes and a significant growth in entries leading into this year’s season. A decent portion of that growth spawns from the introduction of the GT4 class, which will make China GT a more accessible and inclusive platform to those teams and drivers who want to go racing at a reasonable cost. We look forward to seeing GT4 flourish in China!”

The opening round of this season’s 12-race China GT Championship takes place at Audi Beijing Goldenport Motor Park on May 13/14.

We will import two variations of the car but will specifically concentrate our efforts on the GB08S model for the South African Endurance Championship.

This car is a CN specification car using a FIA homologated and approved carbon fibre monocoque chassis.

The engine specification will remain as per the cars run in the V de V, Asian and American championships, Honda K24. This unit produces good power deliverables while remaining very cost effective to run. Remaining aligned with and current with other championships should encourage participation from other countries in South Africa while allowing our drivers to remain relevant to their championships.

The Wolf GB08S makes use of a Sadev 6-speed sequential Gearbox including paddle shift and a manual overdrive. Including the paddle shift system the steering wheel houses a full color display with many functions to help the driver during the race, functions include GPS and fuel meter. The GB08 has a 80-liter FIA certified fuel tank and filler system that should see the Wolf run for two hour stints in a race.

The Wolf brands is the epitome of quality, from the quality carbon body panels to impeccably machined components the car includes OZ magnesium wheels, Ohlins dampers and state-of-the-art stainless steel exhaust and a carbon intake system. To stop the car Wolf equips all their cars with Brembo mono-block calipers.

We look forward to drivers stepping up to this class of race vehicle

Firstly, the FIA GT3 cars returned at Bangsaen after almost a full season away from the TSS programme. The grand occasion of the 10th Anniversary edition of the Bangsaen Grand Prix was the perfect occasion to put the big racing beasts back onto the schedule and Lamborghini vs Camaro vs McLaren was a perfect tonic for the fans. In a weekend of headline acts, the GT3 cars stood out as their engines reverberated around the streets.

Super Car GTC enjoyed a fairytale in Saturday’s first race as the Porsche’s Cayman, making its racing debut in Thailand with a driver, Charvanin Bunditkitsada, who was also appearing in Super Car for the first time, promptly went and won. Sunday’s second race saw ‘normal service’ resumed as the KTM X-Bow GT4, which has dominated the category all season long, wrapped things up with one more victory thanks to the efforts of Jack Lemvard.

Sandwiched in between the GT3 and GTC action playing out on the street circuit there was some real unmissable thunder as the ‘TA2’ Ford Mustang ripped up the track on its debut in Thailand. The big American racecar was being demonstrated by TransAm driver Shane Lewis and apart from its striking shape its equally striking bright metallic blue finish meant no one could miss it pounding the circuit.

Bangsaen Grand Prix: Super Car GT3

After headlining TSS for the first three years (2013-15) the big GT3 beasts gave way for the 2016 season to Super Car GTM which was promoted to become the top category. But the season wasn’t quite over when it was announced that they would be returning with ‘Super Car GT3’ set to headline the programme on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary edition of the Bangsaen Grand Prix.

The three cars lined up at the front of the combined GT3/GTC/TA2 grid on Saturday afternoon for the first of two races of the weekend didn’t disappoint at all – GT3 was back! On pole was the #27 Chevrolet Camaro GT3 of the 2015 Super Car GT3 champion Tomáš Enge with another former Super Car title winner, Akihiro Asai, alongside – the Japanese driver having won Super Car N/A in 2011 and Super Car GTC in 2014. He was driving Vattana’s #4 Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2, and although Akihiro has previously raced this model of car around the world, it would be the first time he had driven a GT3 car in TSS.

Wrapping up the compact GT3 grid was the #28 McLaren 650S GT3 of Chonsawat Asavahame, the 2014 Super Car GT3 winner – meaning all three GT3 cars were driven by former Super Car champions. It was also the first time that a McLaren had ever raced in TSS within Thailand (as the brand was actually represented on the Super Car grid during our visit to Sepang Circuit in Malaysia back in 2014) but it was also the first time the latest McLaren GT3 car – the 650S – had been seen in TSS and the first time a McLaren had ever taken to the track in Bangsaen. As usual for TSS, many ‘firsts’. The striking racecar, wrapped in McLaren’s traditional ‘Papaya Orange’, stood out all week and drew many admiring glances.

When the lights turned green for the first race there weren’t to be any fireworks as the trio of GT3 cars thundered uphill through Turn 1 and then braked for Turn 2. As they went up the hill for the first time it was Tomáš from Akihiro and Chonsawat.

At the end of the first lap Akihiro and Tomáš traded places and now it was the black and white Lamborghini in charge at the front. A couple of laps later and the McLaren had made its way through, first edging past the Camaro and then picking off the Lamborghini to assume the head of the GT3 group.

At two thirds distance the GT3 pack started to split up as the trio of cars made heavy weather when they came to lap the tussling GTC class Mazdas of Pete Thongchua and James Runacres. Chonsawat got a clean run to use the McLaren’s power to lap the pair on the main straight but Akihiro and Tomáš both had to pick them off through the mountain section which cost them a lot of time and into Turn 6 the yellow Mazda spun 180-degrees and the Camaro had to run wide to avoid, dropping it off the back of the Lamborghini.

Next time around the GT3 order would dramatically shakeup as Chonsawat, ran wide through Turn 6 as he took too a tight line on the entry to avoid the backwards facing yellow Mazda and he ground to a halt, requiring the marshals to push him backwards before he could return to the race, Akihiro and Tomáš both came to a halt behind the McLaren but they were able resume the race first.

That would be it for the race as Akihiro took the win, his first with a GT3 car in Thailand at his first attempt while Tomáš hunted him down over the closing laps to finish just 1.5 seconds adrift, the Czech also setting the fastest lap of the race. A further fifteen seconds down the road came the McLaren in third place.

“The car was really good, really perfect and my thanks to the Vattana team,” said the Japanese driver afterwards. “The race was pretty fun, there was a battle going on with Tomáš and Chonsawat and then there was a bit of drama with a car a lap down and then I took the lead and really just won it from there.”

Sunday’s second and final race of the weekend for Super Car GT3 proved a much less eventful affair. At the greenlights the McLaren made no mistakes to dive through into first place with Tomáš and Akihiro tucking in behind. It would remain that was until the race reached the 7 lap mark when the Camaro was forced to make a pitstop after picking up a left hand rear puncture and that meant Chonsawat and Akihiro were left up front on their own. It would stay that way until the chequered flag with McLaren etching its name into the record books in Thailand with its first ever victory, all on its Bangsaen Grand Prix debut weekend. Chonsawat also posted the fastest lap of the race in 1:41.392.

Although Tomáš didn’t get to stand on the top step of the podium this time the ‘superstar’ was delighted to be racing on these streets once again and playing his key role in supporting Vattana Motorsport’s expansive efforts. “It was good to back in Bangsaen and see the track a bit different to what it was before,” the former Formula 1 driver and Le Mans 24 Hour winner said afterwards. “It was fantastic to see all the people coming to watch the races, all the Thai motorsport fans coming and I’m proud to race for this team. We have had great success in Bangsaen once again and everyone is thrilled and looking forward to the 2017 season.”

Bangsaen Grand Prix: Super Car GTC Race 1 Saturday (Race 7 of the year)

On the Super Car GTC grid for Saturday’s first race the ‘Batmobiles’ lined up next to each other with Jack Lemvard grabbing pole position and the already confirmed 2016 champion with two races to spare, Narasak Ittritpong, planting his example alongside – but there wasn’t much between them, 0.091 seconds to be exact!

The second row was led out by Charvanin Bunditkitsada in the brand new Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport, both car and driver making their debut here, while alongside them was Attapot Sriprom in the quicker of the two B-Quik Racing Porsche 996 GT3 Cup entries, the #99.

Row 3 saw the Mazda RX-8 driven by Pete Thongchua with the second B-Quik Porsche alongside, this one being the #25 and driven by Ian Geekie on his debut with the black and yellow team, the Australian also returning to Bangsaen for the first time since 2012. That in fact was his only previous visit here so plenty of work for him to do. U-tain Pongprapas had been looking quite pacey during the week despite having been on the back foot in terms of getting the best car setup; he had qualified fifth in the fastest of the trio of Mazda RX-7s but he later picked up a grid penalty as the team needed to check that there were no issues with the gearbox following a practice incident and was thus demoted down the starting order.

At the green lights Jack kept it all neat and tidy to convert pole position into the race lead with Narasak tucking in behind as they headed up the hill for the first time. Charvanin and Attapot held onto third and fourth respectively with Pete claiming fifth place and James moving up to sixth. Ian slipped a place to seventh while also moving up was the first of the factory Toyotas, the #37 of Manat Kulapalanont, with the top ten being wrapped up by the Mazda RX-7s of Narin Yensuk and U-tain.

Further back Rudolf Yu, having missed practice and qualifying, was behind the wheel of the Ginetta for the first time in Bangsaen so he was having to get up to speed while Sontaya Kunplome was also starting from the back in his now black and white liveried Porsche 997 GT3 Cup having not been present during the qualifying session.

As the cars went through the first lap Jack pulled out a couple of lengths at the front while Charvanin was having an impressive debut and was snapping at the heels of Narasak as he had his eye on P2.

The top three started to pull away over the opening lap and the main focus of attention was on the battle for P4 with Pete fending off Attapot, who was swarming all over him, while James in the bright yellow RX-7 quickly closed up onto the back of the squabbling pair in front and Ian soon joined the trio to turn it into a four-way tussle. Behind them a two second gap had opened up to U-tain who was leading out the rest of the pack.

At the end of the first lap Manat pitted in the #37 Toyota suffering a loss of boost from a broken turbo pipe that was however repaired by the pit crew and he was able to re-join the race.

On the third lap B-Quik representation in the race halved as Attapot took a hit and pulled off at the mountain hairpin having sustained damage to the #99 Porsche.

With Attapot gone Pete and James locked into a fight for fourth place and at one third race distance the yellow RX-7 squeezed up the inside of the green RX-8 into Turn 2 but it was a short lived pass as Pete had the line and the momentum to regain the place heading up the hill.

At two thirds distance Narasak was now pressing hard and looking to take the lead from his teammate as no team orders seemed to be in place at Vattana Motorsport.

The GTC midfield was then engulfed by the GT3 cars lapping them and James took advantage of the changing dynamic to squeeze past Pete, who was pushed to the outside into Turn 1 by the race leading McLaren and then lost the momentum into Turn 2 and that allowed James into fourth place, however no sooner had he done this than just a few hundred meters later the yellow Mazda spun round as James braked for the entry to Turn 6 and hit the wall on the outside, the rear corner taking a whack that put the RX-7 out on the spot.

Mazda representation took another blow on the same lap as U-tain, struggling with his tyres, went straight into the barriers at Turn 8, that ripped the front clip of the RX-7 and dumped coolant onto the track. The safety crews worked quickly and the green, white and red car was winched away on the big crane.

There would be time for another big change in the race as Narasak passed Jack to take the lead and head the two Vattana cars past the chequered flag first. However, the result wouldn’t stand as both KTMs were slapped with a 60 second time penalty post-race and that dropped them to second and third.

That all meant there was a ‘double’ fairy tale story as Charvanin on his debut in Super Car climbed to the top step of the podium and handed the Porsche Cayman a win on its first ever race in Thailand. Charvanin had looked pacey and considered all week, despite this representing his return to racing after appearing the Lotus Cup Thailand ‘one make’ race series a few seasons ago. The car is fresh out of the box and with just one test behind him he settled in well. Clearly the Cayman is a work in progress and with more development behind it this has to be a very strong driver-car combination for the coming season.

Once the battle for fourth shook out Pete, who successfully fended off all the attentions for his spot, had a lonely final few laps to the flag while Prateep Tunprasert (Mitsubishi Evo X) edged out Ian to claim the final step of the podium. The Australian took sixth place on his debut in Super Car while seventh, eighth and ninth went to Sontaya (Porsche), Suttipong Smittacharch (Toyota) and Rudolf (Ginetta), these three drivers having been embroiled in action with each other all race long. The top ten was wrapped up by Manat in the second Toyota who was two laps down after his lengthy pitstop at the end of the first lap.

The final classified runner was Narin in the ‘pink’ #13 Mazda RX-7 who was forced to pit after debris hit and damaged his windshield coming out of the final turn and sent some glass flying into his face and necessitated a pitstop. The Chiang Mai driver eventually finished five laps down but was still classified having covered two thirds race distance.

Bangsaen Grand Prix: Super Car GTC Race 2 Sunday (Race 8 of the year)

For the final GTC race of the weekend the grid would have a broadly similar feel to the previous day, again the two KTMs would lock out the front row, this time though it would be Narasak on pole from Jack. Behind them it would be an unchanged second row, Charvanin and Attapot, with Pete and Ian once again next up. Then came Suttipong and U-tain with Prateep and James wrapping up the top ten.

The top order would remain unchanged as the pack took the green lights and sprinted for Turn 2, U-tain being the biggest winner as he moved up to seventh place. James though had a bad start, dropped down the running order; he got the car crossed up into Turn 2, just avoiding the inside barriers as he corrected the #17 Mazda. Behind him Manat was caught up behind the yellow RX-7 and clunked the barriers with his left hand front corner; both cars however got going again quickly but were now at the back of the pack.

As the cars raced down towards the roundabout for the first time it was a similar story to the first race as the two KTMs were running nose to tail with Charvanin snapping at their heels, the top three having pulled out a couple of seconds by the time the cars approached Laem Taen Cape. As the two ‘Batmobiles’ braked for the almost 90-degree left hander, Narasak left Jack a bit too much room and he didn’t need any second invitations as he squeezed through on the inside to take the lead, the cars side by side as they powered into the track’s beachfront section.

Narasak wasn’t giving up the lead lightly though and into the S2 Bangsaen Hotel Hairpin he drew right alongside, but on the outside, and the two KTMs swung their way around the 180-degree turn locked together side-by-side. Dramatic racing and clearly no team orders in play once again at Vattana Motorsport.

Out of the hairpin and onto the main straight Jack had the racing line and the advantage and he pulled out a few cars lengths while Charvanin swarmed all over Narasak as they ascended to Turn 2, the debuting Porsche Cayman clearly not respecting the season’s established GTC pecking order.

Into the second lap there was a big battle shaping up for eighth place as U-tain fended off Suttipong, Sontaya and the recovering Manat who reported that his car was fine despite that first lap contact with the barriers. The #19 Toyota took a look at the red, white and green Mazda into Turn 8 but U-tain held the line while Manat snatched P10 off Sontaya under braking into Turn 18, the S2 Bangsaen Hotel Hairpin.

U-tain did a great job of fending off the two Toyotas for P8 until the fourth lap when Suttipong got a better run out of Turn 2 and powered past up the hill while Manat then lined up for his go – he would get the better of braking into the Turn 18 hairpin a lap later to make a move stick. Behind this trio, Sontaya had dropped back into the clutches of James who had passed Rudolf and his teammate Narin as he recovered from his poor start.

The two Toyotas then started to hunt down Prateep who was next up the road before it all went horribly wrong on lap 9 as Manat tried to go down the inside of his teammate Suttipong into Turn 18, the #37 clipping the #19 right in front on the left rear corner, with Suttipong spinning round and the two becoming stuck nose to nose in the middle of the hairpin. Manat would eventually get away but Suttipong was out on the spot. While that drama was playing out James had passed U-tain as he continued to work his way slowly up the running order after his lap 1 incident.

The Safety Car was immediately deployed to untangle the two Toyotas with the #19 being pushed straight across the apron and into the pitlane. At the front it was still Jack from Narasak with Charvanin continuing to hold P3 while Attapot and Pete wrapped up the top five on the road.

When the Safety Car went back in there was time for a two lap dash to the flag but for Narasak it was a case of two laps too many as he hit the wall coming down the beachfront, a couple of hundred meters before the Turn 18 hairpin. The KTM was badly damaged with many bodyparts, including a coil spring, scattered across the track, the rest of the pack picking their way through the debris.

That was the end of the dramas and Jack gunned the #44 KTM over the line for the win. “The car was great,” said Jack afterwards but we have 170 kilos of ballast which makes it really tough on the straights but in the corners it works really well. Today I came out with a win and yesterday a third place so a big thanks to Vattana Motorsport for letting me drive this car.”

Charvanin capped off a superb weekend with the runners up spot to add to his win the day before – for the rookie it simply couldn’t have gone any better. Attapot claimed third, his best finish of the year to round out a strong debut season in GTC which has seen the previous Super Eco driver steadily get quicker race by race.

Fourth went to Pete who claimed his second podium of the weekend while U-tain made up for a tough week by bagging the final step on the podium. In fact, those two results combined together to drive the Mazdas, running under the ‘PTT Yokohama KS The Pizza Company’ banner to the Teams’ title – that DNF from Narasak was costly as it dropped Vattana Motorsport to a final second place in the Teams’ championship final standings, the team having been leading the classification ‘on the road’ up to that point.

Then came U-tain who nailed down his first points of the weekend after having retired mid-way through the opening race. Ian took seventh place adding to his sixth place the day before, making it a very decent debut weekend for the Australian in GTC. Rudolf steered clear of all the trouble to work his way up from the back to P8, while Narin claimed ninth and then Prateep nailed down his second points finish in two days after claiming the final points paying position. James finished eleventh while Manat was the final classified finisher but he was two laps adrift.

Super Car GTC: Final championship positions

Bangsaen didn’t affect the topmost position on the classification as Narasak had already wrapped up the title before he arrived at the season closing double header. The maximum score he totted up in the first race (as race winner Charvanin was eligible to collect points) ensured he finished the season on 126 points.

However, the battle for the runners up spot was turned on its head as Pete overhauled Manat thanks to the former collecting 42 points in Bangsaen compared to the latter’s 23 points. It means in the final standing there is a 14-point gap between the pair in favour of the Mazda driver.

Fourth in the standings goes to Attapot who capped his year off with a maximum score in the second race (as both winner Jack and runner up Charvanin weren’t registered to collect points) and that gave him the position on a tie break with Rudolf who also finished on 64 points.

Next up were Suttipong (53 points) and Prateep, who turned around a tough rookie season to collect 24 points from the weekend to add to the meagre tally of 10 points he had picked up all year to end the year with 34 points. Then came U-tain (32 points). The top ten in the final championship classification was completed by Narin (30 points) and Sontaya (23 points), the latter having only started half of the races this year.

There was a huge sting in the tail in the Teams’ championship though as Narasak’s last race last lap incident swung the title race in the favour of the ‘PTT Yokohama KS The Pizza Company’ team. That means a first ever TSS title for ‘rotary’ engine power, an impressive achievement for this breed of Thai-built machines crafted in the Bangkok workshops of Rotary Revolution.

For the 2016 season the team comprised of the Mazda RX-8 driven by Pete and the Mazda RX-7s of Narin and U-tain. That combination worked well and after a double win during the opening round they hung onto the heels of Vattana’s ruthless race dominating KTM as well as the pair of consistent and pacey factory-entered Toyotas. The rotary cars were very well placed to capitalise when the treacherous streets of Bangsaen had the last word on the Teams’ title race and turned the formbook upside down with the KTM and Toyota cars suffering points costly DNFs.

When the dust settled ‘PTT Yokohama KS The Pizza Company’ emerged from the two races with 53 points compared to Vattana’s 20 points and Toyota’s 18 points. It turned the top three going into the week at the seaside on its head. In the final standings ‘PTT Yokohama KS The Pizza Company’ rest on 134 points compared to 126 points for Vattana Motorsport and 125 points for Toyota Team Thailand. Meanwhile fourth place went to B-Quik Racing (84 points) with the top five rounded out by Singha Cosmo TT Motorsport on 64 points.

Bangsaen Grand Prix: TA2

The ‘TransAm 2’ (‘TA2’) Ford Mustang made its debut in Bangsaen, the striking metallic blue wrapped racecar being seen for the first time in Thailand ahead of the arrival of a new ‘one make’ race series due to join TSS next year that will be exclusively reserved for these 6.2-litre V8 engine spaceframe machines.

To stretch its legs and show exactly what it was capable of the Mustang hooked up with the GT3/GTC race, running in its own class, and it took the green lights at the head of the GTC grid. It looked very much at home and quite capable around the tightest and most twisty sections of the street circuit, so that was the first job ticked off the list. ‘TA2 Thailand’ brought in TransAm professional driver Shane Lewis to handle the machine and he got down to a 1:43 best lap.

The experienced American driver certainly enjoyed his week in Bangsaen, punching out the laps in the raucous Mustang and mixing it up in with field of GTC cars. “Incredible, I started from the pole and led every single lap,” he said after the end of the second race.

“The Safety Car came out mid race and I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen from that point and when I saw the overall leaders in front of me I thought let’s make a run at the overall win, although we finished third [on the track] in the end,” Shane continued. “What an amazing place and what an amazing end to the week here in Thailand.”

That appearance in Bangsaen kicks off a year of appearances for the Mustang and its next date will be when it joins the opening round of the 2017 TSS season which gets underway at the start of next month. In Buriram the car will be demonstrated by Craig Baird an experienced former Porsche Carrera Cup and Australian V8 Supercars driver who also has extensive knowledge of racing GT3 cars.

The New Zealand driver has previously been seen before in the TSS paddock, first driving in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia when the one make series hooked up with our programme two years ago and later when he assisted Kiwi Racing Team in setting up its Holden Commodore and coaching driver Craig Corliss.

In 2017, Dicken will race the ANSA Motorsports Strategic Wealth Designers Ligier P3 in the LM P3 class. He will be on the grid of rounds 1 and 2 of the 2017 IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda series next week at Sebring International Raceway during the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida race event.

“I am very excited to return to the IMSA series and especially this IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda, where my team and myself, as a driver, have won races and championships in the past,” said Alain Nadal, ANSA Motorsports team owner. “We have worked on this program since the announcement of the new, revamped series in anticipation of the new LM P3 prototype class. We have tested since November to get acquainted with the P3 cars, and I think we now have the equipment to help our driver, Matt Dicken, reach his personal goal with the LM P3 program and his racing career. It is going to be a long season, but I am sure that ANSA Motorsports will have a strong program and will be a true contender all the way to Petit Le Mans weekend in October.”

Announced as the ANSA Motorsports LM P3 driver for 2017, Dicken is also very happy to be testing this week and racing next week at Sebring in a brand new P3 race car.

“We are really looking forward to our first official test with IMSA in Sebring this week, and it will be the first time I get to drive ANSA Motorsports’ new Ligier JS P3 that we will be running this season,” Dicken said. “Based upon the car counts, LMP3 looks to gaining popularity here in the U.S. very quickly! I am sure that, for the first couple of race weekends, a lot of the drivers and teams will be feeling each other and their new cars out. Our goal is to get good results right away, so it will help us in the championship. Racing at Sebring is always exciting for me; I have had several race wins at Sebring in the past. In fact it is where I attended the Skip Barber Racing School, so I could get my first racing license.”

The LM P3 cars with Dicken will be on track at Sebring for four sessions: Thursday at 9 a.m. and at 1 p.m. ET and on Thursday at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET.

China Equity Racing is fully-owned by the China Equity Group, a prominent private equity and venture capital investment firm that invested in Aston Martin and received authorisation from Aston Martin Racing to run its operations in China.  In addition, China Equity Racing will also be supported by strategic partner Global Wings, ensuring it will make a name for itself in Chinese motor racing.

Global Wings provides premium services in business aircraft sharing and charter.  It leverages unique resources and a team of experts who have varied backgrounds and contacts in aircraft sales, ground handling, media and communications, and staffing.  Global Wings commands over 4,600 business jets each year; it has completed trips to over 300 cities and serviced over one hundred thousand passengers globally, effectively saving clients a valuable 3.5 million hours of travel time. To date, Global Wings has received international recognition and is regarded as Asia’s top business aircraft service group.

“China GT Championship is China’s top circuit racing championship and racing at a top level is what Aston Martin Racing is renowned for” China Equity Racing’s Operations Director said. “Our partnership with China GT is a match made in heaven and is sure to inject more on-track excitement.  As a newcomer to the GT4 class, our goal this year is to explore the sport and learn best practices from other competitors, whilst aiming for the podiums along the way.”

Aston Martin Racing claimed last year’s FIA WEC championship in GTE Pro class.  Powered by the successful British manufacturer, China Equity Racing will have the opportunity to take the fight to the established teams and is on-course to make a strong showing in 2017.

Born on March 7, 1947 in Regensburg, Röhrl has had a strong bond with his favour-ite brand Porsche for his entire life. The first car he owned was a Porsche 356 B Coupé with 75 hp. He bought the car without an engine, saving every penny he could. Even as a factory driver with Ford, Opel, Fiat, Lancia and Audi, Röhrl cultivat-ed his relationship with Porsche, including through rally drives in his own 911. Por-sche secured the services of Röhrl – already a two-time World Endurance Champi-onship winner – as a factory driver in 1981. Röhrl initially started in the German Ral-ly Championship and drove a 911 at Rallye San Remo in the World Rally Champi-onship.

Walter Röhrl is one of only a few drivers in motorsport history to have won world championship races in both rally driving and motor racing. He also triumphed in eve-ry class and series – be it TransAm, IMSA, hillclimbing (Pikes Peak) or the German Touring Car Championship.

With his driving skill and his ability to explain handling in a simple and precise way, Walter Röhrl continues to influence the tuning and technology of Porsche road-going sportscars to this day. Nobody embodies the Porsche philosophy of intelligent performance like Röhrl. The developments of the Porsche 959, Porsche Carrera GT and Porsche 918 Spyder super sportscars also bear his mark.

Alongside a 365 B 1600 Coupé, the special exhibition in the Porsche Museum also features the Carrera GTS Rallye “Monnet”, the 911 SC Coupé San Remo and the 924 GTP Le Mans from 1981, plus a 911 Carrera 2 Cup racing car and the legendary Carrera GT. Röhrl’s rally career is also showcased by an item on loan from the Audi Museum: Röhrl has said that the Audi S1 Group B was “the most brutal machine of my rally career”.

As ever the growling beasts of Super Car GTM headlined Thailand Super Series’ (TSS) beachside racing extravaganza and it didn’t disappoint one bit as all three races provided non-stop bumper-to-bumper racing, plenty of passing and lots of dramas, thrills and spills right from when the lights turned green to when the chequered flags waved.

At the front it was all about one man – Darryl O’Young. He came into this year’s event with five poles and five wins from the last five races here (two in 2014 and three in 2015) to his name with the aim to racking that tally up to eight poles and eight wins and extend his record run. No easy task as for the third year in a row he was driving a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, a now veteran racecar that no longer squeezes its way onto the Super Car GTM overall podiums; in fact no PRO-AM class drivers choose the ‘997’ anymore in their quests for glory. This particular car was also scheduled to be retired by B-Quik Racing after Bangsaen after one final outing.

In qualifying Darryl cleaned up to start the weekend with the record of eight pole positions already locked down. And then from a hot and dry Friday afternoon through to an equally hot and dry Sunday afternoon, Darryl quite simply hogged the top step of the podium in all three races to make it eight wins in a row, a record that has never been seen before in the decade long history of the event.

Darryl did have a little luck in the first race after an incident unsighted race leading Saran Sereethoranakul in the Lamborghini Huracán LP-620 Super Trofeo who had burst into the lead at the start after the polesitter was caught out at the green lights but the Hong Kong driver was able to capitalise on that mid race drama to retake a lead he wouldn’t relinquish. During final two races though he controlled the pace from the front to make it three out of three.

Not only all that, but with the removal of the temporary chicane for this year along with further track widening and remodelling work, the Bangsaen Street Circuit got even quicker and Darryl posted a new record in qualifying – a staggering lap in 1:36.867 – to become the fastest man to ever go around Bangsaen.

Sarun’s second place in the first race – and the maximum championship points it brought with it – put the 2016 Super Car GTM Drivers’ title to bed and the Lamborghini driver emerged on Friday evening as a richly deserved champion having not put a foot wrong all season. Another Thai racing titan has been confirmed and certainly expect his career to continue on an upward trajectory – he will start as the favourite for the 2017 championship.

Meanwhile Paul Kanjanapas claimed the inaugural Super Car GTM Amateur (AM) class title after three polished races where he careful managed his points advantage coming into the weekend, applied the pressure and tussled with his teammate Naputt Assakul through the trio of races, the latter being rewarded by bagging the runners up spot. Meanwhile Thamrong Mahadumrongkul won all three AM races and not just that feat, he mixed it in with the PRO-AM runners, a superb performance from the Ferrari driver who had a great weekend.

 Super Car GTM Race 1 Friday (Race 7 of the year)

The first race of the weekend kicked off into the fading light of Friday afternoon with the car’s lights dazzling in the lengthening shadows. Darryl O’Young came into the event with his perfect score of five wins and five poles out of five. On Thursday he got the P1 part of the job done to make it eight in a row, but the races would prove a much tougher prospect as he attempted to keep his run going, especially with two of the sensational Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeos on the grid here. And they looked really at home with the white #55 Huracán of championship leader Sarun Sereethoranakul lining up next to Darryl’s Porsche while the debuting #78 Huracán of Suttiluck Buncharoen was right behind in Row 2. Splitting the two Raging Bull machines was the Ferrari 458 Challenge of Voravud Bhirombhakdi.

Fears that the Lamborghini’s power would prove the deal breaker when the lights went green proved to be well founded as Sarun used the powerful V10’s grunt surge ahead into first place while Darryl was caught napping by the early green light as the snarling pack hard braked for Turn 2. Up into the mountain section for the first time it was Sarun, Darryl and Suttiluck follow by the other Singha Motorsport Team Thailand Ferrari of Kantasak Kusiri, the Porsche 991 GT3 Cup of Pitsanu Sirimongkolkasem, then Voravud, the B-Quik Audi R8 LMS Cup of Daniel Bilski and the A Motorsport Porsche 991 GT3 Cup of Aekarat Discharoen, the factory Toyota 86 of Nattavude Charoensukhawatana and the debuting Porsche 991 GT3 Cup of Tanart Sathienthirakul.

Over the course of the opening laps Sarun looked very comfortable up front, he quickly pulled out a couple of seconds advantage before Darryl started to come back into the picture, first stabilising the deficit and then starting to chip away. But the white Huracán looked to be in control at the head of the pack and it started to look as if it was going to be six wins from eight races this year for Sarun and he also chased the final championship he points required to put the title beyond mathematics.

Darryl was in fact locked in a Lamborghini sandwich as Suttiluck was looking sharp and pacey on his debut in the brand new black Huracán, having moved up to P3 and was now managing the position. Early battles included Pitsanu locked into the middle of a Ferrari sandwich as fourth to sixth dropped back off the leading group and Kantasak tried to find a way past the gold #90 Porsche in front while a little further back Aekarat snapped at Daniel’s heels.

The AM class was providing some real action too; while Thamrong Mahadumrongkul was leading, had mixed himself up in the tail end of the PRO-AM running order and was fending off the attentions of the Nattapong Horthongkum (Toyota 86) and Craig Corliss (Holden Commodore), the fight for second place in AM was ferocious as four Porsche runners got stuck into each other right from the green lights. Nattapong and Craig would take their battle past Thamrong after six laps, Daniel would eventually break free of Aerakat’s attentions and bridge the gap to Kantasak, while the rest of the race started to settle down.

With 13 laps to go Henk J. Kiks in the #26 Audi suffered a puncture coming out of the roundabout section and had to trundle back to the pits where he would retire as the tyre’s innards had wrapped themselves tightly around the drivetrain.

Then, just as the race approached half distance everything sensationally changed at the front. On the ninth lap Sarun came across the stranded Porsche 997 of Pinet Piyaoui that had spun and was sitting in the middle of the track leaking fluids. With double yellows waving the Lamborghini driver had no choice but to slow rapidly as he came round the turn and across the stricken car, while Darryl behind saw room and gunned the #14 Porsche round the inside and powered into the lead. Suttiluck held the line, went to the outside and squeezed himself between the barriers and the white Porsche, clipping the rear corner as he went past, but he was through and into second place. The rest of the pace slowed to a standstill as Sarun from his tight angle slowly manoeuvred the Lamborghini around the outside of the stricken Porsche.

As the cars edged their way past the incident the Safety Car was deployed. The spread out pack formed up behind the Safety Car which then halted the cars in the approach to the S2 Bangsaen Hotel Hairpin as there wasn’t room for the cars to pass. The order was Darryl, Suttiluck, Sarun, Voravud, Pitsanu, Kantasak, Daniel, Nattavude and the rest. It was almost five minutes before the cars moved off again, although the race immediately lost one more runner as Nattavude cut straight into the pits with an overheating car and retired.

After trundling along behind the Safety Car for a couple more laps the race resumed with five laps remaining and Darryl was able to lead the pack away cleanly while behind him Suttiluck had to look in his mirrors to fend off Sarun. The Hong Kong driver was clean away this time and able to maintain a comfortable lead to the line, taking the chequered flag with just under two seconds in hand.

“It was great to get the win,” Darryl said afterwards. “I was pushed very hard at the start and Sarun passed me. Early on I couldn’t stay with him as my tyres weren’t up yet but after my tyres got going I started to reel him in maybe half a second or a few tenths a lap. Then all of a sudden there were yellow flags and an incident and at the last second I saw Sarun was stopped and I saw a gap and went for it and got through the gap safely and that put me back in the lead.

“From there the second half of the race all changed, the car felt great, the tyres were running really well and I was able to control the race, control the pace to the chequered flag,” the winner continued. “So a big thanks to B-Quik again for giving me such a great car and getting six wins in a row and we will try to go for seven in a row tomorrow.”

Sarun pressurised Suttiluck over the final laps crossing the line with just six tenths separating the two Lamborghinis, but the former would then be slapped with a 60 second penalty for his passing of Pinet’s Porsche mid race and would drop down to last place.

Sarun moved up to second place and the maximum points he scored, his six maximum points haul from eight races this season, gave him the final handful he required to finally put the mathematics to bed and seal the Drivers’ title. “I’m very happy because since last year we work very hard and try to give everything,” he said afterwards. “The new car, the Huracán Super Trofeo has worked very well and we won the championship and I’m really happy.”

It was a richly deserved title; Sarun has really developed step by step as a circuit racing driver since his switch from drifting three years ago and he has built up an excellent team behind him, led by Team Manager Somboon Kittitanagorn, that turns out a car that’s bang on the pace, reliable and ‘ready to race’. After two years learning his trade the final piece in the jigsaw arrived at the start of the season with the acquisition of a Lamborghini Huracán LP620-2 Super Trofeo. The combination has been explosive and no one else has had a look in at the title. As the sun set on Friday night over the gently lapping waters of the Gulf of Thailand that combination had bagged six maximum points scored from the eight races so far – and despite two more races to come over the next couple of days – the title was home and dry.

Half a second adrift of Sarun’s Lamborghini came the Ferrari 458 Challenge of Voravud Bhirombhakdi, to claim third place. It was a superb drive from the 2014 Super Car GTM Champion who always goes very well at Bangsaen; he got the job done in qualifying, and got it done again in the race – along the way he also beat his high rated young teammate Kantasak Kusiri, who would finish sixth.

Fourth place went to Daniel Bilski, the Australian driving an excellent race on his first ever visit to Bangsaen and he was the big player over the final five lap sprint to the chequered flag after the restart as he first battled his way past Kantasak to move into fifth and then picked off Pitsanu to climb up to fourth, making light of his inexperience on these unique and technical streets.

The podium was completed by Pitsanu who had an excellent race, one of his best drives to date in the #90 Porsche 991 GT3 Cup, which he is wrapping up his second season driving.

Behind the second Singha Motorsport Team Thailand of Kantasak, came two more 991s, the #11 of Aekarat Discharoen in seventh and the debuting #15 example of Tanart Sathienthirakul, the young Thai driver, better known for racing single seaters abroad, making his TSS debut and putting in a neat and tidy afternoon’s work as he gets used to the characteristics of the rear engine Porsche. Nattapong Horthongkum in the sole surviving factory Toyota 86 (his teammate Nattavude Charoensukhawatana had dropped out on lap 12) and Craig Corliss in the Holden, wrapped up the top ten.

Then came the AM runners with Thamrong Mahadumrongkul nabbing the win in his Ferrari 458 Challenge, but behind them there was a race long scrap going on as once again the Painkiller Racing duo, Paul Kanjanapas and Naputt Assakul, traded places – and championship points – as the title is to be decided between them. Paul came into the weekend with an advantage he had to manage and he got the job done in qualifying and in the first race it was the same story. He worked hard and when the chequered flag came out he had added to his points tally. Aside from Nattavude, Henk and Pinet, the other retirement was Saravut Sereethoranakul who wasn’t classified.

Super Car GTM Race 2 Saturday (Race 9 of the year)

Saturday’s middle race of the weekend saw Darryl on pole again with Sarun alongside, a replay of the previous day. This time Suttiluck was third with Voravud next to him before Kantasak and Daniel locked out the third row. Then came Nattavude, Aekarat, Pitsanu and Nattapong.

There were to be no issues at the green lights for Darryl at the front as the pack surged away. Suttiluck took a hard look at Sarun into Turn 2 but the white Lamborghini had the place covered while Nattavude passed Daniel to claim sixth place as the factory Toyota showed much better pace than the day before and Tanart also got a great start to move up to eighth and close up on Daniel over the opening lap. Further back Thamrong led out the AM class and was mixing it up into the PRO-AM runners while the ‘gentlemen’ were already scrapping away.

Over the first half of the race the order stayed static as Darryl pulled away with the two Lamborghinis chasing him down while the two Ferraris stood station behind them. Nattavude was enjoying a strong race until he suffered transmission problems and the Toyota driver peeled off for a lengthy pitstop mid race while Tanart was trying to get past Daniel to no avail, on lap 10 he finally did though and Aekarat closed up on the black and yellow Audi as Tanat, now released, started to pull away. On the same lap Craig in the big green Holden had a spin at Turn 8 but kept it out of the barriers and recovered the car although it cost him places. Nattavude, who had re-joined, then slowed up and retired on the eleventh lap with a broken final drive.

With five laps to go the top end running order got a real shakeup, firstly after Voravud spun coming out of the S2 Bangsaen Hotel hairpin swinging across the track to whack the outside barriers with both ends of the revolving Ferrari. Following in his wake, Kantasak had to slam on the brakes hard to avoid hitting his teammate and while he was caught up behind the #89 car Tanart was able to close the gap down and get alongside as the #34 Ferrari got back on the power down the main straight. However, Kantasak was able to keep Tanart behind him as the pair surged into Turn 2 and the danger was averted.

Further up the track even more drama was playing out as the Lamborghinis made contact as Suttiluck clunked Sarun. The white Huracán picked up a left hand rear puncture and he trundled off the track and behind the overlaps at Turn 6; it was race over, while the black Huracán was now sporting right hand front bodywork damage that didn’t seem to slow progress.

 There was time for one last bit of drama as into the closing laps Aekarat was pressurising Tanat hard for fourth place, the A Motorsport driver enjoying a spot of drifting through the S2 Bangsaen Hotel hairpin as his tyres struggled to keep up the pace. It would be to no avail as on the penultimate lap he slowed up out of Turn 2, parked up on the inside and his race was over with no reward after a hard charging afternoon.

At the front Darryl had matters well under control and he reeled off fast laps to give himself enough of an advantage even when he lost a second or so after running too deep at Turn 8 during the closing laps. Again the tyres played well for the 2015 GT Asia Series winner and he had 2.677 seconds in hand when the chequered flag waved after 31 minutes and 36 seconds of racing on another hot and dry afternoon at the seaside.

“I’m really happy with the race today, it went much smoother than yesterday,” Darryl said afterwards. “Obviously it was tough as the two Lamborghinis and Voravud in the Ferrari were really strong and applied a lot of pressure. The car ran really well, the Porsche is holding strong here, so hopefully we can get another result here tomorrow.” Indeed, the tally was now seven wins in a row with one remaining opportunity in just twenty-four hours’ time to make it eight on the trot.

Suttiluck clinched the runners up spot, an excellent result on his debut weekend in the car and demonstrating that this will be a car-driver combination that’s going to be one to really look out for next season in terms of bagging big hauls of championship points.

Third place went to Kantasak, this time the young driver was the first of the two Singha Motorsport Team Thailand entries home and the outgoing Super Car GTM champion also had the satisfaction of posting the fastest lap of the race in 1:38.259. Kantasak was also just 4.840 seconds off the race winner as the Ferraris continued to hang onto the heels of the two Lamborghinis.

A further eight seconds down the road came Tanat who was claimed his first ever TSS podium after a neat and tidy drive; he was able to capitalise on late race dramas to move into the rostrum positions.

Just under six seconds further back Pitsanu drove a very good race to claim the final podium position, adding to a similar finish the day before to keep the momentum of his productive weekend going nicely.

Sixth place went to Henk in the sole surviving B-Quik Audi as teammate Daniel had dropped out at mid distance. The Dutchman had another good race as he battled up the middle order and picked off positions.

Seventh went to Nattapong in the only Toyota running at the end as his teammate Nattavude had also retired at mid distance. The Toyotas had struggled all weekend but were showing better pace than the first race and Nattapong kept in the points positions, important as they looked to see off any late threats to third place in the Teams’ championship.

Eighth place went to Voravud who recovered after his late race incident and reached the line with a dislodged rear bumper to keep the #89 Ferrari in the points – vital for his ambitions to grab third place in the final championship classification.

Next up was the AM class battle which was as furious as ever; Thamrong was having an excellent weekend as he took his second win in twenty four hours and in fact it was an excellent afternoon as just an hour earlier he had fought his way through the pack to finish as runner up in Super 2000.

Second and third in AM went to the two squabbling Painkiller Racing Porsches of Naputt and Paul. The title chasing roles were reversed from the previous day as the pair continued to take the AM class title round down to the wire – the final race would decide the recipient of the inaugural crown. Paul was taking it slightly conservatively as he managed his advantage at the top of the classification, the gap overnight between the two was 16 points – the championship leader would just need to be classified tomorrow to wrap up the title, but absolutely anything can happen in Bangsaen. It still didn’t stop some good fights and position changes on the track.

The top three in AM were covered by less than five seconds as the new class continued to provide non-stop action and a real stepping stone for amateur drivers to get a foothold in Super Car GTM.

Then came Craig in the Holden who was having a quiet weekend; he was the first lapped runner. The final two cars home were the Porsche 997s of Pinet and Saravut. The former was recording his first finish on his return to GTM after spending most of the season on the sidelines, a trip to the podium for fourth in AM was a good reward, while Saravut locked down the final step in AM.

Super Car GTM Race 3 Sunday (Race 10 of the year)

For the final race it was – who else – Darryl who lined the black and yellow #14 Porsche up on pole position, his eighth consecutive P1 at Bangsaen. That part of the task he had already locked down during Thursday afternoon’s qualifying session, now he had 19 more laps of the 3.7 km circuit in which to turn his seven wins on the trot into eight and perform a clean sweep for the weekend. However he would start the last race on old tyres which would leave him at a disadvantage.

As usual his rivals weren’t going to make it easy and this time Voravud lined up next to him on the front row with Sarun and Kantasak locking out Row 2. Then it was Aekarat and Daniel on Row 3, Suttiluck and Tanart on Row 4, before Henk and Nattavude wrapped out the top ten on the grid. There was one nonstarter as the gold Porsche of Pitsanu was withdrawn.

There was a clean getaway at the green lights and Darryl led Voravud into Turn 2 and up the hill with Sarun, Kantasak, Aekarat, Daniel and Suttiluck tucked in right behind. The was a bit of door rubbing between the latter two as they went over the peak but everyone streamed through the mountain hairpin safely.

Over the early laps Voravud and Sarun kept the pressure firmly on Darryl while further back in the battle for eighth place Henk was having to fend off Nattavude and Tanat, the latter recovering after poor start.

However, the race would see its first big drama at one third distance as Suttiluck’s Lamborghini spun around and whacked the barriers coming down the mountain into Turn 5. Everyone went to the outside, however Tanart avoiding the Toyota locking up in front, also had to lock up and with no ABS on the 991 GT Cup he went wide and made contact with the barriers. Suttiluck made it back to the pits but with front and rear damage he wasn’t going any further in the race.

The Safety Car was called out and with ten laps remaining the race resumed, Voravud pushing Darryl hard at the restart and up to Turn 2 but the Porsche driver had it covered. The race resumed the pattern of the first half as Darryl, Voravud, Sarun and Kantasak tightly held the top four positions and with Aekarat and Daniel hanging onto them the top six was covered by just a few seconds – a superb demonstration of the equality of performance in Super Car GTM and a real treat for the fans who had swarmed into the grandstands all day.

A lap later Nattavude pitted with a broken steering rack on the #39 Toyota to retire and cap off an unrewarding weekend for one of our most decorated racing drivers.

Behind the top six Henk was charging hard and having cleared the other cars he was reeling in his teammate and with three laps left on the clock he had that gap down to a couple of seconds.

With two laps to go Darryl was backing the pack up and the top six was now almost nose to tail – something had to give with just under 8 kilometres of racing distance left! Through the roundabout section where the Porsche had always looked strong Darryl surged away, pulling out a second as the cars headed into the final lap.

There was to be just enough time for one final drama as Daniel clunked Aekarat and they both spun but recovered although they lost places. Henk however was hovering right behind them and needed no second invitation as he steamed through to grab the final podium slot.

Darryl led them across the line after 19 laps with the rest of the podium being made up of Voravud, Sarun, Kantasak and Henk. The winner was delighted – three wins out of three and eight wins in a row in Bangsaen, that was the target before the weekend and he got the job done. “It went really well today,” Darryl said afterwards. “The team prepared a great car. At the start I was able to get a good jump and keep the lead but Voravud and Sarun were driving really well and giving me lots of pressure and pushed me the whole race. I had to be really precise and not make any mistakes and then I had just opened up a four or five car length lead and the Safety Car came out and that kind of closed it all up again.

“In the last half of the race I struggled quite a lot with my tyres and brakes, they were old tyres and I think the guys behind had new tyres so they were able to be aggressive and push me a lot so I started making a few mistakes here and there as I was driving on the limit of the car but I managed to hold them off and take the win so I’m pretty happy,” Darryl continued. “So thanks to everyone at B-Quik and thanks to everyone in Thailand for making such a great race and I’m really pleased to make it eight wins in a row as a team we never thought we could do it but now to have eight wins is pretty awesome.” Pretty awesome indeed.

After a strong race and looking to be on course for the podium Aekarat in the end had to be content with sixth place while Nattapong and Craig were next up. In ninth place Thamrong led the Am class home to make it three wins for the weekend, but he had just 1.3 seconds over Naputt who proved a real revelation this weekend, setting PBs all along the way. Third in AM went to Paul, who managed the championship points situation to end the race with a 13-ppoint cushion in the title race over his teammate.

For Paul it was something of a defensive weekend as he focused on managing his points advantage and avoiding a DNF that would have seen his title slip away; he got the job done perfectly over the three races – as he has all year – and becomes the well-deserved first ever Super Car GTM AM champion having really raised his driving game this season. Saravut and Pinet claimed the final two positions on the AM podium, the latter requiring the A Motorsport mechanics’ to swiftly repair his car following the damage collected during Saturday’s race.

Super Car GTM: Final championship standings

In the final Super Car GTM PRO-AM Drivers’ championship standings Saran emerges clear at the top with 162 points, a massive 53 points clear of the 2015 GTM champion Kantasak Kusiri (109 points). Making it a Ferrari 2-3 in the Drivers’ classification is Voravud, the 2014 GTM champion, who finished on 87 points after a very strong weekend which included maximum points in the final race. Fourth goes to Daniel (82 points), the Australian having a mixed time in Bangsaen on his first ever visit here, then comes the double winner during the second visit to Buriram, Nattapong (80 points), Aekarat (61 points), Henk (56 points) and Nattavude (39 points), the Toyota driver finishing a very tough year with five consecutive DNFs. The top ten in the final PRO-AM classification is completed by Craig (37 points) and Pitsanu (33 points), the latter having missed three rounds this season.

In the AM Drivers’ final standings, it is Paul (146 points) who emerges on top after keeping his Painkiller Racing teammate Naputt Assakul (133 points) firmly at bay all season long. Third place goes to Super Car rookie Saravut (95 points) while in fourth and fifth positions come Thamrong (92 points) and Pinet (38 points). Both these latter two drivers missed half the races this season but both also visited the top step of the podium, four wins for the former and one for the latter. In fact, all the top five drivers in AM won at least one race during the season demonstrating just how even and well matched the class has proved in only its first year – it’s a very strong addition to Super Car GTM and a great stepping stone to the PRO-AM class.

In the Teams’ championship Singha Motorsport Team Thailand continued its grip on the trophy by collecting 196 points, putting the Ferrari squad clear of Racing Spirit PSC Motorsport with 170 points. Then comes Toyota Team Thailand (119 points), B-Quik Racing (78 points), A Motorsport Racing Team (63 points), Yokohama Kiwi Racing Team (34 points), GFPT, H-Drive (33 points), True Visions Motorsport Thailand (30 points) and Painkiller Racing Thailand (22 points).

The new series for Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeos, which are also protagonists of the three main continental series Europe, Asia and North America, is thus coming to its end. This championship results are absolutely uncertain, with all the titles still up for grabs in the various classes.

With three wins in a row, the crew of the GDL Racing Middle East formed by the eighteen-year-old Dutchman, Rik Breukers, driver of the Lamborghini Young Driver Program, and Axcil Jefferies (twenty-two years old Zimbabwean, at his debut behind the wheel of a Huracán), will be aiming at winning the PRO title. Only one point behind them, however, there are the German Carrie Schreiner and the Australian Richard Goddard (FFF Racing Team by ACM), who scored two 3rd overall positions two weeks ago in Dubai.

The PRO-AM class leaders are Hendrik Still and Paul Scheuschner (Konrad Motorsport), with two victories in their class. Starring in the opening round in Abu Dhabi with a double class win, Costantino Bertuzzi and Nigel Farmer (X-One Racing Team) are however still fighting for the championship.

In the AM class, the new star is Andrew Haryanto, thanks to two second places overall and two class victories. Same number of podium finishes for Marco Antonelli and Davide Roda. The two Italian drivers of the team Antonelli Motorsport made a great debut at the Yas Marina Circuit (overall victory in Race 2), but in the following round at Dubai, they only managed to get a fourth place in the AM class.

Race 1 of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Middle East at Dubai Autodrome will start on Friday, March 3rd, at 15.00 local time (12:00 CET); Race 2 is scheduled on Saturday, March 4 at 12:30 p.m. (09:30 CET). Qualifying, divided into two 20-minute sessions, will take place on Friday.

Medias from China had come to the circuit to witness the press conference. Jimmy Lin had given a speech on his team’s joining and his past experience in motorsport. He had introduced the race content of FRD LMP3 Series and expressed his excitement racing in the China’s first ever Le Mans Prototype Series. He emphasized that this will be a new milestone for motorsport in China, while this will be a new challenge for Chinese young driver to develop their career path in becoming a professional driver.

After that, Jimmy revealed the LMP3 car he is going to use in the race with FRD founder Kenneth Ma in front of the crowd. He then showed the media around the car and explained his plan with the car in the upcoming season.

At the end of the press conference, Jimmy encouraged whoever interested in racing or sponsoring PTRS and FRD LMP3 Series might contact with FRD and the team via email or any social platform. He believed that this series will bring along potential business relationships and commercial opportunity.

The Vanderbijlpark duo endured a brilliant race of attrition to lead Stradale Racing teammates, Simon Murray and Gavin Cronje’s Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 home by two laps, with Durban crew Mike McLoughlin and Mark Owens putting their Backdraft Cobra onto the podium ahead of teammates Tony Martin, Duncan Day and Piet Bredenhann in a similar car to make it a 1-2-3-4 for GT cars.

Mike Verrier and Wayne Jardine fought back to fifth to redeem some glory for the troubled Fantastic Racing and take Sportscar honours, while Bradley Scorer, Theo van Vuuren and Darren Winterboer scored a brilliant sixth as they took saloon car honours in their brand new Arnold Chatz Alfa Romeo Giulietta.

The race had fans on the edges of their seats throughout the first hour as a three-car battle played out when Marcel Angel’s Viper overcame Johan Engelbrecht’s Juno to move into an early lead, but Gavin Cronje soon hustled his Lamborghini Gallardo ahead as the three tussled, soon catching the first lapped traffic.

Meanwhile a fourth car – Danish driver Michael Jensen’s cycle-fendered Formula Renault single seater scythed though the field from the back of the grid to make it a four-car tussle, before Jensen one by one picked the leaders off to move to the front, But not before Cronje made him work very hard for that honour. That left Jensen leading Cronje, Angel and Engelbrecht and the Shelby Nissans of Doug Macdonald and Mike Verrier.

The second hour saw 15-year old Bloemfontein kart sensation Stuart White take over the super-quick Formula Renault, but while the hare ran away at the front, it seemed to need fuel more often, letting Engelbrecht slip into the lead for a lap after White stopped a second time in an hour.

Cronje sat just 10 seconds behind Engelbrecht as a game of strategy came into play, but both suffered slow pitstops, while Craig Jarvis sat fourth in the Viper, a lap clear of Arangies’ Ferrari and Kevin Finneran’s Shelby-Nissan, while the tin-top battle continued to be fought out by the Alfa Romeos of Darren Winterboer and Bernard Vertenren and Trevor Bland and Jonathan Konig’s VW Golf GTis.

Then Cronje’s Lamborghini ran out of fuel and had to be towed to the pits while White drove away out front, a couple of laps clear of  Carruthers in the Juno, Angel and Arangies. Drama struck again as Mark Lauth pitted the dominant Formula Renault to rectify a gear selection glitch and allow the Adcock Juno into the lead from the Viper, the Ferrari and Simon Murray racing back into contention with the Lamborghini.

Fantastic Racing’s woes continued as its Shelby duo slipped down the field to allow Backdraft pair Duncan Day and Mark Owens into sixth and seventh, with the tin-top-leading Alfa Romeo Giulietta next up as the race seemed to have settled down again into the fifth hour.

Then the Juno retired from a three-lap lead after its gearbox cried enough to allow the Viper to move ahead, but it also coasted to a halt with a gearbox failure and the Renault stopped again, leaving Arangies leading Cronje, the Backdrafts and Verrier back up to fifth in the Shelby with Bradley Scorer’s Alfa Romeo Giulia a fine sixth.

The troubled Formula Renault was back up to speed and soon picked off the Alfa and the Backdrafts to run third with a half-hour to run, although it was soon back in the box for good, as an intriguing scenario played out between the five cars fighting for third as seventeen of the 30 starters drove to the finish.

Charl and birthday dad Harry Arangies Ferrari won overall, taking class Y and GT honours in the process, two laps clear of Murray and Cronje’s Stradale Lamborghini and the Backdrafts of McLoughlin and Owens; Martin and Day. Verier and Jardine were fifth and first sportscar home to win Class T ahead of the Scorer/Winterboer/van Vuuren Alfa, which won the saloon category and Class V.

Seventh went to another giant killer – second in Sportscars and Class R winners Gerald Wright, Peter Van Vuuren and Revel Crossland in the Ztorm Racing VSP 2000 ahead of the Doug MacDonald/Ken Finneran Fantastic Shelby-Nissan and George Smalberger, Trevor Bland and Heinz Bose’s Shield Volkswagen Golf GTI and Class S winners, Steve Pickering and Mike Altona in the venerable Classic Motorsport Porsche 910.

Fred, Jonathan and Stuart Konig’s VW Golf GTi took Class A Honours in eleventh from class rivals Mike Schmidt and Bruce Avern-Taplin’s Bateleur Toyota Corolla, Wayne Lotter and Steve Truter’s Sasolburg Autobody BMW M3 and Bryan Heine, Kelvin Reynolds and Hennie Crous in the HeineSport VSP 2000, while Alex and Andre Johnson (Executive Audi S4) Audi, Dewald Brummer and Bevan Williams (MAD Fuchs VW Golf 1 GTi) and Dean and Steve Venter and Graham Vos (Nash) struggled home to claim the final three places.

The Mopar six hours of the Goldfields proved to be a brilliant race of speed, intrigue and reliability and if that is how the season started, one can only look forward to the next six rounds.The second round of the Mopar South African Endurance Championship is the Cape Three Hour at Killarney on 8 April.

Yesterday’s long day of qualifying sessions threw up some surprises but not at the top of the tree in Super Car GTM as Darryl O’Young returned to Bangsaen with a perfect record of poles and wins – five out of the last five races, for both. Behind the wheel a Porsche 997 GT3 Cup just as the Thursday afternoon sun was fading away he immediately got stuck into the task of keeping that amazing run going by hammering out the fastest time during qualifying to line himself up on pole position for today’s opening Super Car GTM race of the weekend.

In the returning GT3 class, another TSS returnee, Tomáš Enge got back to work in the Camaro GT3 and the Czech former F1 driver claimed pole position for Vattana Motorsport. The team also bagged pole position in Super Car GTC thanks to Jack Lemvard’s efforts in the KTM X-Bow.

And that was just in Super Car. In TCR Thailand an almighty scrap for pole played out between four world class drivers which eventually settled in the favour of Honda Civic pilot Kantadhee Kusiri and the tussling for laptimes continued throughout the depth of the bumper programme: Super 2000, Super Pickup, Super Compact, Super Production and Super Eco as well as the qualifying runs for the more than 60 cars taking part in the RAAT Thailand Endurance Championship. Not to forget Toyota’s bustling one make series which has four categories on travk.

Today’s action kicks off bright and early at 0900 with the 6-hour RAAT Thailand Endurance Championship encounter before the late afternoon sees the first races of the weekend for Super Pickup, Super Eco and Super Car GTM being contested. Then, Saturday and Sunday will enjoy two days of ultra-intensive racing action right across all the categories on the TSS programme as well as competition from the four categories that comprise the popular Toyota Motorsport one make series. Stay tuned, it promises to be the best edition of the Bangsaen Grand Prix yet.

Qualifying: Super Car GTM

Darryl O’Young came into Bangsaen with a perfect record of poles and wins – five out of the last five races and yesterday afternoon just as the sun was fading away he successful got stuck into the task of keeping that run going by hammering out the fastest time in qualifying to line himself up on pole position for this afternoon’s opening Super Car GTM race of the weekend.

His best time was a 1:36.867 and no one else could get close although the top of the classification swapped hands furiously. The Hong Kong driver, back in TSS for the first time since Bangsaen 2015, left it late but banged in the times, once again driving B-Quik Racing’s Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. In fact he was the fastest man in Bangsaen yesterday.

“It was great, the team did a great job with the car, we worked through a lot of things in practice and it all came together in the end,” Darryl said afterwards. “So a big thanks to B-Quik for delivering such a great car to me and at the end of the session I was able to push really hard to get the laptimes down.”
 
When it shook up Darryl’s closest challenger was championship leader Sarun Sereethoranakul in the #55 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo. He has a double edged task this weekend, Sarun wants to wrap up a Drivers’ title that’s pretty much a formality and Darryl isn’t eligible to score championship points so he doesn’t have to finish ahead – but, just like everyone else on the entry lists, he really wants to win here. There is no better way to crown out a Thai racing season.

Leading out Row 2 will the Ferrari 458 Challenge of Voravud Bhirombhakdi, the former Super Car GTM champion also beating his highly rated teammate on his way to P3 on the timesheets. “To come out in front in the official last practice was a boost for me as it rarely happens and I was hoping to be in front for sure but I think third place is something I’m very happy with as O’Young is a professional and we know the Lamborghini is very fast and with a very good driver and being in front of my teammate [Kantasak] knowing he’s a very fast driver also cheers me up a little bit,” he said. “I took a big risk during qualifying and I hit the wall but it paid off.”

Voravud also cautions that tyres could prove an issue for the team this weekend. “The [Ferrari 458] Challenge has small tyres and after a few laps in the race we get a lot of understeer,” he explains.

Alongside him on the second row will be the black Lamborghini Huracán of Suttiluck Buncharoen who is having a strong debut in his brand new car – that also made it two Huracán Super Trofeo machines in the top four. Suttiluck’s new car, built to MY2017 specification, only arrived in Thailand a week and a half ago so he has a steep learning curve, but so far so good, that was an impressive afternoon’s work which include topping the qualifying timesheets at points.

Kantasak Kusiri set the fifth fastest time in the second Singha Motorsport Team Thailand Ferrari and the team’s race engineer Gianluca Soli was relatively satisfied with how the week has shaped up so far. “We started with the standard setup from last year as we were very strong here last year,” the Italian explained. “This year there is no chicane but the only adjustment we do is tyre pressure, we are happy with the car and the car looks competitive but Bangsaen always suits our car well.”

Sixth place went to Pitsanu Sirimongkolkasem in the first of the Porsche 991 GT3 Cup racecars on the entry list, in fact adding in the 997 version there are no less than eight of the German machines running in GTM making it numerically superior.

Row 7 will be led out this afternoon by Daniel Bilski in the quickest of the B-Quik Racing’s Audi R8 LMS Cup entries, his teammate Henk Kiks, who has been left playing catch up after the Dutchman missed most of Tuesday’s running with car issues, will start four places further back in eleventh place. Alongside Daniel is A Motorsport’s Aekarat Discharoen (Porsche 991 GT3 Cup). The top ten in qualifying was wrapped up by the fastest of the red and white factory Toyota 86s, the #39 of Nattavude Charoensukhawatana, and TSS debutant, 24 year old Tanart Sathienthirakul (Porsche 991 GT3 Cup).

Henk was next up in P11 just ahead of the second factory Toyota 86, the #38 of Nattapong Horthongkum, and then came the Holden Commodore V8 of Craig Corliss. Behind them the AM class was led out by Thamrong Mahadumrongkul (Ferrari 458 Challenge) followed by the two Painkiller Racing Porsches of Paul Kanjanapas and Naputt Assakul. It’s an inter team fight for the AM title and first blood went to Paul, who holds the points advantage and did a strong job during qualifying to plant himself ahead of his teammate. Completing the list of runners are two more Porsche 997s, the returning Pinet Piyaoui, back on track after his car was damaged during Buriram round earlier this year, with Saravut Sereethoranakul then wrapping up the GTM class.

Qualifying: Super Car GT3

The GT3 class is back on the programme here and also returning after a year away is Tomáš Enge and Vattana Motorsport’s big and brutal Camaro GT3, neither of which have been seen in TSS action since Bangsaen 2015. There wasn’t much rust to blow away either as the Czech former Formula 1 driver and Le Mans 24 Hours winner planted the rumbling V8 machine on pole with a best lap in 1:39.366.

That was just second ahead of Akihiro Asai, the Japanese driver also making his seasonal debut and stepping up to the GT3 class in Thailand for the first time. Akihiro was a quarter of a second off the pole winning Camaro, the former double Super Car champion is this week driving a Vattana-entered Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2.

Third quickest time went to the McLaren 650S GT3 of Chonsawat Asavahame. It’s the first time that a McLaren has ever raced in Bangsaen and the striking all-orange livered machine has drawn admiring glances all week. It also marks the seasonal debut of Chonsawat, the 2014 Super Car GT3 champion.

Qualifying: Super Car GTC

It was no surprise to see Vattana Motorsport’s brace of KTM X-Bow cars dominate qualifying and lock out the front row, Jack Lemvard’s 1:45.327 best lap gave him the edge over his teammate Narasak Ittritpong – but only just – the gap between the two was a mere 0.091 seconds. It’s the first time the KTM has visited Bangsaen and the ‘Batmobile’ continued its season long dominance of the GTC category. It doesn’t very much look like anyone else is going to get a look in at the front this weekend.

Third quickest went to the debuting Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport of Charvanin Bunditkitsada who impressed, despite only turning in three laps. That was enough though to post a 1:48.128 lap that will see him lead out the second row in the striking silver and orange wrapped car which is entered by the JWD Racing Team. He’s treating this as a test outing for his new standard-spec car which requires future development and unable to match the times of the two KTMs in front Charvanin kept his participation in the session short to save his tyres for the races.

Completing the second row was a best qualifying performance yet from B-Quik Racing’s Attapot Sriprom who coming to the end of his rookie year in GTC; he’s driving a Porsche 996 GT3 Cup as usual.

Row 3 sees the first of the trio of Mazda RX-7s, the #98 entry driven by U-tain Pongprapas; he however had a big bump in the mountain section after just three laps which decimated the rotary engine car’s front end but there was no structural damage and the team set about rebuilding it into the night.

Ian Geekie, the newest face on the driver roster at B-Quik Racing, has been enjoying getting back into the groove and up to speed on a circuit he’s raced on just once previously – and that was four years ago. It’s also something of a reunion for the tall Australian with Porsche’s 996 GT3 Cup as he’s had a lot of success with this particular model of racecar in the past. Anyway he’s going well and satisfied with progress. “It’s fabulous to be back, the atmosphere’s as good if not better than it ever was and the circuit’s got a big wider in places and a bit safer and it’s just an absolute blast to drive it again,” he said. He continued to work his times down to a 1:52 dead and that was good enough to put him on the third row.

Row 4, meanwhile, while comprise of the signature green Mazda RX-8 of Pete Thongchua and the first of the factory entered Toyota 86s, the #19 of Suttipong Smittacharch.

The Rotary Revolution mechanics have had a few busy evenings so far, not least with U-tain’s car last night. But also back on Tuesday Narin Yensuk clipped the barriers on the inside coming out of Turn 2, the backend of the pink Mazda RX-7 swinging outwards as he powered up the hill. The damage was mainly related to the bodywork but it meant he missed Wednesday’s running as a new left hand rear wing section was fitted. However, he was back in the fray for qualifying. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, James Runacres in the sister ‘yellow’ RX-7, who was tackling Bangsaen for the first time, had a suspension issue and clipped a barrier. However again the damage was relatively minor. James would go on to qualify ninth while Narin posted the eleventh fastest time.

In between the two brightly coloured Mazdas of James and Narin was the Mitsubishi Evo X of Prateep Tunprasert; he had to cut qualifying short after three laps due to an oil leak. The final car to post a time was the second factory Toyota 86, this time the #37 entry driven by Manat Kulapalanont.

Qualifying: TA2

The Ford Mustang TA2 has joined the combined GT3/GTC classes on track this weekend as a ‘guest’ on its debut in Thailand and is running somewhere in between them in terms of overall pace. The bright blue machine stands out wherever it is on track and looks highly impressive; it’s turned a lot of heads and that’s not just due to its rumbling 6.2 litre V8 engine.

During yesterday’s 30-minute qualifying session U.S. professional driver Shane Lewis, who is behind the wheel of the Mustang TA2 all week, worked his way down to a best lap of 1:44.218 as he finally opened the machine up and he’s set to fit in nicely on the GT3/GTC grid on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Shane was clearly enjoying the experience of both the car and track. “What an amazing facility here in Bangsaen, the people are incredibly gracious, the officials wonderful to work with,” he said. “A very challenging racetrack, but ‘wow’ it’s a lot of fun, I wish we had a bit more practice time so qualifying was really my first run at full speed.”

Qualifying: TCR Thailand

Put drivers of the caliber of Narasak Ittritpong, Jack Lemvard, Carlo Van Dam and Kantadhee Kusiri on the same track together in a straight down fight for pole position and you have a really explosive cocktail. Each of these drivers is a winner and each isn’t looking for second place.

When it shook out it was Kantadhee who claimed the top spot with a superb 1:43.373 best lap to plant the Billionaire Boy Racing Honda Civic TCR on pole position with an impressive seven-tenths of a second in hand over Narasak, who was the fastest of the two Vattana Motorsport entries. He also made it an all Honda front row. However, Narasak then hit the barriers with the rear of the Civic leaving the crew with plenty of work to do to get the car fixed for tomorrow afternoon’s first TCR Thailand race of the weekend.

Behind them on Row 2 are the remaining two contenders for the title, Jack, in the second Vattana entry, the #44 SEAT León TCR and Carlo in the similar machine of Singha Motorsport Team Thailand. Jack is three points ahead in the championship standings, 126 points to 123 points, so everything is there to play for. Jack however will be able to call on the help of his teammate Narasak as the points permutations start to play out on track over the weekend while Carlo will have to try to nail down the title on his own.

Row three will be an all Krating Daeng affair after Chen Jian Hong edged out his teammate Grant Supaphongs, the Taiwanese driver also bagged pole in the AM class. Then comes Nattachak Hanjitkasem (AM/Honda), Paritat Bulbon (PRO-AM/SEAT) and newcomer Douglas Khoo (AM/SEAT).

Douglas Khoo enjoying TCR Thailand debut

We have welcomed our first overseas team/driver combination to TCR Thailand in Bangsaen. Douglas Khoo and Viper Niza Racing already compete in TCR Asia Series and, as well as his Bangsaen Grand Prix debut this week, the Malaysian driver will also be joining us for the 2017 TCR Thailand season.

While Douglas doesn’t have a long racing career behind him yet, he’s familiar with the Guia Circuit in Macau and that’s set him up nicely for our street circuit; by all accounts he’s very quickly getting to grips with the track – and enjoying himself at the same time.

“It’s been a steep learning curve, like all street circuits,” Douglas said after qualifying, yesterday being his third day on track. “There’s very little room for error, so you have to give the circuit lots of respect. I’m steadily improving on lap times and still learning.”
 
As well as the track itself he’s also enjoying the whole Bangsaen ‘experience’. “The circuit is always compared to Macau but I think that it has its own charm and bite,” he adds. “The atmosphere around the paddock is certainly buzzing with so many series participating and with the added beauty of the beach just in front of the pits. I will certainly be back again.”

Qualifying: Super 2000

Munkong Sathienthirakul turned up looking very well prepared with his Honda Civic having undergone upgrades since the last round of TSS back in September and it duly proved that its pace matched its striking looks. The car, which now has a menacing composite front clip, already dubbed the ‘cockroach’, posted a 1:48.612 to claim pole position, 2.4 seconds clear of its closest rival.

That closest rival was the new 2016 Super 2000 champion Kittipol Pramoj Na Ayudhya who continued his fine season form to claim the outside spot on Row 1. This is his final outing in the Singha Motorsport Team Thailand Civic FD before he graduates to Super Car next year and he will be looking to wave goodbye in style. Kittipol started his winning spree in Super 2000 during the last edition of Bangsaen in late 2015 where he won both races and made people sit up and take notice. Last year he won three out of six races in the championship and hasn’t finished outside the top three ‘en route’ to a very comfortable Drivers’ title.

Two more Civics occupy the second row of the grid, Ekprawat Petcharak, in the unique ‘FB’ version, edged out the double winner of the last round Pattarapol Vongprai by just a tenth of a second. Then comes the first of the three factory Toyota entries, the #2 Altis of Pure Hongsapan leads out Row 3 with Chayut Yangpichit (Honda DC 5) alongside.

Seventh fastest time went to the factory entered Toyota 86 of Manat Kulapalanont with the Honda City of Phatwit Phayakcso the next car up. The top ten was completed by the second Singha Motorsport Team Thailand Civic FD of Thamrong Mahadumrongkul and the third factory Toyota, the #64 Altis of Thanakorn Buttawong which was also the fastest car in Class 2.

Qualifying: Super Pickup

When truck qualifying shook out it was an experienced hand Waris Onrayab who had locked down pole position, the Isuzu driver thumping in a two minute dead lap to claim pole position on a track he knows inside out. His 2:00.055 best lap put him quarter of a second up on Tanawat Suwannarat, the championship leader, who claimed the top spot in Class B as well as the outside position on the front row.

The second row will be led out by Songsak Kornsirisuepsakun in the quickest of the two new Toyota Revo entries after he posted the third fastest time. However, his teammate Jaras Jaengkamolkulchai will only start from the sixth row of the grid after a tough session, the reigning champion’s best time being a lap of 2:07.88.

Completing the second row of the grid is Yuth Jhannet who is second in the championship standings. In fact, just five points separate Yuth from Tanawat, who will start directly ahead on the front row. They each have three wins from the six races so far this season and the final fight for the title is between them so it’s all ready for a ‘winner takes all’ showdown.

The third row is the preserve of two young Class B hotshots, Phillip Massoud in the Krating Daeng Isuzu will start alongside the similar machine of Nuthaporn Namjuck (Donut D.N.A Exedy Racing) and both these drivers are capable of fireworks.

Qualifying: Super Compact

There are just five championship points coming into this weekend between the top two in Super Compact with the slender advantage going to Pasarit Phromsombat (Honda CRZ) ahead of Kajornsak Na Songkhla (Ford Fiesta). The pair have won every race so far this year and neither has finished outside the top two. It’s been a complete lockout and that state of affairs looks all set to continue.

In Thursday’s Official Free Practice Session there was an interloper in the shape of Mazda’s Michael Freeman who claimed the top spot (see separate story) but in qualifying he had a technical issue and it was back to business as usual as Pasarit and Kajornsak turned on the style, the former grabbing pole position by 0.728 seconds.

The title fight looks set to go to the wire and is an action replay of the Super Production championship climax two years ago here when this pair slugged it out all the way to the checkered flag in the final race. In fact, Pasarit is aiming for the record of making it three titles in three different categories in three consecutive years.

Michael leads out Row 2 in the first of the Mazdas while Silapa Teeraniti will line up alongside, the latter also collecting Class C pole position as a result of his efforts. The third row sees Siraphop Natirojanachaicham (Honda City) and young lady racer Tachapan Vijittranon in the second Mazda2; this pair also claiming the second and third fastest times in Class C.

Mazda flexes its muscles

It’s been a two year long road without much glory for Innovation Motorsport ever since it swapped from petrol to turbodiesel Mazda2 racecars to reflect the change in the OEM’s production bodyshape. In 2015 the cars ran in Super Production where they were really outclassed; however a switch to Super Compact for 2016 – where the cars can take advantage of the Balance of performance (BoP) focused regulations – means they have steadily become more competitive and they have racked up trophies and the lower steps of the podium all season.

That long road took team leader Michael Freeman all the way to the top of the timesheets during Wednesday’s Official Free Practice as he planted the factory supported Mazda2 sedan on P1. The Australian, who has also pushed hard at his fitness regime during the long break since the last round, was satisfied that they are making real progress with the cars.

So why were they able to climb to the peak of the timesheets with the pretty turbodiesel racecars for the first time? “I think it’s really simple,” he said. “We have a bunch of dedicated, hardworking guys supporting us and a driver who is very focused on winning the championship in 2017 so it’s really a test session to show we can actually do that. Our guys have worked very hard, a couple of weekend’s ago during the holidays I’m sure most people were having the weekend off but we worked every day, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, on the long weekend, to midnight every night to get the cars ready, it’s about dedication and focus.”

The team continues to make detail upgrades to the Mazdas. “We have fine-tuned the calibration of the ECU, a little bit more aero work, a little bit more on the suspension and the brakes,” Michael adds. “It’s about a couple of percent everywhere, no specific changes, plus a weight reduction in the car and driver. I was happy with P1 yesterday; okay it’s only Wednesday but it means a lot and the team lost Steve Knott, our engines builder, a few weeks ago so this weekend is also about doing something for Steve as well, so P1 was fitting yesterday.”

Qualifying: Super Production

Thomas Raldorf got the job done in Super Production, which kicked off a long and hot afternoon of qualifying immediately after the lunchbreak yesterday. The experienced Dane banged in a best lap of 1:57.584 in his Honda City which was an impressive half a second clear of the Honda Jazz of Hideharu Kuroki, the Japanese driver who is looking to wrap up the title this weekend – although the crown is little more than a formality such has been the dominance of his season. These two titans of Super Production on the front row should ensure that a thrilling opening race is in store.

But they are also going to have to look in the mirrors as the second row is led out by Anon Rodprasert (City) although he had a deficit of 1.8 seconds to the pole time. It means the TT Motorsport driver is going to have a lot of work to do come the race if he wants to challenge for the overall win – however he claims Class B pole and that will be his first target. Alongside him will be Dechathorn Phuakkarawut who put in a superb performance to claim Class C pole.

Row 3 will be led out by Nattanid Leewattanavalagul, the fastest of the ladies on the grid, and the reigning Class C champion. Alongside her will be another proven Super Production race winner, Yotsarun Sansuk. The next row sees young hotshot Kimk Karnasuta line up ahead of the experienced Sirisak Manthugumphol while the top ten is completed by Pong Trakulthong and Thanasit Bhunyatharanonth.

Qualifying: Super Eco

Best time during the Super Eco qualifying session, held late yesterday morning, was a 2:07.565 posted by Supong Khamtonwong (KTN Garage Racing), an impressive 2.216 seconds ahead of the next best runner, Paveen Dangsa-nga who edged his Krating Daeng teammate Konpichit Toyingcharoen off the front row by little over a tenth of a second, the two black, red and yellow Suzuki Swift drivers proving very evenly matched.

Naruchit Kiatmaneesri wrapped up the second row in the Team Donut Racing by Duce Auto Honda Brio to give the top end of the timesheets in Super Eco a very familiar feel.

At a short press conference on 7 March at 8am, Falken will outline its 2017 motorsport campaign including a new premium OEM race car and driver line up to compete in the upcoming Nürburgring 24 Hours, the most demanding endurance race in the world. Alongside its 2017 motorsport activities, Falken will reveal its most efficient tyre, the ECORUN A-A. Due on sale in selected European markets from later this year, Falken’s first ever A-A tyre makes extensive use of ADVANCED 4D NANO DESIGN, a pioneering materials development technology that was recently named “2017 Tire Technology of the Year”. Falken will announce at Geneva the first application of the tyre, which delivers exceptional and unprecedented performance to electric and hybrid vehicles in the three key areas of fuel efficiency, grip and wear resistance, securing the A-A rating.

“Our debut at Geneva marks another milestone in our challenging approach to the automotive tyre industry,” says Stephan Cimbal, Head of Marketing of Falken Tyre Europe. “Through innovation in communication and technology, Falken quickly became a trusted brand, which is consistently growing and taking on challenges for future mobility, for example the development of a tyre especially designed to meet the needs for electric and hybrid driving. With more OEM partners trusting our brand and product technology to improve their performance, efficiency and customer satisfaction, it is intrinsic that we are present at A-level events like Geneva.”

Visitors to the Falken booth will, in addition to the current passenger car product line up, also have a chance to experience the cutting-edge technologies that are increasingly synonymous with the brand that has grown significantly since starting European operations in 2009. These include NEO-T01, a novel production system developed to create lighter, “ultra-high precision” tyres as well as GYROBLADE, an airless tyre technology, that makes flat tyres a thing of the past by eliminating the need for inflation, and Silent Core, a simple and effective production-ready technology to dramatically improve refinement without costly and heavy sound-deadening materials.

Geneva International Motor Show

Date: Press Days, 7-8 March 2017 – General Admission, 9-19 March 2017
Venue: Palexpo
Booth Location: Hall 6, Booth 6328
Press Event: 08:00hrs Tuesday 7 March 2017 (local time)

Ginetta’s flagship championship, the Michelin Ginetta GT4 SuperCup, already has 19 full season entries confirmed with plenty more in late-stage discussions. Broadcast live on ITV4, it offers unrivalled exposure for drivers, teams and sponsors thanks to its place on the British Touring Car Championship support package.

As the most high profile series for aspiring teenage racing drivers, the Simpson Race Products Ginetta Junior Championship is the UK’s longest running junior championship and takes pride of place on the BTCC bill. A proven training ground for professional racing drivers, the grid already boasts 17 entries.

Benefiting from ‘the best of both worlds’ the Protyre Motorsport Ginetta GT5 Challenge never fails to attract strong numbers thanks to its appearances on both the BTCC and the British GT package. The GT5 family is one of the biggest of all and currently has 25 new and existing drivers ready to compete in 2017.

Now in its fourth year, the all-inclusive Ginetta Racing Drivers Club package is designed specifically for the first-time racing driver. Ginetta is delighted to have brought 18 brand new competitors into the sport for 2017, and with many of this year’s entrants having already passed their ARDS tests it’s looking set to be another ultra-competitive year.

The natural progression for drivers who have recently discarded their ‘novice’ plates, the Ginetta Racing Drivers Club Plus is a popular choice amongst graduates from our year one GRDC series, although not exclusively. Entering its third year as part of the British GT support series, 24 drivers have already signed up across a mixture of full and part-season entries.

Ashley Gallagher, Ginetta Championships Manager; “We have the formula just right for all levels of driver grading and experience. We are delighted, once again, to exceed 100 drivers in our championships alone thanks to our unique proposition of being able to take a driver from their very first race all the way to the Le Mans 24 Hour.”

Matchless in their ability to offer a route from entry level motorsport all the way to prototypes and LMP1, the Yorkshire-based manufacturer is continuing to celebrate the successes of its motorsport ladder. All part of the Ginetta family, the interplay between technical excellence, competitive single-make Championships and experienced personnel give drivers the support they need to achieve glory.

The teams have been busy setting up yesterday – and today all the classes will be in action. Starting from the frugal little racecars of Super Eco, and climbing through Super Production, Super Compact, Super Pickup, Super 2000 and TCR Thailand before the headlining Super Car classes, GTC and GTM take to the track, joined by the return of GT3.

Also on track for the first time will be the dozens of racecars set to take part in Friday’s 6-hour endurance race while the three categories in the bustling ‘Toyota Motorsport’ One Make programme will begin their own practice sessions tomorrow.

It’s all systems go for the 10th Anniversary edition of the Bangsaen Thailand Speed Festival – stay tuned for the biggest, most glamorous and exciting event in national motorsport.

Cars homologated to the FIA’s GT3 regulations occupy the pinnacle of ‘GT’ sportscar racing across the globe; state-of-the-art, powerful and ultra-sophisticated machines from iconic automotive brands such as Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Acura.

When TSS was first born in 2013 we went straight into the deep end and launched the fearsome Super Car Class 1, which was reserved exclusively for FIA GT3 homologated cars. That season saw a titanic struggle play out as the top domestic drivers traded up. Thai circuit racing no 1 at that time, Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak, acquired a Porsche 997 GT3-R and he was the target for everyone to aim at. Then just 18 years old, Pasin Lathouras, who was at the start of a career that’s since taken him to the frontline of global sportscar racing, arrived, armed with a Ferrari 458 GT3; meanwhile another established Thai winner, Piti Bhirombhakdi, also plumped for the Porsche route. Add in the Lamborghini Gallardos of Chonsawat Asavahame, ‘Kiki’ Sak Nana and Indharasak Techaterasiri and you had an explosive mix.

These titans of national motorsport slugged it out for supremacy all year long but in the end the experience and wiliness of Vutthikorn gave him the first ever Thai GT3 crown.

The next year, 2014, saw Vattana Motorsport turn the tables on everyone else as Chonsawat snatched away the title. A sign of the growing strength of TSS was on display when this team called up former F1 driver and Le Mans 24 Hour winner Tomáš Enge to bolster its lineup and he would place his part superbly to make it a 1-2 finish in the Drivers’ championship. A year later the roles at Vattana Motorsport were reversed as the Czech superstar stamped his mark on the season to take the title, driving the monstrous Chevrolet Camaro GT3 to its first glory in Thailand.

After three pumped up year of GT3 racing TSS decided for 2016 to elevate the ever burgeoning GTM class to the pinnacle of Thai motorsport and the big GT3 beasts fell silent.

But not for too long. The season isn’t over quite yet, due to rescheduling it will complete this coming weekend with the fourth and final round, but GT3 is back, it’s set to return for an explosive encounter as no doubt it will grab the headlines at the Bangsaen Grand Prix.

This is the 10th Anniversary edition of the street racing extravaganza and the roar of the GT3 cars will be truly fitting for such a prestigious occasion. Expect to see the prestige brands – Lamborghini, Porsche and Chevrolet – that Thai fans have come to love and admire, all back in action, joined for the first time ever in a domestic race by McLaren.

The McLaren 650 GT3 will be entered by Vattana Motorsport for its Bangsaen debut and driven by team leader Chonsawat Asavahame, the experienced Thai driver set to drive the English sportscar for his first time. It’s yet another first for Thai racing and it’s sure to turn everyone’s heads as soon as it takes to the track.

Tomáš Enge has driven in Formula 1 and won the Le Mans 24 Hours while he’s also won our top title and he’s become a firm favourite with the Thai fans. Now he’s returned after a year away and is looking forward to being back on the streets of Bangsaen. Last time Tomáš was here he swept to a double win in the big black Camaro – now he’s aiming to repeat that feat. “It’s fantastic being back with Vattana Motorsport and with all the people working there as well as all the people in Thailand motorsport,” the Czech driver says. “I haven’t been in Thailand for a year now and I really miss that time so I’m really looking forward to being on the streets of Bangsaen with the Camaro.”

As ever with this driver, who has a bigger role to represent Reiter Engineering, he’s totally focused on the team game. “It will be all about trying to achieve the same what I achieved before and help the team to get the results we always aim for,” Tomáš says. “I’m looking forward to Thai cuisine as well,” he adds with a laugh.

The third Vattana Motorsport entry will be a Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 for Akihiro Asai. The Japanese driver is a regular in TSS and is in fact a double Super Car champion having won the N/A title in 2011 and the inaugural GTC title in 2014. Apart from those two titles his appearances have been on the sporadic side but most recently he raced a Gallardo in the GTM category for Vattana during the 2015 season. We now welcome this driver back and look forward to seeing what he can extract from the Gallardo GT3. He certainly knows the powerful GT3 version of the Gallardo inside out as he’s raced this model with success around the world many times so he should be straight up to speed when he gets out onto the track today.

“This is my seventh time in Bangsaen,” Akihiro says. “It’s my favorite with sweat and tears.” Indeed, he has good memories of these streets having bagged both his Super Car titles here during season-closing races. “Thanks to Vattana Motorsport and Khun Chonsawat,” he adds.

“I have missed being in Thailand Super Series,” Akihiro continues. “So without question I’ll do my best and just keep it on track. I will also compete in the RAAT Endurance so hopefully enjoy my weekend of some laps.”

It’s been one of the key fixtures of Bangsaen ever since the first edition – the fearsome s-shaped chicane that abruptly slows the racecars down as they accelerate away from walking pace after exiting the mountain hairpin and the power straight downhill towards the tight 90-degree right hander that then leads the cars through a set of fast and narrow esses and out onto the waterfront at the Dolphin Roundabout.

Over the years its seen its fair share of dramatic moments as drivers arrive with too much speed, clip the kerbs and their wheels lift into the air, sometimes as high as 45-degrees while on occasion there have been full rolls, cars landing on the roof before a sheepish driver emerges.

Who can forget too during the last edition Vattana Motorsport’s Jack Lemvard mounting the tyres head on in his Lamborghini Gallardo as he hunted down the race leading Porsche of Darryl O’Young, a wave of green coolant liquid dramatically surging out of the front of the Italian racecar like a waterfall. But now it’s gone and a blistering flat out straight awaits the racecars this morning.

Any racecar that arrives into Thailand to ply its trade on our racetracks will always have one eye on the Bangsaen Grand Prix. It’s the biggest annual event in Thai motorsport, everybody wants to race here and everybody dreams of winning here. The Bangsaen trophy is the most desirable one to have sitting on the mantelpiece.

The Bangsaen Street Circuit is only for the bravest and most skillful drivers and the most capable and dynamic racecars. And for any racecar that wants to get to grips with the track, it must stand up to Bangsaen’s own ‘Moose Test’, better known as the ‘Mountain Hairpin Test’. Any racecar that can’t get smoothly onto the brakes, drop in to the lowest gears while retaining momentum and a fluid directional motion around this downhill right hander is destined to drop valuable seconds that will plunge it down the grid to a point where the chance of a podium finish is but a distant dream.

Enter the big, brutal Ford Mustang TA2. It demonstrated plenty of muscular prowess when it grunted around Bira Circuit on its Thai shakedown last week as it geared up for Bangsaen, its big 6.2-litre V8 engine howling around the Pattaya track, but the big test for Bangsaen was whether it could navigate the infamous hairpin. Stumble and this monster’s attempts to show off at the seaside would be dead in its tracks.

And so late on Sunday afternoon the brute was brought to the U-turn, to check its capabilities. As a benchmark, Craig Corliss, who is behind the arrival of TA2 here, also brought his Holden Commodore, a car that has always found this turn something of a tight squeeze. Two big V8s grumbling around the mountain hairpin on a hot and sunny Sunday afternoon.

In the end it proved a pretty simple, test, American Shane Lewis, who knows the TA2 concept inside out, gunned the Mustang smoothly on what was his first ever time around the hairpin, there was plenty of room to spare, it turned out to be an easy task.

“It’s the first time I’ve come to a course and had to test a car to make sure it would make it around the corner, that’s a first for me,” he said with a laugh afterwards. “It did with no problems, it actually has a great turning radius which wasn’t a surprise, but we wanted to make sure.”
 
Although he hasn’t got to drive the live track yet, that will come tomorrow, so far it’s been just an exploration by motorcycle, but Shane reckons an interesting week is in store. “Coming here to this type of street circuit, it’s completely different to any other type of road course that I’m used to driving,” he says. “Even though I’ve [raced on] a lot of street circuits in the United States this one is very unique, it’s going to be a challenge yes, but I think it’s going to be a really fun challenge.”
 
However, Shane reckons this tricky course should play to the Mustang TA2’s core strengths. “I think there is so much adjustability in the car that it fits anything, the last race of the season was at Daytona which I won and that’s a super-fast racetrack with a technical infield,” he says. “Coming to a race track like this which is the total opposite of that I think it’s also going to do fantastic.”

The Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo has proved to be the racecar to have in Super Car GTM during the 2016 season. Sarun Sereethoranakul introduced the Italian sportscar to Thailand in time for the triple header season opener and he proceeded to make a clean sweep of wins and set himself on course for the title. He also demonstrated that the Huracán can get the job of winning done equally as well on tight, twisty and cramped Bira Circuit with its decades of roughened track surface as the fast flowing and ultra-smooth Buriram circuit. Those wins leave him with an enviable championship advantage and he has to keep out of trouble and secure the remaining points he needs next weekend to bag his first Super Car title.

Now the Huracán representation is set to double up as Bobby Buncharoen will debut a second example at this event. It’s a brand new car that was only flown into Thailand from Europe ten days ago and this popular driver, who knows the Bangsaen Street Circuit inside out, will be looking to unlock the potential of his new mount.

It’s a brand swap too Bobby as during the last couple of years he’s raced Porsches in Super Car GTM, both 997 and 991 versions; but now has to swap his thinking back from a rear- to a mid-engined racecar. However, this is something of a ‘return’ to the Lamborghini marque as prior to the Porsches he raced a Gallardo GT3 in the Super Car GT3 category so the ‘Raging Bull’ circle has been completed.

This is a brand new car built to MY2017 specification which includes the front and rear bodywork being upgraded to carbon fibre, only the centre cockpit hub panels are carried over from the outgoing car. It gives the Huracán Super Trofeo a visual striking appearance with swathes of carbon weave now clearly evident. There are also lessons learnt which have resulted in detailed changes, such as upgraded gearbox mountings, so a winning package becomes yet more refined.

The team reports that Bobby is aiming this weekend to dial himself into the car, get familiar with its characteristics and start to understand its potential ahead of a busy year ahead. In choosing a new mount the team evaluated all the options to find a machine with race winning potential – and the Huracán Super Trofeo was clearly the front runner.

Bobby’s new Huracán is finished in his signature all-black livery which allows for the factory-fitted carbon bodywork sections to neatly blend in and will contrast very nicely on the racetrack with Sarun’s white example. Certainly all drivers this week will have to beware of the pace of these two Raging Bull machines.

The arrival of the first ‘TA2’ car in Thailand has been provoking a lot of interest especially as it will strut its stuff next week in Bangsaen – but who exactly will be putting the Ford Mustang through its paces on the 3.7 km street circuit?

Well, we’re going to welcome another international name to Bangsaen as the TA2 car will be demonstrated by high experienced U.S. racing driver Shane Lewis and with intimate knowledge of the project from the ground up there would appear to be no one better placed than to unlock its potential.

Shane Lewis started racing a quarter of a century ago and his career includes overall and class victories in a string of championships around the world including IMSA, American Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series, Rolex Sports Car Series, Trans Am, SCCA World Challenge, Continental Challenge, VLN and World 24hr Series while he also made it onto the top step of the podium in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Rolex 24 at Daytona and Dubai 24 Hour.

In fact, Shane has competed in no less than forty ‘24 hour’ races including three times at Le Mans and seventeen times at Daytona, as well as the Nürburgring four times and Dubai twice. On top of that he’s raced in the 12 Hours of Sebring eight times, Petit Le Mans seven times, won the 6 hours of Nürburgring twice and also secured victory in the 12 hours of Magny-Cours.

Currently he’s competing in the SCCA Pro Racing’s Trans Am Championship driving a TA2 Camaro – and as a highly regarded test driver he couldn’t be any better placed to demonstrate the new car this week.

A battle hardened pro, Shane fits the mould of the U.S. racing driver, steely commitment while at the same time enjoying every minute; tall and confident he looks like he could have stepped straight out of the classic ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ TV series.

So why does he think the TA2 is the right car for this market? He reckons it’s all down to the machine itself and the experience it offers. “I think that it’s the raw power and sound, this car has a lot of emotion to it,” he says. “The cars today have become a little bit the same. They’re all fast and they have certain attributes but these TA2 cars there’s something about them that stirs a lot of passion in people, from the moment you start it and it fires up and you hear that V8 rumble, it’s that the sound.
 
“The car has sexy lines; it really does look good,” Shane adds. It’s hard to disagree with that assessment of the striking metallic blue wrapped Mustang here. I think it gets everybody’s attention and it gets your passion going.”

We’re very pleased to be able to welcome Tanart Sathienthirakul to TSS as he’s all set to plunge into our top category, Super Car GTM, this week. One of Thailand’s clutch of promising young racing drivers, Tanart’s had an impressive career to date – but ever since he first made people stand up and take notice in karts in Thailand and Asia his adult racing has been most far abroad so this is going to be one of the few chances so far that Thai fans will have had to see him race here.

Tanart is still just 24 years old so it’s a good opportunity to take a look back at a career that isn’t too well known to most of the Thai paddock. Born into a racing family he started in karts at 9 years of age and before he graduated to racecars he includes the AKOC Junior Karting Champion and five Thai karting titles in his resume. In 2011 he caught the eye of the F1 paddock and was signed up to the Caterham F1 Junior Driver Programme while making the step to single seaters with the Toyota Championship in New Zealand as well as Formula Renault. The single seater direction would take him to Formula Masters China with the famous ART Junior Team the next year and then to Euro Formula (F3) from 2014-2016.

But there was always an eye on sportscar racing and he made appearances in GT Asia Series and early last year when Asian Le Mans Series came to Buriram he popped up in an LMP3 Addess with AAI. The bulk of the 2016 season saw him race in the European Renault RS01 championship with top step of the podium success while for last December’s Sepang 12 Hour he drove a Ferrari 488 GT3 and stepped onto the class podium.

That brings him up to 2017 and he’s going to kick off the year in front of the Thai fans. There were several boxes ticked when he handed in the entry, notably he wants to get cockpit time in the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup behind him for very good reason, as he explains. “The reason I choose to race in Bangsaen with a 991 is because I will be doing Porsche Carrera Cup Asia this year and it will be coming to Bangsaen,” he says.

Tanart also enjoys the competition provided by street racing and is looking forward to getting to grips with Bangsaen – but he reckons it isn’t going to be easy to tame this famously tough circuit. “I think the track will be very challenging as it will be my first time driving there,” he admits. “I did race at Macau before and that race was awesome even it was raining.”
 
It will be the first time racing with a rear engine car, but he has a recent acclimatization test behind him in the car which he says went well. “My test with 991 was decent one I think but there still a lot for me to learn about the car because this car has no traction control or ABS and the weight transfer is very crucial,” Tanart notes. “I think this car will suit the circuit as this was shown last time during the race.”

His aim is to rack up the laps and learn the car and track – but this is a competitive young driver pushed by the desire to win and while he will give the Bangsaen Street Circuit the respect it deserves he certainly won’t be sitting back. “My aim is to learn the circuit and of course to go for a win if possible,” Tanart adds.

Each climb has its own story…

Next June, Romain Dumas will take part in his fifth « race to the clouds ». To climb this 14,114 foot mountain, on a 12.3 mile road comprised of 156 curves, is always a unique challenge. The 2017 edition will be no different and a lot is at stake for the defending FIA World Endurance Champion. As the only French driver to have won the event twice and holder of the second fastest time up the  legendary mountain, Romain aims to win for a third time, after 2014 and 2016. Back to back victories are no simple feat, with only Monster Tajima being able to repeat success in the last 10 years !

« Each Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a real adventure. It’s a fantastic adventure when it culminates with a win, but always full of huge efforts and sacrifices » admits Romain Dumas. « It’s a hillclimb, and by definition there are always unforseen challenges and difficulties to overcome. Everything has to come together on race day and it’s never easy. That’s what I have learned from year to year : you have to plan for the unpredictable. The objective hasn’t changed : I want to win again, and even more so to defend my title as current overall champion. In addition to the climb itself, the competition will be really tough. The electric vehicles are very strong and we’ll have to have a perfect day to win. I can count on my team, which has vast experience there, as well as the support of Norma and Norbert Santos. The entire team is excited to return to Pikes Peak’s unique atmosphere. »

Same objective, different (and surprising) car !

To take on this mission, Romain Dumas has begun development of a new prototype, the Norma MXX RD Limited. The prototype, although keeping its carbon monocoque from 2016, will be very different.  Following on from last year’s switch to four wheel drive, the car was completely reviewed during a study begun several months ago. In addition to the suspension elements and parts prepared specifically by PKM Consulting, the aero has been the subject of particular attention, notably in CFD.

« The car has evolved every time we have run at Pikes Peak. This time I hope it’s a revolution. » added Romain. « Clearly, our goal is to go even further in our search for outright speed. I’ve learned to be humble with regards to this legendary Pikes Peak event, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be ambitious. The number one priority is to be reliable and reach the summit without issues. Our first goal is to win. The second is to beat, or get as close as possible to, the current record. From 8’51.118 we have to get to 8’13.878. That’s a big step and we don’t have the same means as factory manufacturers, but we have a few ideas. The Norma MXX RD Limited will surprise people ! I know I can count on quality technical partners, the biggest being Norma, and also HPD. Other partners, perhaps less expected, have also joined our team. The project is very exciting and I hope the end result will be fitting of everyone’s implication. »

In concurrence with the Norma MXX RD Limited’s entry in the Unlimited class for Romain Dumas, the team will enter a second car in Time Attack 1 – a category the team knows well, having won in 2014 with Vincent Beltoise, and a second place finish in 2016 with Raphaël Astier, who also took Rookie honors. More information on this entry will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Jimmy took down his first champion in Zhuhai International Circuit back in 2000 while he was only 26. This made his startup in formula racing and obtained two consecutive championship in Renault Spider. He then officially joined China Formula Renault Championship after trained by FRD to become the first International driver from Taiwan. In 2011, PTRS joined the Continental Le Mans Series and became the first Asian team to join the prototype series. Jimmy hopes to seek for potential young Chinese drivers within this brand new event.

FRD Motorsports founder Kenneth Ma expressed that, “There is only three months until the first race begin. Many teams were interested in joining this series since the date of press conference. Jimmy’s joining will be a flashing point for this race not just because he is a experienced driver but also the past results from PTRS and Jimmy were astonishing. I hope that FRD LMP3 Series will soon be the most popular race event in China.”

FRD LMP3 Series Race Schedule:
2017.5.14 ： Shanghai, China
2017.6.4 ： Zhejiang, China
2017.7.23 ： Sepang, Malaysia
2017.8.27 ： Shanghai, China
2017.9.17 ： Zhuhai, China