The big names just keep on arriving in Thailand Super Series (TSS) and B-Quik Racing has dropped a real bombshell into the build up to the final event of the year in Bangsaen with the announcement that international sportscar star Khun Darryl O’Young is being drafted in to drive its Porsche 997 GT3 Cup in Super Car Class 2-GTM.

 It all comes about as the team rolls out a major new sponsorship initiative with Tune Insurance. They will back the car – and a second one, so expect to see plenty of the firm’s signature red and white corporate colours on the grid.

 There are now just ten days remaining before the Bangsaen Thailand Speed Festival roars into life as the track will go live, one day earlier than usual, on Tuesday 9 December. But in the meantime the idyllic seaside village is prepared and made ready for Thailand’s biggest and most high profile motorsport event of the year. The work is in full swing and it all promises to be the biggest and most exciting edition of the famous street race ever.

 Meanwhile, in Buriram there was a real upset to the Super Eco order with three different winners from the three races. It was action packed all the way and even heavy rain couldn’t dampen the duelling – that’s exactly what ‘Eco’ racing is all about, close fought, equalised and affordable racing from the racing stars of tomorrow.

Also in Buriram Khun Craig Corliss had extra help in the garage as he drafted in a race engineer from Australia’s Triple Eight Engineering, the crack ‘Australian V8 Supercar’ outfit that developed and built his powerful Holden Commodore VE, to help him understand the car better and extract more of its potential.

 Finally, the North East races also saw ‘Live Streaming’ officially rolled out by TSS to further enhance the viewing experience and that allowed fans, both nationally and globally, to connect with the action on track in real time and with the feed running live from early morning in to night time they didn’t miss a single pass or bump all weekend. It was an instant hit so expect to see the initiative back online in Bangsaen.

 B-Quik Racing flexes its muscles with star signing

 Tune Insurance is launching in Thailand and it wants to make an immediate impact, so supporting Khun Darryl O’Young and B-Quik Racing during the biggest and most glamorous motorsport extravaganza of the year should certainly tick those boxes. It doesn’t stop there either, a second Porsche 997 GT3 Cup will be entered in its colours for Khun Paul Kanjanapas; he’s back in Super Car after missing the trip to Buriram. Tune Insurance will also support the Bangsaen Thailand Speed Festival directly, extra visibility coming through trackside advertising.

 It all adds up to a major step forward for B-Quik Racing, which has grown into one of the leading teams in TSS over the last few seasons. This year it upgraded to a potent Audi R8 LMS Cup for lead driver Khun Henk J. Kiks and during the last round in Buriram the driver-car combination showed real pace in Super Car Class 2-GTM.
 
Not only is Khun Henk one of the early favourites for victory in Bangsaen but the somewhat late in the day addition of Khun Darryl is going to give B-Quik Racing a real ‘wildcard’ who can be expected to be in the thick of the action.

 The arrival of Khun Darryl has come together over the last few weeks and it’s the icing on the cake of the new sponsorship initiative between B-Quik Racing and Tune Insurance. The glamour of top-level motorsport plus the image of the iconic Bangsaen Speed Festival quickly added up together and so this is the perfect toe dip for all parties involved. B-Quik driver Khun Payu Nerngchamnong, who is having a sabbatical from the cockpit this year, is Tune Insurance’s point man on the corporate motorsport partnerships and he has long standing connections with one of Asia’s top teams, Hong Kong-based Craft-Bamboo Racing. So when B-Quik and Tune were looking for a star name to fly the flag in Bangsaen, it was entirely logical that Khun Darryl came straight into the frame.

 And he had no hesitation in signing up for the drive, as he explained earlier this week. “Payu discussed with me the idea about coming to Bangsaen with B-Quick and Tune Insurance, my answer was an immediate yes,” said Khun Darryl. “I really enjoy visiting Thailand and I’ve always wanted to race Bangsaen, so having everything come together is a perfect scenario.”

 Unquestionably he’s one of the most successful and experienced sports car drivers in South East Asia – and one who comes with wide name recognition. Fast and skillful, he’s an ideal fit. Like most young hotshot drivers Khun Darryl started his racing career in single seaters, but he’s really blossomed since switching to sportscars and over the last decade he’s barely been out of the cockpit or the headlines.

 His racing ‘CV’ includes stints in the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Porsche Supercup, FIA GT Championship, FIA GT1 World Championship, FIA World Touring Car Championship and DTM, while he’s also raced in many of motorsport’s greatest individual events such as the Le Mans 24 Hours, Daytona 12 Hours and Bathurst 12 Hours. More locally, he’s a regular in the Merdeka Sepang 12 Hours. Currently he’s driving for Craft-Bamboo Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s GTE-Pro category, most recently scoring a podium finish in Fuji last month.

 Interestingly, he already has plenty of awareness of Bangsaen and the burgeoning ‘New Era’ of Thai motorsport that is now being served up by TSS. “I have known Minister Sontaya for many years, since the early PCCA days when we used to race at Pattaya,” says Khun Darryl. “He introduced the Bangsaen street race to me many years ago and I’ve always held an interest to try it out. With the TSS growing so much in 2014, there are now more GT cars and also more teams in Thailand, so I’m glad an opportunity came about with B-Quik and Tune Insurance.”
 
Just a few weeks ago Khun Darryl was in action at the Macau Grand Prix, driving Craft-Bamboo Racing’s fearsome Aston Martin Vantage GT3 entry in the Macau GT Cup, a race that he’s become a regular fixture in, while the challenging temporary street configuration also provides the perfect ‘shakedown’ for Bangsaen next month.

 And he’s not short of ‘street racing’ experience having already competed on many of the most famous temporary courses in the world – and he says he loves them. Khun Darryl also adds that he’s heard a lot of positives about Bangsaen and so he’s itching to add this race to his very impressive ‘CV’.
 
“I’m really looking forward to the Bangsaen Speed Festival because I’ve always heard that this event is fantastic,” he says. “The Macau Guia Circuit is my favourite track in the world and that is mainly because I love street tracks, so to have a chance to finally race at Bangsaen should be great fun. I’ve competed on many street courses around the world, including Monaco, Singapore, Valencia and Macau, so to add Bangsaen to the list is great.”

 Khun Darryl will be behind the wheel of B-Quik Racing’s Porsche 997 GT3 Cup, which will run in the eye catching red and white colours of Tune Insurance. In fact Enigma ThinkTank has designed the livery with one eye firmly towards the striking colours worn by the factory Porsche 917s at Daytona nearly half a century ago. Talk about joining up the dots of history.

 It’s all certain to make a lot of waves for Tune Insurance, which is an ambitious venture from Tune Inc., the conglomerate headed by Malaysia entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, who is most famously the owner and founder of the low cost airline, Air Asia. Best known as the sole travel insurance provider for Air Asia, Tune Insurance is now on a mission to reinvent all aspects of the insurance business in Thailand.

 This is the car that Khun Henk drove during the previous two seasons in Super Car before he switched to the Audi R8 LMS Cup for 2014. The engine has been rebuilt over the summer and the car was in action at Buriram during the last TSS round at the beginning of this month, so it’s certainly bedded in and ready to go. But the Porsche cannot be regarded as right at the leading edge of Super Car Class 2-GTM anymore so Khun Darryl will have his work cut out in the races. The team’s target is most likely to be a podium finish. In Saturday’s first race he will have to carry extra ballast so Sunday’s final race is where he is much more likely to fully show what he’s capable of achieving.

 Porsche’s ‘997’ breed is not for the uninitiated; this iconic racecar demands that you learn all about it’s unique characteristics, you come to it, not the other way round, and it’s not an overnight task. However here Khun Darryl ticks all the boxes, as he explains. “I’ve raced extensively in a Porsche for many years of my career from 2004 to 2013,” he says. “Although I haven’t been behind the wheel of the 997 GT3 Cup in about a year, I’m sure it’ll be like riding a bike, meaning it should feel very familiar. The car does suit me well and I like the feel of the [997] on street circuits as the car is very agile.”

 Give a top ‘pro’ a completely new challenge and much more than likely he will be up for it. That’s certainly been the case here and while Khun Darryl will be able to make full use of the extra track day inserted into the Bangsaen programme this year, he’s already been in touch with B-Quik Racing to discuss setups. He also hopes that it’s going to be a two way street as he clearly brings with him a wealth of street racing experience to the equation, that should benefit the team.

 “After I signed we immediately started discussion about the car and preparations,” he adds. “I do have good experience with the ‘Cup’ car so I hope my knowledge can help the team, but you can only do so much before a race weekend. My experience will help a lot when we need to make quick decisions as street circuits evolve a lot in grip and condition so we will constantly need to make the right adjustments.”

 Backing up the entry of Khun Darryl will be a second Tune Insurance liveried Porsche 997 GT3 Cup for Khun Paul Kanjanapas. He entered the Bira round in July but commitments meant he skipped the trips to Sepang and Buriram. Khun Paul’s on familiar ground though as he raced this 997 at Bangsaen last year and is well used to both track and car meaning he should provide excellent support.

 It’s a big step forward for all involved but everything came together quite quickly and smoothly, as Khun Payu notes. “Having a driver of Darryl’s caliber racing at Bangsaen certainly speaks volumes of how far Thai motorsport has come and TSS continues to progress in its second season,” he said. “Increasingly it’s capturing broader and larger audiences with each passing race weekend, which is why, when Tune Insurance was looking to explore another channel of its visibility through motorsport here, B-Quik Racing was at the top of the list. They have continuously been one of the upcoming teams in TSS that ‘go racing’ the right way and to have Darryl in the pilot’s seat is the cherry on top. I have had privilege of getting to know Darryl through Frank Yu of Craft Bamboo Racing; he’s a great driver and a better friend. I have high hopes for Darryl and not just how he’ll perform for Tune and B-Quik this weekend but as an ambassador for Thai motorsport, opening door for other top drivers in the region to join our series. I’m honoured to be able to be a part of making it happen.”

 Super Class 2-GTM has provided real fireworks this year, now the addition of Khun Darryl into the mix is going to ramp it up another degree. And while B-Quik Racing is playing down expectations, reckoning that this is simply a ‘toe dip’ for all parties, expect the new star to be gunning for the podium. Bangsaen trophies after all are one of the most coveted of prizes here.

 Countdown to Bangsaen enters final phase

 In just ten days time the 2014 Bangsaen Thailand Speed Festival will roar into life as the track goes live for the first time. But in the meantime the idyllic seaside village is busy being prepared and made ready for Thailand’s biggest and most high profile motorsport event of the year.

 All around the 3.7-km street circuit the installation of the Armco barriers and catch fencing is almost complete, with most of the final sections that still remain absent being omitted to assist residents’ convenience and traffic flows and they will be inserted into position during the final few days.

 This past week has seen a flurry of activity around Bangsaen as preparations ramp up and the work is going on around the clock. It’s all starting to take full shape now – as TSS Race Director Khun Preeda Tantemsapya explained yesterday. “In the past few days all the signboards have gone up around the Bangsaen area with some also in Chonburi and even as far as Bangkok. For the track the U-turn is now done, it’s been widened by 1.3-metres and this weekend it will be resurfaced. All the bridges are now repainted and reworked and we will wait until the right moment to fit.” The ascending stair sections are mostly in place while the main bridge walkway sections will be lifted into position immediately before the event gets underway.

 Khun Preeda also noted that the new ‘Bangsaen Criterium’ cycle race looks like it’s going to be an instant hit. “The Criterium is now taking good shape,” he explained. “The 30 teams [allowed] all signed up very quickly, so that’s the full 120 riders. More people wanted to attend but we had to stop at the full allocation. There are professional teams involved so we expect the race pace to be fast. We hope the Criterium will bring another dimension to Bangsaen, it’s another exciting sport that’s very fashionable now and our desire is to entertain so this will add to the show.”

 The new Laem Taen located ‘Landmark Pavilion’ is also ready to play a key role in promoting the event this year. Clean, crisp and stylish, the centerpiece of the lattice structure is an expansive ‘roof garden’ with concept wooden furniture and a deck covered in AstroTurf.

 Large backdrops will visually link guests to the ‘Speed Festival’ programme – and in fact it’s all set to kick into life tonight, as Khun Preeda explains. “The show at the pavilion will be for 10 days, starting this Friday and Saturday. The first band will be 70s rock style, playing songs like ‘Smoke on the Water’. Next week we will start the shows again on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday and then hold more shows during race week.” He says that amongst the bands playing will be AB Normal, as well as further artists supplied by Yamaha and Singha.

 “The pavilion will set a new standard,” he says. “We will also have the Singha Beer Garden in Laem Taen next to the pavilion and we have had a lot of interest in the booth area next to Toyota’s zone, they will also be expanding and having more activities than usual.” In fact a surprise very special guest is expected in Bangsaen, Mr Akio Toyoda, President and CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation, who is also an enthusiastic and experienced amateur racer.

 It’s all shaping up to be the best edition of the ‘Speed Festival’ yet. “We have had the biggest ever interest from the media as well as from foreign participants,” Khun Preeda reckons. “Hotels are full up all the way to Sri Racha and we hope that we can have a really good year, that 2015 will be new chapter, a new beginning for Bangsaen.”

 TSS rolls out ’Live Streaming’

 Unquestionably, we are now heading into a ‘New Era’ for motorsport in Thailand that’s packed with state-of-the-art new racecars, talented drivers and dramatic and explosive action – and of course plenty of glamour. TSS is building the foundations of the future for the sport here and as we approach the end of ‘year two’ the game on track has changed beyond recognition. At the same TSS is very aware that it has to take the ‘package’ out of the more traditional niche that motorsport occupies here and present ‘the show’ to a whole new demographic audience, introduce them to exactly what TSS has to offer and bring them into the motorsport family.

 Getting that message across and connecting with the population at large is one of the many challenges that we have to face. To that end we are developing a multi faceted strategy that will present TSS across multiple media delivery platforms, starting with ‘Live HD’ TV coverage on True Sports and straddling every available medium.

 To compliment the live TV coverage we are now rolling out ‘Live Streaming’ of the events and that new strategy kicked off at the beginning of this month when TSS visited Buriram for the first time. Officially kicked off that is. As programmer in charge of the streaming initiative, Khun Korakoch Siripatt, explains, a ‘beta’ test was conducted at Bangsaen last year of Live Streaming, “The objective is to accommodate viewers to watch the event,” he says. “The TSS team’s idea is that viewers can watch this event via the Internet which we did [at Bangsaen] but [as it wasn’t advertised] total viewers were much less at that time.”

 That test went very well. Buriram earlier this month was the perfect occasion to roll out a robust streaming platform that could slot into the TSS media portfolio and begin to develop awareness. “At Buriram the TSS team had Live Streaming again, but this time we have public relations to promote [the service] via event spokesmen, Facebook and to buy advertising too,” notes Khun Korakoch. The aim is accommodate viewers to watch more of the [action] on the track and also on cable TV. The statistics at Buriram totalled about twenty thousand viewers and they came came from many kinds of devices such as iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone, Mac, PC and Android.”

 The Live Streaming concept aims offer the most comprehensive service possible and while TV is constrained by network scheduling, the new service certainly isn’t. TSS controls the flow of footage – so it kicks off when the engines fire up in the morning and finishes when the engines fall silent at dusk. “Live Streaming’s big advantage is that the viewer can watch races all day but if cable TV the viewer cannot,” says Khun Korakoch.

 It means we can push to make the greatest possible engagement with our audience; they can live every moment of every pitstop, every track pass and every climb to the podium. They can get behind the scenes and see the players: the drivers, the teams, the models, the cars and even the celebrities. It’s a totally immersive experience that is carried out by a highly skilled, experienced and dedicated team of cameramen, presenters, directors and editorial staff. Developing our platform further this year has seen fast bursts of highlights being available the moment the checkered flag drops. And the beauty is that everyone who has an online device can see all this anywhere, anytime and without charge. “We develop Live Streaming for our all viewers, for everyone,” Khun Korakock says.

 TSS Race Director Khun Preeda Tantemsapya points out that the new event in Buriram came at the perfect time to officially roll out the Live Streaming initiative. “The streaming was very important to introduce so our fans could follow the races and it all came together at the right point.”

 With Buriram providing a perfect opportunity to connect with fans, Bangsaen will see the Live Streaming initiative become further integrated into the ‘show’. The street race is the undisputed jewel in the crown of Thai motorsport and the action is already streamed through the local TV network ‘Saensuk Vision’, meaning that it is available in homes, schools, shops, hotels, bars, restaurants and many other venues in the area during the event.

 That’s proved very popular, as it’s connected the fans with the action when, for example, they are in their hotel rooms, shopping or dining. By now streaming the action live through mobile platforms, such as phones and tablets, we take that a big step further as the fans, from their vantage points, will be able to follow the action on track lap by lap, and be fully aware and informed as to what’s playing out on other parts of the circuit, all in real time. Offering a fully immersive experience will also allow spectators to learn more about the series and make the step from Bangsaen being an exciting ‘day out’ to them become more knowledgeable about TSS and to develop a deeper commitment to the ‘New Era’ of motorsport.

 Khun Preeda was very happy with the soft official launch of the Live Streaming initiative. “The viewers we got were way beyond our expectations,” he said. Providing a real time experience from Buriram for race fans helps promote Bangsaen, he also reckons – and that direct connection forms a key strategy in the marketing the Speed Festival.

 “We expect streaming to grow further in popularity in Bangsaen and we expect the event to also be much bigger this year,” Khun Preeda says. “Now the seating grandstands are already up and we prepare well in advance, especially the new pavilion, which will be a great meeting point for people, is up, so I think all these things that people can see already also help to promote the event in ahead.”

 Finally, when the new series was launched last year, TSS President Sontaya Kunplome put the word ‘international’ right at the heart of the strategy going forward, he wanted international thinking, international concepts, international standards and international reach to permeate through everything. The international recognition of TSS is certainly growing fast, drivers and teams, as well as media and fans, are starting to come from across Asia and even further afield to link up the series and they are helping to build recognition.

 This international push is coming in every area too. For example, for the first time TSS results this season are counting towards the ‘Porsche Cup’, a global championship collated by the factory for drivers who race the Stuttgart built cars in leading races while also from Germany Audi are closely following the progress of B-Quik Racing’s new Audi R8 LMS Cup, reporting its results and providing action images on their media website as well as in the brand’s news focused publications. Therefore Khun Preeda believes that Live Streaming is not just reserved for Thai fans but it’s also an important tool in a much bigger global picture.

 TSS Buriram: Super Eco Race Report

 Khun Poomee Phromatham came into the weekend with three wins from three races and he had made it four out of four after the first of three races for the Super Eco competitors. In fact from his starting slot on the outside of the front row for the first race the #18 C-Four Motorsport Honda Brio was quickly into the lead and by the time the ‘Eco’ cars were heading back up from the hairpin and coming into sight of the grandstand Khun Poomee had already built up a lead of three or four car lengths.

 Khun Peerawat Tawantarong (KTM Garage Exedy Nitto Racing Team) had turned the formbook upside down during qualifying to nab pole with a three-tenths advantage over Khun Poomee. After the lights had turned green and the Suzuki Swift driver had been deposed from P1 by Khun Poomee, he settled into an early battle for second place with the Team Donut Brio of Khun Naruchit Kiatmaneesri. However by the end of the 6 lap race Khun Peerawat had claimed P2, 4.2 seconds behind Khun Poomee, while the front running pair were out alone as Khun Chitipong Boonbangyang came home third; he was ten seconds back down the road.

 Youngster Khun Kmik Karnasuta drove very well once again, he worked his way up from seventh on the grid to take fourth place while Khun Warut Kanwisit wrapped up the top five. Also of note was the performance of Khun Tachanan Yooyen (Swift), she was the first lady driver home and in a highly impressive sixth place.

 The second race saw the usual top five reversed on the grid and that meant Khun Warut was on pole from Khun Kmik. The winner of the first race, Khun Poomee, would start from P5 one place behind his main rival in that opener, Khun Peerawat.

 During the warm up lap the rain came down, and came down hard. It continued to bucket down as the cars took the green flag. On the now treacherous surface there were many incidents and most notably an unsighted Khun Poomee T-boned a car that had spun in front of him, putting the championship leader straight out with extensive car damage. On lap 5 the Safety Car was deployed and for a few minutes the rain eased but it soon came back with a vengeance. Then it finally stopped raining and the race went back to green flag conditions for the last three laps, but on a streaming wet track all the drivers were really tiptoeing to the checkered flag.

 At the end of race the top six were covered by just eight seconds with Khun Chittipong taking a 2.734 second win over Khun Naruchit with Khun Warut three tenths back in third. Taking advantage of the wet conditions that helped to level out car performance, Khun Rattanin Leenutaphong planted the Kia Picanto on the Super Eco podium for the first time – and it was also the first time the Korean brand had ever been seen nailing a TSS podium finish. Fifth went to Khun Peerawat while B-Quik Racing’s Khun Nattaphon Rattanawong wrapped up the top six.

 The third race saw Khun Poomee starting from P2 on the grid and he made short work of it. The championship leader was quickly into the lead but then became embroiled in a big battle with Khun Naruchit and the fast starting Khun Konpichit Toyingcharoen in the Krating Daeng Swift. Khun Poomee, with his hastily patched up car, would have a big slide though and that dropped him well back before he recovered a few spots to eventually finish fourth, 7.588 seconds off the winner.

 The victory went to Khun Warut who made it three different winners from the three races, but it was oh so close as he crossed the line just two-tenths ahead of Khun Konpichit. Khun Naruchit took third while Khun Chitipong was fifth behind Khun Poomee, albeit by a whisker; just hundredths of a second separated the two Brios at the checkered flag.

 As attention turns towards the season closer in Bangsaen in a week and a half’s time, Khun Poomee still retains a clear lead in the standings, but his chance to put the title to bed in the North East went out of the window in the second race as he notched up his first no points score of the year – in fact it was the first time he hadn’t bagged a maximum score this year. However, with four straight wins and also the 10 points he collected in the final race for fourth as he played the ‘damage limitation’ game with his battered Brio, he’s got 90 points and the title is his to loose in Bangsaen. That means he has a 30 point advantage with 40 points on offer on the street circuit.

 Khun Chitipong moves into second in the classification; he has 60 points thanks to a first, third and fifth in Buriram, while Khun Kmik slips to third after dropping points, but he’s just 6 points off second place so the battle for the runners up spot still is alive and well. Khun Konpichit and Khun Bhisanu are tied for fourth on 42 points with Khun Warut Kanwisit just 2 points behind them thanks to his win in the final race in Buriram so the battle for the mid order in also going to the wire.

 Khun Craig dials 888 for support

 When Khun Craig Corliss decided to upgrade his almost decade old Ford Falcon V8 in time for last season, one option for the New Zealander was a no brainer – sticking with the ‘Australian V8 Supercar’ path.

 Along with his team mate Khun Dwayne Carter, the big Falcons smashed their way into Super Car reckoning, they arrived in 2010 and started winning; the huge muscle of the big ‘V8’ machines creating an instant impact and proving well suited to every track, from Sa Kaeo to Bira to Bangsaen.

 But by the end of 2012 the Falcon was well past its prime and Khun Craig was in the market for a new V8 machine. So he turned to the best in the business – Triple Eight Race Engineering. The team, based in Brisbane, Australia started life eleven years ago and since then it’s won a stunning six drivers titles (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014) all with driver Khun Jaime Whincup, as well as six Teams’ Championships and the blue riband Bathurst 1000 km five times. That’s a record that no one else can get anywhere near.

 Buy a machine off Triple Eight and you are buying the best, a winning pedigree. Khun Craig acquired a unique machine, built as the first test car when the Australian team caused a huge upheaval in the sport when it switched factories, from Ford to Holden, for the 2010 season. It was piloted in testing by Khun Jaime as they prepared for the change. In fact the six times champion came to Bira Circuit this time last year to help Khun Craig set the car up and prepare for Bangsaen.

 Khun Craig has retained close links with Triple Eight ever since buying the car and, as well as Khun Jaime’s appearance in the cockpit at Bira last year for a test run, they have helped him with advice and parts.

 As the competitive bar in Super Car Class 2-GTM continues to soar and Khun Craig’s team have had more than a year to get used to the car, for the Buriram round that relationship deepened as Triple Eight dispatched a race engineer to help unlock more of the car’s potential.

 The engineer in question, Khun Andrew Simpson, explained how his appearance in Buriram had come about. “We sold him the car eighteen months ago and he asked me to come over and give him a hand for this race and maybe the next one,” said the Australian.

 He stressed that Triple Eight keeps in close touch with their customers to help, advise and provide on the ground support. After all these are sophisticated machines that are created from the ground up by the Australian team. “It’s always good for us to come along and see what our customers are doing with our product,” said Khun Andrew.

 Khun Craig suffered an impact with the guardrails in practice and that put the team on the backfoot as they sat out qualifying while replacement parts were flown in from Australia. It meant Khun Craig started both races from the back of the grid, but the pace of the big orange-and-black car was very clear.

 And Khun Andrew reckoned that despite the loss of track time, plenty of progress had been achieved. “We’ve made gains this weekend,” he said. “Craig’s showing some good pace, we’ve been over the data with him Hopefully he’s taken it all on board and will put it into practice.”

 This engineer certainly knows the car, this is his fourteenth year in V8 Supercars and he reckoned the Holden was ideal for the new high speed Buriram Circuit. “I think the car suits this track quite good,” he said. “It could do with being a little bit stiffer here but it’s got good straightline horsepower.”

 Khun Andrew is also now into his fourth season with Triple Eight so Khun Craig’s unique Holden was one of the first machines he had got to know after he had switched to the Brisbane team. “I had to dust the cobwebs off a bit as it’s a bit different to what we run now,” he said with a laugh. “But we still run the same cars in the Dunlop series in Australia, same era cars, and we keep our finger on the pulse of what we need to do.”

 Australian V8 Supercars are developed to a very particular set of regulations – and any driver needs to learn exactly how to extract all of their potential. That was Khun Andrew’s biggest task, to get Khun Craig more and more used to the car. That was a success. “He knows where he can pick up some speed, a little bit in his braking, in his crossover, his heel and toe,” he pointed out. “We have worked on that a little bit but he’s got some good attributes to work with.”