Craft-Bamboo Racing welcomes title partner Singha for the second round of the Blancpain GT Series Asia and the team hopes to continue to make progress with their GT3 and GT4 Porsches this weekend in Buriram, Thailand. After a challenging opening round in Sepang, Craft-Bamboo has worked hard to find gains with their #911 and #991 911 GT3 Rs and is aiming to better their top ten finish from round one and take the fight to the series’ leaders. In the GT4 class, the #77 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport will continue to defend their 2017 drivers’ championship title by closing the gap from third to first. New partners Singha and B-Quik will be well represented on all three Porsches this round as they fight for victory in front of motor racing fans live in Buriram and online all over the world.
Sandy Stuvik will have the support of his home crowd this weekend and the Thai driver is eager to notch up some good results in Buriram. After settling into the car and the team in Sepang, he is now well prepared to make his mark on his home circuit. Shae Davies won’t have the luxury of racing on home soil, but the Australian driver showed great potential and strong pace during round one in Sepang. The pair are currently 12th and have some work to do but thanks to the team’s efforts over the past month, the #911 duo will be aiming for the podium on both races to begin their climb up the ladder.
Both Darryl O’Young and Aidan Read showed promise in the #991 Porsche in Sepang and they are hoping to build on that in Buriram. O’Young has found great success in the past and has raced consecutively at the circuit since 2015. Read is no stranger to the Thai track either and the pair will be using this to their advantage to ensure the car is dialled in for qualifying. With a positive weekend of racing in the Porsche under their belts, both O’Young and Read will be looking to further increase their pace this weekend to put them back in the fight for the drivers’ championship title.
Frank Yu and Jean-Marc were off to a successful title defence campaign in Sepang, scoring a second-place podium in race one and with the GT4 duo sitting in third place, they are focused on closing the gap in Thailand. The #77 pair were very effective last year in Buriram but know that the new manufacturers bring a strong challenge to their 2018 campaign. Getting the jump on the competition in qualifying will be a big focus for them and their experience in the #77 Porsche and on the Thai circuit should see them put up a very strong fight for the podium if not the win.
Timetable
Friday 11th May
- 13.10 – 13.55 Blancpain GT Series Asia – Free Practice 1 45”
16.00 – 16.45 Blancpain GT Series Asia – Free Practice 2 45”
Saturday 12th May
- 09.00 – 09.30 Blancpain GT Series Asia – Official Practice 30”
10.50 – 11.05 Blancpain GT Series Asia – Qualifying 1 15”
11.15 – 11.30 Blancpain GT Series Asia – Qualifying 2 15”
14.30 – 15.30 Blancpain GT Series Asia – Race 1 60” plus leader
Sunday 13th May
- 13.00 – 14.00 Blancpain GT Series Asia – Race 2 60” plus leader
Quotes
Russell O’Hagan, Operations Director of Craft-Bamboo Racing
“It has been a busy few weeks since the first race and the team has been working hard in many different areas. We head to Buriram well prepared to maximise our chances and we are hoping for some cooler conditions to demonstrate the car’s true potential. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our partners Singha and B-Quik for the round in Thailand this weekend.”
Sandy Stuvik, #911 Porsche 911 GT3 R
“It’s always an honour and a pleasure to race in Thailand, this is a round that I am very excited for. I get a unique feeling about competing on home soil, and I aim to use this positive energy to our advantage this weekend. The goal this weekend is to finish as high up as possible in both races and collect valuable championship points.”
Shae Davies, #911 Porsche 911 GT3 R
“Like the last round in Malaysia this will be a new and exciting circuit for me. It looks great from what I have seen, and I cannot wait to hit the track on Friday. With my local teammate alongside me in car #911 I believe I will adapt quickly to the circuit.
We are coming off a hard-fought weekend last round and I believe we will continue that momentum towards the front of the grid this weekend. I look forward to getting on the ground in Buriram and working with my great CBR crew.”
Darryl O’Young, #991 Porsche 911 GT3 R
“After a tough weekend in Sepang, the team has worked really hard to find a way to improve. We struggled here last year due to the heat, but we will try and turn that around this year and see if we can take a step forward. I am looking forward to working with Aidan again and getting stronger together as a team.”
Aidan Read, #991 Porsche 911 GT3 R
“I have good memories of racing in Buriram and I’m excited to return in a Porsche. I’m confident in Craft-Bamboo’s approach to the race and believe that we can build momentum after a challenging start in Sepang. The focus will be on extracting the maximum and racing smart to fight up the grid.”
Frank Yu, #77 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
“I am really looking forward the upcoming round in Thailand. It is always one of my favourite countries to visit and the circuit is a very nice flowing circuit. We had some good results there last year and we are hoping to repeat that success this weekend.”
Jean-Marc Merlin, #77 Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR
“#77 is flying to Buriram with great memories from last year where we were the fastest in qualifying and both races. Frank and I both love the track and the special atmosphere in Thailand.”
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