KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) earned a dramatic podium finish in the Fuji Super TEC 24 Hours, with Edoardo Liberati clinching third thanks to some excellent late overtaking moves.
For Round 2 of the 2023 Super Taikyu Series campaign, the team’s usual trio of Paul Ip, Marchy Lee Ying-Kin and Ho-Pin Tung were joined by Liberati and Josh Burdon, one week after their strong drive to second place in the SP10 class at the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring.
In partnership with A Bathing Ape (BAPE), the #202 Honda NSX GT3 was wrapped in a camouflage livery, making it stand out on track as the team secured fourth on the grid in qualifying.
Battling the demanding Fuji circuit, all five drivers drove well during the day and night, with pace and reliability strong throughout. However, penalties set the team back in their pursuit for victory.
In the final hour, Italian racer Liberati took the wheel and put in a fantastic final stint, making a decisive move with just five minutes remaining to snatch third and a podium finish.
PAUL IP KCMG FOUNDER
“I’m very proud of the whole team this weekend, we had a lot of challenges throughout the race, but the spirit of this crew is incredible and we did everything we could to secure the podium. The car was reliable and quick so a big thank you to Honda as well. Josh and Edo were great additions to the team, their experience in top-level GT3 racing and their raw speed really helped throughout the weekend. Now our focus turns to Round 3 at Sugo and picking up another strong result there.”
MARCHY LEE YING-KIN
“It’s great to finish in the top-three, it was a tough race but the KCMG crew did an outstanding job. We never gave up and kept ourselves in with a chance despite some difficulties, and Edo drove superbly in the final hour to clinch third. We’re now looking forward to the next round in Sugo and building on this result.”
HO-PIN TUNG
“What a race! Before the season started, we saw this as a highlight for us and to finish P3 is amazing. To take a podium in a 24-hour event is always very special, it requires preparation, motivation, dedication and a bit of luck, something we had this weekend. It was a brilliant team effort and I’m very proud of our achievement.”
JOSH BURDON
“It was a pleasure to compete for KCMG at the Fuji 24 Hours and great to stand on the podium. It was a tough race with a lot of obstacles to overcome but we never gave up. Wishing the team all the best in the remaining rounds of the season!”
EDOARDO LIBERATI
“I’m really happy to take an overall podium at Fuji and so proud of this team, we kept pushing despite setbacks throughout the race. Special mention to Paul, who drove a great night shift with no mistakes and a big thanks to KCMG and my teammates.”
Media enquiries: Cristina Villar
Email address: cristina@kcmg.com.hk
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow on Twitter and Instagram.
About KCMG
KC Motorgroup Ltd (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organisations around the world to provide unrivalled motorsport services, equipment, team management and quality distribution in the automotive industry. This includes the FIA Motorsport Games, where KCMG is the official supplier of hybrid F4 cars, and the KCMG Driver Development Project. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk.
