The dramatic battle for the LMP2 crown in Asian Le Mans season finale concluded with KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) claiming second place overall at Sepang International Circuit over the weekend.
The international motorsport group headed for Malaysia last week 4 points ahead in the series standings. Leading the team and drivers’ championship on 68 points, James Winslow was joined by Japanese racing ace Tsugio Matsuda in KCMG’s assault to claim the LMP2 title in the 3 Hours of Sepang.
The last round of the Asian racing endurance series saw the British – Japanese duo steadily move up the LMP2 leaderboard and wrapped up the final 30-minute practice session on Saturday in first position.
KCMG’s #18 blue and white Morgan – Nissan prototype went on to qualifying and topped the session in the hands of Tsugio Matsuda, marking the team’s first pole position of the season.
High temperatures were the order of the day at Sepang International Circuit as LMP2 and GT cars lined up on the grid for the 3 Hours of Sepang. After the conventional rolling start, Winslow dropped two places and had to fight his way back to second position after an intense battle with David Cheng.
As the race entered its first hour mark, Winslow came in for a quick pit stop and handed over the LMP2 to his teammate. On fresh tyres, the Japanese Super GT ace was on a mission to set fastest laps and eventually closed the gap to Ho Pin Tung, ultimately overtaking him on Lap 38.
After 3 more laps, Matsuda seized the lead from Dan Polley and pulled a huge gap between him and the #27 Oreca – Nissan. However, the Japanese driver reached the second hour mark in second position after a timed pit stop to refuel.
Dark clouds loomed over Sepang as the race approached its third hour mark. Matsuda was again leading the field with Tung constantly challenging for first position. The battle for first place continued until the Japanese driver had to pit for a set of tyres.
With only several minutes left on the clock, Matsuda was not able to take the lead back from Tung with the car’s broken suspension arm slowing his pace. In the end, the Japanese driver crossed the finish line in second position, with KCMG finishing in second place overall in the championship.
Tsugio Matsuda, KCMG Asian Le Mans Driver: “It was frustrating not to finish first as we were leading the field for so many laps. Unfortunately, we had some issues during the final stages but nonetheless it was a good race. Massive effort from everyone in the team and I’d like to thank all the people who supported us this weekend.”
James Winslow, KCMG Asian Le Mans Driver: “It was a disappointing weekend, as we were in the lead for a while. We were about 35 seconds ahead of Oak Racing but we ended up finishing in second in the race and second in the championship. Obviously, we were here to win it but we will analyse what happened and come back stronger in the future.”
Paul Ip, KCMG Managing Director: “We were aiming to win the championship and have worked hard all season to get where we were. The result that we got over the weekend was quite frustrating but that’s how it is in racing. We had a run of highs and lows but overall, it was an interesting season for the team. I’d like to commend and thank everyone who has been part of our campaign in Asian Le Mans. We’ve gained and learned a lot from this experience and we’re looking forward to coming back stronger next year.”
To find out more about the 2013 Asian Le Mans Series, visit www.asianlemansseries.com.
For more information about KCMG, visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow @KCMotorgroup on Twitter.
