KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) claimed their second consecutive LMP2 victory after Richard Bradley, Matt Howson and Nick Tandy delivered stellar performances in the Nissan-powered ORECA 05 coupe at FIA World Endurance Championship’s debut race on Nurburgring’s unforgiving 5.148km circuit. In front of 62,000 spectators, the British trio consistently demonstrated blistering pace and impressive control of the #47 LMP2 throughout the six-hour race in Germany’s famed motorsport track.
In sweltering conditions, Nick Tandy’s superb start from pole opened up a healthy margin over the rest of the LMP2 field and posted the fastest time of 1m47.290s in the process. The Hong Kong-based squad only lost the lead when the #47 prototype went in for its second scheduled pit stop.
Matt Howson’s efforts to retake the lead pulled off after outmaneuvering G-Drive Racing’s Romain Rusinov. Just as the race entered its four-hour mark, Gustavo Yacaman’s #28 Ligier was also challenging Howson for the top LMP2 spot. But true to form, the British driver successfully defended his position until the #47 ORECA 05 had to come in for full service pit stop.
Richard Bradley started his stint from sixth place in class, but regained another commanding lead for KCMG after steadily clocking quick lap times. Bradley continued to impress as his flawless performance in the stunning metallic blue ORECA 05 resulted in a comfortable advantage before handing the car over to Tandy, who brought the #47 LMP2 home, with over a minute’s margin – further extending KCMG’s lead in the LMP2 championship standings by 15 points.
Richard Bradley: “It’s a great feeling to win
two races in a row and consolidate our lead in the world championship. We did a fantastic job to improve the car and we can be happy on how well we worked as a team to make the car work the way it did. The team did a fantastic job and the three of us completed perfect stints and it was great to be able to conclude the weekend with great results.”
Matt Howson: “The Nurburgring race was a superb victory and one of KCMG’s finest! It is our first race back after winning at Le Mans and we were able to largely control the race again after a nice fight with G-Drive. Huge thanks to my teammates who put in superb stints, our engineer Greg for an amazing car and the team who never put a foot wrong! Championship lead extended, roll on Austin!”
Nick Tandy: “What a fantastic race! At the end of the day we did an excellent job for a six-hour race and equal seven stints we managed to stretch the fuel, which was a concern before the race. We pulled a gap at the start and by the time I was in the car at the end, Richard and Matt have done such a great job. My work was very easy at the end of the race, so it was a fantastic team effort and its great to continue our winning run- both KCMG and myself.”
To find out more about the FIA World Endurance Championship, visit www.fiawec.com.
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates ‘Like’ KCMG’s Facebook page or follow @KCMotorgroup on Twitter and Instagram.
