KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) successfully completed its 24 Hours of Spa debut with both Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 cars, scoring 16th and 25th in the Pro class.
Beginning the race week with the traditional parade from the circuit to Spa city centre for the drivers’ autograph session, as well as launching its new Formula 4 car for the FIA Motorsport Games, KCMG’s two Nissans got on track for free practice.
Although traffic prevented the #18 machine from progressing into Super Pole, the #35 made it inside the top 20 after the four qualifying sessions.
Progressing through the field was FIA World Endurance Championship race winner Oliver Jarvis following a safety car start and early wet running. Further positions were gained when the #18 Nissan was handed over to 2016 GT Asia champion Edoardo Liberati, but he was forced to pit due to an issue with the rear lights.
With Nürburgring 24 Hours podium finisher Alexandre Imperatori behind the wheel, KCMG reached the top 10 overall approaching the six-hour mark but contact and a puncture after Jarvis returned to the car dropped them back down the order.
As the night fell, the rain returned to the point where the race was suspended shortly beyond the half-way mark, with green flag racing not resuming until five hours remained.
Despite further contact after being hit in the slippery conditions, Jarvis continued to progress, with Imperatori bringing the car across the line 16th in the Pro class.
2015 Bathurst 12 Hour winner Katsumasa Chiyo on board the #35 car was unfortunate in the opening stages as an oil slick caused another competitor to hit him, damaging his exhaust system and forcing him into the pits. Having emerged seven laps behind the leader, the remainder of the race would be a recovery drive.
Strong stints by double Super Formula and Formula Nippon champion Tsugio Matsuda and Joshua Burdon to not only survive the treacherous conditions, but also rise through the order with front-running pace, brought them up to 25th in class despite numerous safety car periods towards the end of the race.
The next stop on the Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar for KCMG is Nissan’s home event at the Suzuka 10 Hours on 23-25 August.
Alexandre Imperatori, #18 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3: “We overcame some of the craziest conditions I have ever driven and got both cars to the finish. That’s something to be proud of so a great effort by the whole KCMG team. Thanks to my team-mates for a flawless job. We were strong in the dry although struggled for grip in some of the wet parts of the race, but I feel good for Nissan’s home event at Suzuka.”
Edoardo Liberati, #18 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3: “Our result is not a perfect reflection of our potential as a team, but with the weather conditions not favourable to us this was the maximum we could get. I’m really proud to have finished without mistakes in crazy conditions, I didn’t get the opportunity to drive in the dry all race. Thanks to KCMG and my team-mates for a great effort.”
Oliver Jarvis, #18 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3: “That was one of the toughest 24-hour races I’ve ever done. The conditions in the night were almost undriveable, thankfully it was red-flagged because the visibility was absolutely zero. We had aspirations to be higher than 16th, at times the performance was comparable to the front-runners, maybe even a top five was possible had everything gone to plan. Huge thanks to Paul Ip and the whole team who did a fantastic job, getting both cars across the line in such difficult circumstances is a real achievement. Now we get some rest and look forward to the next one in Suzuka.”
Tsugio Matsuda, #35 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3: “It’s great that we could finish the 24 Hours of Spa. Although there were many positives to take away, I understand the difficulty of this legendary event. I would like to thank KCMG for giving me the opportunity to compete in such a great race and next year we hope to put on a stronger challenge.”
Katsumasa Chiyo, #35 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3: “I had bad luck in the beginning of the race and lost several laps. But after this we basically did the same lap times as the leaders. The team did a great job, the stops were always quick and we managed to recover some time from the early incident, which I think was the best that could be done. My team-mates did such a good job in tough conditions with the heavy rain and I’m very much looking forward to Suzuka.”
Joshua Burdon, #35 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3: “What a bizarre race. The weather during the night made for the worst driving conditions I have ever experienced. It was disappointing for our car to be hit and receive damage within the first hour, although after that our pace was strong enough for the top 10. I’m really proud of the weekend we put together.”
Paul Ip, KCMG Founder: “We can be extremely pleased with our maiden 24 Hours of Spa outing. Although there were some unlucky moments at times, we have learned where to make improvements and how to come back even stronger. Perhaps if the weather had been a little kinder to us a better result would have been on the table. We’re now focusing on the Suzuka 10 Hours, a big race for us as it is Nissan’s home event so we hope to bring them a strong result.”
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.
Who is 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. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk.
