KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) heads to Suzuka this weekend (24-27 October) for the 2019 TCR Japan Touring Car Series finale with their drivers in contention for the overall and gentleman titles, while Jim Ka To makes a wildcard appearance in the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
Fielding three Honda Civic Type R TCR cars in TCR Japan, KCMG and drivers Matthew Howson and Yukinori ‘Yuke’ Taniguchi head to the Japanese Grand Prix venue with a chance at the inaugural overall and gentleman class titles respectively.
2015 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Howson currently sits second in the Saturday Series and is just 24 points off the overall championship lead, with 60 points on offer at the Suzuka Circuit.
In the Gentleman class, Yuke holds a comfortable advantage at the top of the Saturday Series standings and will also fight for the combined championship, where he sits just 26 points off the lead in third.
Team founder Paul Ip will look to add more experience ahead of his GT Cup entry at the FIA Motorsport Games with Team Hong Kong, having shown promising pace in the previous two TCR Japan rounds.
Headlining the Suzuka event this weekend is the antepenultimate WTCR round, where KC Motorgroup and Ka To will enter as a wildcard, fielding a Honda Civic Type R TCR.
The Hong Kong driver has shown great potential during his Super Taikyu outings with KCMG in the Type R this year, taking a podium on the team’s debut at Suzuka and will also represent his country at the FIA Motorsport Games’ Touring Car Cup category.
The 2008 Formula Renault Asian Challenge champion joins KCMG’s full-season entries, 2019 Portugal race-winner Tiago Monteiro and 2017 TCR International Series runner-up Attila Tassi, both of who also run Honda Civic Type R TCR cars.
TCR Japan gets underway with practice on Thursday, before qualifying on Friday and both races on Saturday. WTCR starts with practice and qualifying on Friday, ahead of the opening race on Saturday before the final two races on Sunday.
Matthew Howson: “The season finale is here and at arguably the best circuit – Suzuka. The championship is going down to the wire and we’ve got some exciting new parts for my Honda, so we’re ready for an all-out fight. The weather may be unpredictable so as ever we’ll be prepared for anything. I’m looking forward to a close battle and will race with all my strength.”
Yuke Taniguchi: “Suzuka is a fantastic track and I’m looking forward to ending a great TCR Japan season here. We’re leading the Gentleman class Saturday Series and have been consistently performing at a very high level. It would also be nice to round out the Sunday Series with a good result and I feel with KCMG we can achieve this.”
Paul Ip, KCMG founder: “I’ve been very pleased with my previous performances so far in TCR Japan and can’t wait to get back on track at Suzuka. We wish both Matthew and Yuke the best of luck this weekend, as they will be fighting for their respective titles. It’s also great to have Jim Ka To racing with KC Motorgroup in WTCR this weekend. It will be his debut, but we’ve seen already that he has good pace and I have no doubt he will impress.”
Jim Ka To: “I am very happy to represent KC Motorgroup in the WTCR round from Suzuka. I’m excited to join a great championship and would like to thank the team for giving me this opportunity. We are well prepared for this race and I will try my best to get a good 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.
