KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) heads to the Okayama International Circuit for the finale of Japanese endurance series Super Taikyu, with drivers Matt Howson, Jim Ka To and Paul Ip aiming for a successful end to the 2019 season on board the #501 Honda Civic Type R TCR.
A week on from its involvement in the inaugural FIA Motorsport Games in Vallelunga, Rome, Hong Kong squad KCMG returns to Okayama in high spirits, fielding its podium scoring line-up from the Super Taikyu opener in Suzuka.
British driver Howson celebrated the TCR Japanese Touring Car Championship overall and Saturday Series’ titles just under a fortnight ago, and has been part of KCMG’s Super Taikyu programme throughout the season. The 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 winner has recent TCR Japan experience in Okayama, having also raced there during the 2011 and 2012 Japanese Formula 3 Championships.
Ka To has continued to gain experience in TCR machinery and contested the recent WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup round in Suzuka. The 2008 Formula Renault Asian Challenge champion also performed strongly for Hong Kong in the FIA Motorsport Games, taking his Honda Civic Type R TCR to an overall top 10 against several proven touring car drivers.
KCMG founder Ip also comes to Okayama fresh from the Motorsport Games, in which he took an impressive sixth in the GT Cup class. The Hong Kong driver utilised the second half of this year’s TCR Japan campaign to gain further experience of the Type R, showing promising pace by qualifying in the top five overall in the Suzuka finale.
The practice and qualifying sessions for the Super Taikyu finale take place on Saturday, with the main three-hour race getting underway on Sunday at 13:10 (local, GMT+9).
Matt Howson: “As we head to the final Super Taikyu event in Okayama we hope to finish the season in winning style and take our first TCR class victory in the series. At times we’ve been the fastest car out there but haven’t had too much luck, so fresh off the back of winning the TCR Japan championship with KCMG I’m confident we can finally bring everything together and score a victory.”
Jim Ka To: “I’m very happy to be doing the final Super Taikyu race in Okayama. I have missed a few races this year, but I’m confident that we can improve on our best result of third in Suzuka to fight for victory. I really like the championship and hope we will return for more races in 2020.”
Paul Ip, KCMG Founder: “We’re looking forward to ending the 2019 Super Taikyu season on a high this weekend in Okayama. Since our last race together as a driver trio, we’ve all had much more experience and are in a better position to challenge for victory. Matt and Jim have shown this year that they have great pace in the Honda, with both impressing in their respective events. I’m excited to be back behind the wheel, particularly after a strong FIA Motorsport Games performance.”
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.
