KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) driver Earl Bamber enjoyed a strong showing on his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, despite the team having to retire the #21 Chevrolet due to damage sustained from an impact with the barriers 10 laps from the finish at the Daytona Road Course.
In partnership with Richard Childress Racing, KCMG entered the UNOH 188 with two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Bamber, who has experience of the Daytona International Speedway having made six 24-hour appearances, including three podium finishes.
Bamber had no track time before heading straight into race day at the Florida venue, with the New Zealander looking to quickly get up to pace, starting 29th on the 38-car grid.
Within the action-packed opening few laps, Bamber climbed 26 places to be inside the top three and by the end of Stage 1 was classified as fifth, awarding the 2017 World Endurance Champion six Xfinity championship points.
Over the next stage, Bamber continued to fight in the top 10 positions, and picked up another four points in seventh heading into the final chapter of the 52-lap race. However, Bamber went wide at the bus stop chicane, hitting a bump that threw the KCMG Chevrolet into the barriers, which forced him into an early retirement.
Earl Bamber: “That was a wild first race to say the least in the KCMG Chevrolet. We had a really good first stage. Our car was really strong on the short run. In the second stint we were getting it tuned up, but on the long runs we just didn’t have any drive-off. I made a bit of a hash on the second stop when I didn’t have the wheel turned right, so that was a bit of shame for the guys. In the final stage I wheel hopped in the chicane. The car picked up and went in the air before going into the wall. I’m really gutted for the guys. They put such a huge effort into the car, which was awesome. Thank you to RCR, KCMG, and Chevrolet for getting us onto the grid, I absolutely loved it. It’s such a challenge to drive these cars, so I’ll definitely have to get out and give it another go sometime. Overall, it’s a shame on the result, but definitely had a few good stages there.”
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.
