B-Quik Absolute Racing is pleased to announce a four strong Audi R8 GT3 LMS evo II roster for TSS The Super Series 2023.
It builds on a highly successful 2022 season, which netted the team the Super Car GT3 Drivers’ and Teams’ titles, and B-Quik Absolute has retained the bulk of the drivers that combined so well to deliver those crowns with some very exciting new additions coming into the mix.
Leading the charge when Round 1 gets underway at Buriram’s Chang International Circuit later this week will be the #26 Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II which will feature an unchanged driver lineup of Henk Kiks and Eshan Pieris.
This blend of the winning experience of Dutchman Kiks with the rapidly developing pace of young Sri Lankan hotshot Pieris combined explosively to last year to quickly get into the groove and deliver a string of podium finishes.
The team fully expects this well-rounded pairing to take the next step forward this season and reach the top step of the podium as well as providing significant and consistent Teams’ championship points.
A very exciting new partnership arises after a driver tweak to the #25 Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II where the reigning GT3 Drivers’ champion, Akash Nandy, who sensationally clinched the crown last year in what was his rookie year in the series, will be joined by Adisak Tangphuncharoen, who graduates to GT3 after a season driving a Porsche Cayman in GT4.
But more than just that, Tangphuncharoen is the first member of the B-Quik Junior Programme to reach the top tier after a five-year career that has seen him race in key national support categories, including Super Eco, Toyota Motorsport and the Honda City One Make Race, before his year in GT4.
The ambition of the B-Quik Junior Programme is to select technicians from the more than two hundred B-Quik service centres nationwide and groom them for stardom.
Tangphuncharoen is the first driver from more than a dozen technical staff that made final selections from several intakes to reach the highest rung of Thai national motorsport, Super Car GT3.
With clear talent shining through and a close season programme of Audi testing behind him, all eyes will be firmly focused on how quickly Tangphuncharoen can get to grips with the rigors of the GT3 level, especially as Nandy will be very much looking to keep hold of his title. The Malaysian also steps up to become an Audi Sport Asia driver this year.
Back for a second season in Super Car GT3 will be Vicente Floriendo in the #55 Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II and 2022 certainly saw a string of eye-catching results from the former double Filipino GT champion and we’re also pleased that former Formula One star and Audi Sport driver Markus Winkelhock, who joined Floriendo for the closing races of last season, will continue into this year as the pair build on a partnership that clearly holds huge promise.
Finally, there are a pair of all new names to TSS in the #13 Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II where Cheng Congfu will team up Sun Jingzu.
Audi Sport Asia driver Cheng is a seasoned racing driver with a wealth of experience in GT racing. The former Le Mans 24 Hours and DTM driver is looking to continue forward from his championship-winning 2022 season where, in an Absolute-run Audi, he clinched the China GT Championship GT3 title.
Sun, on the other hand, is one of the quickest gentleman drivers in China and has solid experience in GT3. Due to pandemic restrictions, he hasn’t raced as frequently as he would have liked in the last couple of years and both will be looking to get into the groove quickly and make their mark this coming weekend.
In Super Car GT4 Iaro Razanakoto and Chanon Asavasangsidhi will join forces to drive a full season in the #88 Porsche Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, reuniting a line-up that has enjoyed huge success in categories on the way up the racing ladder in recent years.
The first round of TSS The Super Series by B-Quik 2023 gets underway at Chang International Circuit on Friday (21 April), followed by Qualifying and Race 1 the next day (Saturday 22 April) and then Race 2 (Sunday 23 April). All Races are 1 hour duration.
Source. FastTrack Media
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