B-Quik is ready to kick off the new racing season this coming weekend at Sepang International Circuit when the first Thailand Super Series round of the year takes place.
We will enter four cars in Sepang which will be spread out very evenly with one entry each in Super Car GTM Plus, Super Car GTM, Super Car GTC and TA2 Thailand.
In Super Car GTM Plus we will debut our new Audi R8 GT3 which we have just acquired as it conforms to Super Car GTM Plus regulations which permit GT3 homologated cars up to the end of 2014.
It means that after spending the inaugural season of GTM Plus racing our long serving MY2011 Audi R8 ‘Cup’ versions which were too underpowered for the category we will finally have a racecar that suits the regulations. Despite running the ‘Cup’ specification car last year we fought tooth and nail for every meter of track and in the end came away with the Teams’ title – having led the classification all year – as well as a truly sensational victory in the final race of the year held in pouring rain.
In Sepang this weekend Henk J Kiks and Daniel Bilski will share our new R8 GT3, meaning our two highly experienced Super Car drivers, who know the Malaysian track inside out, will go into action together.
The opening round will be 1-hour duration meaning drivers can share cars and that’s a perfect solution for us as Henk’s new car for this season will only arrive soon after the weekend. It means that both drivers will be eligible to score maximum championship points.
The last time Henk and Daniel were sharing an Audi at this circuit we won the Sepang 12 Hours, back in 2016, so hopefully that’s a very good sign. In fact, the three occasions that we have entered the Sepang 12 Hours we have three podiums that break down to a P1, P2 and P3 – and each time Henk and Daniel made up two thirds of the driver line-up.
While these two drivers have plenty of experience driving GT3 versions of the Audi R8, our Australian has also previously raced the Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3 and Nissan GT-R GT3, and most recently, in fact just earlier this month drove the new generation Audi R8 GT3 car during the Audi Sport R8 Cup one make series’ opener on the Adelaide Street Circuit where he turned in two blistering drives, so the close season cobwebs are well and truly blown off and he’s good to go.
In Super Car GTM we’re pleased to welcome Alif Hamdan to the team for the first time. The Malaysian hot shot is back in a GT car for the first time in two years so he needs to bed into our team but he knows the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup inside out having raced this car previously in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia as well as to a class podium in the Sepang 12 Hours. Sepang is his ‘home’ circuit so we expect him to be bidding for the podium.
For Super Car GTC we’re delighted that Ian Geekie is returning for another season, the veteran Australian driver having raced for us last year in the category behind the wheel of a Porsche 996 GT3 Cup.
This year he will upgrade to a ‘997-generation’ version, he knows all the tracks on the TSS calendar now plus has vast previous experience of Sepang – it’s “more or less my home track” he says – while he’s been on both the overall podium and a class winner in the prestigious Sepang 12 Hours before so we expect him to be right in the hunt for points at every race.
In TA2 Thailand we will enter our new Camaro TA2 for Narin Naeosathon who came out on top during our Driver Evaluation Programme earlier this month. After a year racing one of our Honda Brio cars in Super Eco he has a big step to make this weekend in Sepang but we’re confident he can deliver.
This programme is all about driver development so our target is for Narin to get comfortable with the big Camaro and start to understand and unlock its potential. Our new ‘Bumblebee Camaro’ was given a few laps at Sepang on Tuesday by non-other than Alex Yoong.
The track action gets underway on tomorrow (Thursday 29 March) with Paid Practice before the Thailand Super Series programme kicks off with Free Practice and Qualifying on Friday (30 March) which gives way to races taking place on Saturday (31 March) and Sunday (1 April).
And finally – the weather. It’s been mixed so far this week in Sepang and the forecast is for rain this weekend, with thunderstorms on Sunday. So that will be an extra variable in the mix – but one all our drivers will relish.
Henk J. Kiks: “We’re pretty excited to get the new season underway and it’s great to be back at Sepang with TSS after a break of a few years. We have a new car and it’s going to be fun sharing with Daniel but we will all have to learn very fast to extract the full potential which hopefully we can do and get a good result. It’s been a long break since the end of last season so I’m raring to be back in the cockpit.”
Daniel Bilski: “I am truly thrilled and honoured to be continuing with B-Quik Racing in TSS. Every year the team evolves further, builds on past successes and takes on new challenges with absolute determination. The best part is, we have a lot of fun and enjoy pushing each other to higher levels. After an exceptional year last year, the 2018 TSS season will pose our biggest challenge ever, with new cars, new drivers, and new race formats. Sepang is sort of my ‘home track’ after having raced there for more than ten consecutive years, including six 12-hour races with six podiums, so to be driving our new car there for the first time will be quite special. I can’t thank Henk, the B-Quik organisation and all of our partners enough for making it all possible.”
Ian Ross Geekie: “I am very happy and excited to continue to race with B-Quik Racing for a second season. This year we are stepping up to a 997 Cup car and I’m confident of improving on last season. I can’t wait to get started and thanks to B-Quik Racing for the opportunity. Sepang is more or less my home track and I have had some success there over the past years.”
Alif Hamdan: “I’ve had a two and a bit year sabbatical from GT racing, as all the work I’ve been getting in Malaysia recently meant I’ve got stuck into touring cars and road cars coming through Sepang circuit. I’ve managed to get things together to do one round of TSS at the start of the season, so hopefully with that I can show my speed again and hopefully market myself and continue the season with a bit of support. I’m not sure what I can do yet because TSS is a special series and there are a lot of modified GT cars in there so I guess it depends on the competition, what the competition has. But I’m told the car is a podium capable car so hopefully I can do a good job and get on the podium.”
Narin Naeosathon: “I’m very excited because this is my big step with the Camaro in TA2 and also my first time to race in Sepang. The Camaro is an excellent car, with good acceleration and a lot power. However, it’s pretty different from the car I’ve been racing so far so I need to acclimate to the car and get ready for this race.”
Source. Edd Ellison
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