The legendary Aston Martin name is set to appear on the Super Car grids when B-Quik Thailand Super Series (TSS) resumes at Chang International Circuit, Buriram, next week (27-30 October) as one of Malaysia’s leading teams, Viper Niza Racing, will enter its newly acquired Vantage GT3 and Vantage GT4.
Thai fans are in for a real treat as these exciting GT3 and GT4 cars will be chasing hard for the podium in Super Car GT3 and Super Car GTC, respectively, while Viper Niza Racing has further confirmed it will take part in the remainder of the TSS 2022 season. That all means these two cars will also be seen in action during the final round of the year, also to be held in Buriram, on 8-11 December.
After seven years racing principally in touring car and sports-prototype categories, the conclusion of LMP3 has given Viper Niza Racing a window of opportunity to set new goals and it has switched across to GT racing by acquiring GT3 and GT4 versions of the Vantage. The new cars made their debut with the team last month in the “TSS The Super Series” races supporting the Singapore Grand Prix, so pitching up in Buriram should be a relatively seamless transition.
It’s been a busy year for the team as, aside from the Singapore GP support race appearance, Viper Niza Racing has continued its endurance focus by running touring cars in the 24 Hours of Portimão in Portugal, back in July and just last month in the Hankook 24 Hours of Barcelona.
Team owner Douglas Khoo has more than 100 race starts under his belt and that tally rather usefully includes a lot of knowledge of Chang International Circuit. Following a successful debut in Singapore he will continue to drive the Vantage GT3, this time alongside long-time endurance racing partner Dominic Ang, for the 1-hour races in Buriram.
“We’re super excited to be heading back to race at Chang International Circuit,” said Khoo. “It’s like our second ‘home’ track as we have participated in many races there. The level of racing at Thailand Super Series is very high but most importantly we feel very welcomed by the organisers, participants and the racing fans every time we are there.”
The V8 twin turbo Vantage GT3 is a proven winning package having already clinched its first major GT championship title last year in Japan’s hard fought Super Taikyu Series, as well as numerous podiums in major global sportscar races. So clearly there’s a lot more potential for Viper Niza Racing to extract as they continue to get up to speed with this car.
The team will have a new driver in the Vantage GT4 for Buriram as it will be in the hands of one of Malaysia’s most promising young drivers, Adam Khalid. The 24-year-old is a familiar name in South East Asia having competed in recent years in series including the Malaysia Championship Series, TCR Asia, FIA Formula 4 SEA and Asian Formula BMW.
Khalid’s also been testing a Vantage GT4 in the UK this year ahead of a planned full British GT Championship campaign in 2023 so crucially he will arrive in Thailand with plenty of car familiarity.
Aston Martin Racing Asia Director Weiron Tan added, “We are excited to witness the participation of our partner team, Viper Niza Racing (VNR) in the remaining rounds of the B-Quik Thailand Super Series. There is very healthy growth in the series and I believe it is the championship for teams and individuals to participate in this region. Aston Martin Racing Asia will be present to continuously support VNR in its upcoming and future endeavours. We’re very much looking forward to see the progression and success of VNR in its second outing with the Vantage GT3 and GT4.”
These stunning cars are also a real shot in the arm for TSS. “First of all, I would like to say a warm welcome back to Douglas and Viper Niza Racing as we have good memories of them racing with us in TCR previously and also welcome to the series Adam,” said Preeda Tantemsapya, Vice President, B-Quik Thailand Super Series. “Clearly, we are very excited to have the Aston Martin name joining TSS, and it will be the first time this famous brand has ever been seen in Super Car GT3, so this will be a boost to our strength and diversity and of course it’s going to be a real bonus for the fans.
“It’s also a strong endorsement for TSS and so a big thank you to Douglas for choosing to race with us, we hope we will see the distinctive green and black colours of Viper Niza Racing on our grids going forward into the future,” concludes Tantemsapya.
Source. FastTrack Media
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