Triple Eight Racing will extend its operations outside Australia as a Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia program is confirmed for 2019, adding to what is already a busy schedule with Supercars and Super2 touring car series.
The move to Asia will be with a well known machine for them, as the Mercedes AMG GT3 will be used for the full season, coming from an enjoyable run at the Bathurst 12 Hour, where Triple Eight finished fourth overall. Before that, the team also ran at Bathurst in association with other teams, so they know a thing or two about GT racing and this will help them in the campaign to come, and they will count with a partnership with Johor Motorsports Racing to make things easier.
The lineup will count with Jefri Ibrahim, Prince of the Johor Royal Family and owner of the Johor Motorsports Racing, alongside Mercedes driver Jazeman Jaafar and Blancpain GT Endurance champion Shane van Gisbergen. While Ibrahim will take part in all six rounds of the series, Jaafar and van Gisbergen will race in three events each.
Jaafar and van Gisbergen have their fair share of GT3 racing, especially in Blancpain GT, and although racing together now, they raced against each other in the 2016 Endurance Cup, when van Gisbergen claimed the title with McLaren and Garage 59 by a single point over Jaafar, at the time with HTP Motorsport. Add to it that van Gisbergen has some good mileage in the Mercedes AMG GT3, acquired in between his McLaren commitments, so Ibrahim will be aided by a knowledgeable duo.
Triple Eight will be only the second Australian team to join Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia, as AMAC Motorsport already announced its continuation in the series with a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo for Andrew MacPherson and Benjamin Porter.
PHOTO: Triple Eight Race Engineering
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