KCMG has named Super GT legend Tsugio Matsuda and former GT Academy winner Florian Strauss amongst its Nissan GT3 line-up for this year’s Blancpain GT Series Asia campaign, which gets underway at Sepang next weekend .
The Hong Kong-based squad revealed in February its plans to enter two new-for-2018 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3s before also confirming the return of its Am Cup regulars Naoto Takeda and Takuya Shirasaka aboard an Audi R8 LMS GT3.
Now, just a week before the opening round, KCMG has unveiled its two Nissan crews.
Double Super GT and Formula Nippon champion Matsuda is scheduled to contest the series’ opening rounds in Malaysia and Thailand before handing over to former FIA WEC co-driver and 2012 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion Alexandre Imperatori for the remaining four events. Both will partner amateur driver Yukinori Taniguchi in the team’s #18 GT-R.
“I’m very happy to once again represent KCMG, this time in Blancpain GT Series Asia running the new Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3,” Matsuda said. “I have been part of the KCMG family since 2014 and have raced for them in Asian Le Mans Series, FIA WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans and I’m confident that the entire crew, from the mechanics to our engineers, will do a great job to provide me and my team-mates with a winning package this season.
“I’d like to thank KCMG Founder Paul Ip and Head of Motorsport Ryuji Doi for giving me this opportunity to once again represent the team. I cannot wait for the season to start and looking forward to seeing you all at Sepang!”
The team’s Silver Cup pairing is also strong, with German ace Strauss partnering Edoardo Liberati. Strauss has remained a NISMO Athlete since winning Nissan GT Academy in 2013 and has gone on to claim overall victory at the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour as well as racing the GT-R GT3 in the European Blancpain GT Series.
Meanwhile, his Italian co-driver Liberati has accrued a wealth of GT racing experience all over the world in championships like Lamborghini Super Trofeo, Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, International GT Open and Blancpain Endurance Series. However, his crowning achievement remains winning the 2016 GT Asia title.
“I’m really happy to join KCMG in this new challenge with NISMO,” he said. “It will be a very intensive season and we’ve started to test the new car. This new challenge is a great chance for me to once again race in the region after winning GT Asia in 2016. It’s good to be back in this environment – I like the atmosphere and extremely enjoy the circuits. I’d like to extend my massive thanks to NISMO and KCMG for this opportunity and their confidence in me.”
