Photo: KCMG
KCMG is planning to contest next year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona in the new GTD Pro class as part of the Hong Kong-flagged team’s ambitions of claiming victories in the major endurance races around the world.
The 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 class-winning squad has set its sights on IMSA’s new factory-backed category with at least one Porsche 911 GT3 R according to team principal Philippe Charissoux.
Drivers for the program have yet to be announced but will likely feature Porsche factory pilots.
KCMG’s two-car effort in this weekend’s TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa includes Laurens Vanthoor and former factory ace Nick Tandy at the helm of one entry alongside Maxime Martin.
No additional IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races are planned beyond the season-opener according to Charissoux.
“KCMG will have a GTD Pro car at the 24 Hours of Daytona next January,” he told Endurance-Info.
“The number of cars and drivers remains to be confirmed.
“After Spa, we will think about 2022. We have to give ourselves a third year at the Nürburgring [24] with Porsche.
“The idea is clearly to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the [overall] victory. When, how, with whom, that remains to be determined.”
Charissoux said team owner Paul Ip’s ambitions could also include LMDh in the future although has stressed that it remains a long-term goal.
“LMDh with Porsche makes sense,” he said. “There can be different opportunities even if you don’t know if it’s good to be there, from the start or to wait a bit.
“KCMG’s beginnings go back to 2007 and Paul is 43 years old. So we can afford to wait a bit.
“Going to Le Mans in GT can also be a step even if the idea is to eventually run in the premier class.”
Laurent Mercier contributed to this report
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