Car Guy Calls Off GTE-Am Plans Due to Travel Restrictions

Photo: MPS Agency

Car Guy Racing has called off plans to contest the FIA World Endurance Championship next year due to the ongoing travel restrictions related to COVID-19.

The Japanese squad was due to step up for a full-season WEC effort in a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in GTE-Am, with support from AF Corse, but featuring a number of its own mechanics.

Autosport Japan reports the team had already purchased a GTE-spec Ferrari chassis and had sent its own crew to Michelotto in Italy to prepare for the 2021 season.

However, those plans have since been axed, according to team owner Takeshi Kimura.

“The coronavirus’s infection is raging around the world and it’s difficult to travel around the world with Japanese drivers and mechanics, so I have given up on [our] participation in WEC,” said Kimura in a statement on Facebook.

While ruling out a full-season run, the team has still set its sights of being on the grid at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, potentially through an auto-invite for its participation in the Asian Le Mans Series.

Kimura confirmed it will still enter a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 in the Asian series, which will be exclusively held at Yas Marina Circuit in a condensed four-round season in February.

The team, however, did not appear on the provisional entry list that was released last week.

“We have started the movement to collaborate with the overseas team and drivers to minimize the trip of Japanese drivers and mechanics,” Kimura explained.

Car Guy won the 2018-19 Asian title in the GT class that allowed them to make its Le Mans debut later that year, followed up by a second appearance in the French endurance classic, although under the MR Racing banner.

Drivers have yet to be announced for its Asian Le Mans program.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John