Weekly Racing Roundup (1.14.19)

KÜS Team75 Bernhard Set for GT3, GT4 Entries, Junior Karting Program

KÜS Team75 Bernhard is set for an expanded program in ADAC competition this season, with the Timo Bernhard-led squad committing to GT Masters and GT4 Germany in addition to its new junior team competing in karting series.

Team75 Bernhard will field two new Porsche 911 GT3 Rs in GT Masters and also plans to run the new Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 in the new GT4 Germany support series.

Porsche factory driver and team owner Bernhard has recently joined the board of trustees at the ADAC Sports Foundation to work to support talented newcomers to racing.

Junior Team75 will work in partnership with Lanari Racing Team in the ADAC Kart Masters series, and has so far signed 13-year-old Daniel Gregor.

The kart team will also compete in the European Karting Championship and German Youth Kart Championship.

“I think it’s great that the Team75 livery will now also be seen in karting,” said Bernhard. “My father and I feel a strong connection to karting, which plays a key role as a classic entry level for professional motorsport. 

“Team Lanari and our first driver Daniel Gregor are a solid combination for the first year of Junior Team75. And I think that the package will be attractive for other young drivers as well.”

Three Honda NSX GT3s Confirmed for Super GT

A trio of Honda NSX GT3s will contest the GT300 class in Super GT this season, in addition to Honda’s five NSX-GTs in the top GT500 class.

Team UpGarage, Modulo Drago Corse and Autobacs Racing Team Aguri will each run one car, while CarGuy Racing could also enter one.

Ryo Michigami and Hiroki Otsu will return to the Modulo Drago Corse car they competed in last season in the only unchanged lineup.

Team UpGarage makes the switch to Honda after running a Toyota 86 MC in 2018, with Takeshi Kobayashi and Kosuke Matsuura set to drive.

Autobacs Racing Team Aguri, which also runs a GT500 Honda, competed in GT300 with a BMW M6 GT3 last year but will run a GT3 Honda for Shinichi Takagi and Nirei Fukuzumi.

News & Notes

***Michael Kertscher has been promoted to president and general manager of Road America, replacing George Bruggenthies. Kertscher joined Road America in 2007 and has since worked as programs manager, director and vice president of business development, and, most recently, senior vice president.

***Optimum Motorsport has confirmed two Aston Martin Vantage GT4s for British GT Championship, with the first driven by Jack Butel and Connor O’Brien. TF Sport, meanwhile, has added a second Aston Martin GT4 with a lineup that includes British Touring Car Championship regular Josh Price.

***The Ferrari 488 GT3 claimed its 200th race victory in last weekend’s Asian Le Mans Series round at Buriram. Kei Cozzolino, Takeshi Kimura and factory driver James Calado led the majority of the four-hour race to take their third win of the season and seal a new milestone for the 488 package, which debuted in 2016.

***Paul Tracy is set to make his first race appearance since 2013 in next month’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, as reported by Speedcafe. The 2003 Champ Car series champion is set to drive for MARC Cars Australia in the Invitational class of the Australian endurance event with former Supercars racer Phil Morris and car owner Keith Kassulke. Tracy, 50, last competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona six years ago, driving a Doran Racing Riley-Ford DP.

Jake Kilshaw and Dan Lloyd contributed to this report.