JAS Confirms Honda NSX GT3 Lineup for California 8H

Photo: Honda

JAS Motorsport has confirmed the driver lineup for its Honda NSX GT3 effort in the California 8 Hours, with Renger van der Zande, Bertrand Baguette and Mario Farnbacher set to pilot the factory entry.

The March 30 enduro at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca will mark the first outing for the new entry, which is committed to the remainder of the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli season.

All three drivers have previous experience with the mid-engined sports car, with van der Zande having driven for the team in the 2017 FIA GT World Cup in Macau, while Baguette was part of the JAS-run effort in last year’s Total 24 Hours of Spa.

Farnbacher, meanwhile, is a former IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race-winner in the Acura with Meyer Shank Racing, who he drives full-time for in the series this year.

It’s understood the team’s driver lineup will likely change on a race-by-race basis for the remaining IGTC rounds at Spa, Suzuka and Kyalami.

“We are very pleased to confirm our presence in the Intercontinental GT Challenge this year, which underlines our growing commitment to GT3 racing and provides an opportunity to showcase the performance of the NSX GT3 Evo to several key new markets across the world,” said Masashi Yamamoto, general manager motorsport division at Honda Motor.

“Through the NSX GT3 Customer Racing Program, launched in 2017, we are delighted to see a growing number of cars competing in domestic and international GT3 racing and through this new program, featuring a strong team and an exciting driver line-up, we have an excellent opportunity to add to the growing number of successes being achieved by the car.”

Baguette and Marco Bonanomi were quickest at the Blancpain GT Series pre-season test earlier this week, driving an NSX GT3 under the Honda Racing banner.

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