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Intercontinental GT Challenge

KCMG Sets Largely Unchanged Lineup for Bathurst 12H

KCMG sets largely unchanged lineup for second Bathurst 12H assault…

Photo: SRO

KCMG has kept six drivers from its 2019 Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli lineup onboard for its two-car effort at next week’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

The Hong Kong-based team will return for a second attempt at the Australian endurance race with a pair of Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3s and a largely unchanged lineup.

Four of the five drivers who competed in every IGTC round last year return: Katsumasa Chiyo, Josh Burdon, Edoardo Liberati and Alexandre Imperatori, alongside Joao Paulo de Oliveira and Tsugio Matsuda.

In addition to the four drivers who competed full-season last year, de Oliveira and Matsuda also made appearances, on three occasions for the Japanese driver and at Kyalami for the Brazilian. 

Chiyo, Burdon and Matsuda will reunite in one car, forming the same lineup that KCMG fielded at Bathurst last year as well as Spa and Suzuka.

The second car will be shared by returning pairing Imperatori and Liberati alongside Bathurst debutant de Oliveira.

“It’s exciting!” said de Oliveira. “I’m very happy to team up with Alex and Edo for this mega event.

“It will be my first time in the Mountain, besides iRacing of course, and I look forward to racing on one of the world’s most challenging tracks.

“Certainly, one of GT3’s most prestigious events. I can’t wait!”

KCMG is yet to reveal plans for the rest of the IGTC season, but is only expected to run the Nissans at Bathurst.

It will run Porsches at the Nürburgring but no word has been made on whether its Porsches could be fielded in additional IGTC races later in the year.

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.

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