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Intercontinental GT Challenge

Triple Eight Planning Suzuka 10H Entry with Van Gisbergen

Suzuka 10 Hour Triple Eight entry in the works with van Gisbergen and Prince Jefri Ibrahim…

Photo: SRO

Triple Eight Race Engineering is planning to enter a Pro-Am class Mercedes-AMG GT3 in this year’s Suzuka 10 Hours with Shane van Gisbergen as part of the driver lineup.

Team principal Roland Dane confirmed to Sportscar365 the Australian outfit is working on an entry for Round 3 of the Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli.

In addition to the team’s GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS campaign, the Suzuka one-off will be run together with His Highness Prince Jefri Ibrahim of the Johor Royal Family, who will also form part of the driving squad with van Gisbergen.

Should the entry be confirmed for the Aug. 21-23 event, Dane said it will be run in the Pro-Am class, meaning the team’s third driver would need to be Bronze rated per IGTC regulations.

“We haven’t done an entry yet but we’ve confirmed in our own minds that we’re doing it as a Pro-Am entry with Prince Jefri in the car for a Pro-Am entry at the 10 Hours,” Dane told Sportscar365.

“The intention is Shane will be in the car,” he added.

Dane also underlined that the “principle aim” for its GT program is GTWC Asia, with the team returning for the full six-event season of which van Gisbergen will contest five.

Triple Eight has entered two Mercedes-AMG GT3s in this weekend’s Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour, the first round of the IGTC, including an all-Pro car featuring van Gisbergen, Jamie Whincup and Maximilian Gotz.

Slade Perrins is an Australian-based reporter for Sportscar365. Perrins won the 2019 Virgin Australia Supercars 'Young Gun Award' for journalism for his work with speedcafe.com.

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