Gounon, Goetz Join Marciello for Craft-Bamboo Indy 8H Defense

Craft-Bamboo Racing will call upon Mercedes-AMG factory drivers Raffaele Marciello, Jules Gounon and Maximilian Goetz to defend its Indianapolis 8 Hour crown.

Marciello, Gounon and Goetz will pilot the No. 77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo at the eight-hour enduro at Indianapolis Motor Speedway next month.

The Hong Kong squad took its breakthrough maiden Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli win at Indianapolis last year.

Marciello, Daniel Juncadella and Silver-rated Daniel Morad beat AF Corse to a narrow victory last year, which resulted in Mercedes-AMG clinching the IGTC manufacturers’ title.

This year, the team has opted for a a lineup consisting entirely of factory drivers, which is possible after a rule mandating the inclusion of a Silver-rated driver was reversed for IGTC entries this year.

Marciello and Gounon are regular teammates in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup competition and finished second in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa this year with Akkodis ASP.

Separately, Gounon picked up a third consecutive Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour victory in February while Marciello raced with GruppeM Racing at both Bathurst and Kyalami. Goetz, meanwhile, is set for his first Indy 8 Hour appearance.

Mercedes-AMG currently sits second behind BMW in the IGTC manufacturers’ standings by nine points, with the Munich marque leaping ahead after its victory in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in July.

GruppeM Completes Pro Line-Up in Seven-Car Mercedes Entry 

Craft-Bamboo is joined on the Indianapolis grid by a second Pro-class entry from GruppeM Racing.

The Kenny Chen-led squad will field the No. 999 Mercedes for Maro Engel, Daniel Juncadella and Luca Stolz.

Engel and Juncadella formed part of GruppeM’s lineup for the 24 Hours of Spa, a race which Stolz contested with Al Manar Racing.

Mikael Grenier, who teamed with Engel and Juncadella at Spa, joins Kenny Habul aboard the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes with yet-to-be-confirmed third driver.

The remainder of Mercedes’ seven-car entry for the event consists of Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS squads. In addition to being a round of the IGTC, the Indy 8 Hour also acts as the Fanatec GT season finale.

Nolan Siegel joins George Kurtz and Colin Braun aboard the No. 04 CrowdStrike by Riley car, while DXDT Racing has called upon Tom Sargent and Philip Ellis to complete its lineups.

TR3 Racing enters a single Am-class Mercedes for Jon Branam and Paul Kiebler, with their third driver also not yet confirmed.