Craft Bamboo Racing in final GT Asia Championship battle
The entire 2015 GT Asia Series championship has boiled down to the final round in Thailand this weekend, where Craft-Bamboo Racing will be fighting to take both the drivers’ and teams’ championship at the Chang International Circuit. #99 VLT driver, Darryl O’Young, is four points clear of his closest competitor after a stunning double win in Shanghai with teammate, Daniel Lloyd. The pair will be looking to make a repeat of their performance this weekend to seal the drivers’ championship and help Craft-Bamboo Racing to close the gap in the teams’ championship. Richard Lyons and Frank Yu will be hoping for a better weekend after a tough round in Shanghai but the pair is positive that they can deliver the results to move the team into the number one spot in the teams’ championship.
After their dominant double victory in Shanghai, Darryl O’Young was able to take the lead in the drivers’ championship and stay four points clear of his closest competitor. The #99’s season rivals in the Bentley sit only four points behind, placing them within striking distance of the VLT Aston Martin. O’Young and Lloyd will be doing everything in their power to keep the Bentley behind them while they make their final championship assault, and a good qualifying session will give them the best opportunity of staying ahead. Achieving pole position in the last two rounds, the #99 pair are set on continuing their streak and have shown how quick they can be at the head of the pack.
Richard Lyons and Frank Yu were off to a great start last round in Shanghai after taking pole and were leading for the majority of the race. Unfortunately, the pair’s bad luck struck once again and thanks to multiple incidents, prevented them from taking home a top result. With the #88 Interush Aston Martin’s pace undeniable; Lyons and Yu will be challenging at the very front of the field in Thailand and are on the hunt to capture their first win of the season. With only 14 points separating the top of the teams’ championship, the #88 pair will be fighting to score as many points as possible to help the team towards their goal of taking both championships.
Practice for rounds ten and eleven of the GT Asia Series will begin on Friday, October 23rd. Qualifying one will be held on Saturday, October 24th, from 9:40-9:55, with qualifying two running from 10:05-10:20. Race one will be held on Saturday from 13:35-14:35 (local time GMT +7) Race two will be held on Sunday 15:15-16:15. Live streaming of the event will be available from the GT Asia Series YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/user/afosTV.
Richard Lyons, Driver
"It hasn't been the campaign we had hoped for in the #88 Interush Aston. However, Thailand is a new circuit for most teams and drivers so we might see a shakeup in the results. I've raced there twice in the last year so I'm hoping I can share this experience with Frank and get us running at the sharp end."
Frank Yu, Driver
“It is the last round of the championship and we haven’t had much luck this year so we are looking for a strong finish to score some points for the teams’ championship. We would also like to see our VLT sister car win the drivers’ championship this year.”
#99 VLT Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3
“I'm looking forward to the weekend in Buriram as the championship is really down to the wire. With only a 4 point spread and several competitors in the championship fight, anything is possible heading into the season finale. I'm not going to think too much about the points, we just want to repeat the job we did in Shanghai which is to execute a mistake free weekend, and hope that is enough to win the title. It’s anyone’s championship and Craft-Bamboo Racing is ready to step up our game in this critical moment in the championship.”
Daniel Lloyd, Driver
“Really looking forward to Thailand, it is a little different because not many people have been to the circuit before which is a good thing for me because I haven’t been to any of the circuits out in Asia. I have been doing a lot of preparation on the simulator to get ready for the last round. The track seems great, a real driver’s circuit. The main focus is going to be working together to take the championship the last two rounds have been really positive and we will be trying to repeat this success in Thailand.”
Richard Coleman, CEO of Craft-Bamboo Racing
“This is the most important race of the season and with both the championships on the line we are going to have to dig deep. After the success in Shanghai, the team has proved what they can do and we will be going out there with the intention of taking both championships.”
Thursday, October 22, 2015 |
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Back to back wins and Championship lead for Craft Bamboo in Shanghai
Darryl O’Young now leads the drivers’ championship after a dominant race two win in Shanghai, where Daniel Lloyd helped the #99 pair to lead from start to finish. O’Young is now four points clear of second place, with only one round left in the championship scheduled for next month in Thailand. The #88 Interush Aston Martin of, Richard Lyons and Frank Yu, proved to be even quicker, setting the fastest lap of the race but were unable to capitalize on their speed after having to fight their through their way through the midfield.
O’Young’s teammate, Daniel Lloyd, started on pole position and was dominant from the start, creating a 2.9 second gap by the end of the first lap. From here, the Craft-Bamboo driver stormed away, nailing consistently quick times to put them ahead of the competition who were busy fighting among themselves. By the time Lloyd entered the pits for his compulsory stop, he was over 13 seconds ahead of their season rivals in the Bentley. With a 10 second time penalty due to their win in race one, the lead that Lloyd had built was essential to the #99’s success.
After a flawless pit stop, O’Young hit the track ahead of the Bentley and continued the pair’s run at the head of the pack. The gap had been eroded but the championship winning Hong Kong driver put his head down and focused on increasing his lead. From there, O’Young disappeared at the front of the field, building a gap over the scrapping pair of cars behind him. Running a faultless race, the #99 of, Darryl O’Young and Daniel Lloyd, crossed the line with a lead of 9.310 seconds and took the only double win of the GT Asia Series season so far.
Frank Yu started the race in P8 and after fighting hard during his stint was once again hit from behind. Frank was undeterred and did not give up his challenge, continuing to fight with the competition. The GT Asia veteran was able to complete a fantastic in lap to hand the car over to his teammate, Richard Lyons. The Irishman had shown great pace all weekend and race two was no exception. The GT ace fought his way from P12 and was able to move up several positions thanks to his string of fastest laps. Lyons was hunting down the competition with great speed.
Photo credits - CBR / GT Asia
Sunday, September 27, 2015 |
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Craft Bamboo now share GT Asia Championship top flight position
Darryl O’Young is once again tied for the lead in the GT Asia Series drivers’ championship after an incredible last minute dash by teammate, Daniel Lloyd, helped the pair to victory in race one at the Shanghai International Circuit. The #88 Interush Aston Martin of, Richard Lyons and Frank Yu, started the race on pole and were looking like strong contenders for the win until two separate incidents of contact ruined their chances.
O’Young started the race in P8 and after a long battle in the midfield, the Hong Kong driver handed over to teammate Lloyd at the start of the pit window. The young Brit began to move his way up and was making good progress until a large accident brought out the safety car. After the extensive safety car period, there were only a few minutes of race one remaining. Lloyd, who was in P5, didn’t give up and instantly made the jump on the Ferrari of Liu as the safety car returned to the pits. From here, Lloyd was on a mission to hunt down the leader before the flag fell. In an incredible display of skill, the Craft-Bamboo driver closed the gap and fought his way to the front of the grid, taking P1 with a superb maneuver, running three wide on the way into the first corner. Lloyd executed the daring challenge perfectly and was now in the lead with one lap left. In a nail biting finish, Lloyd roared down the pit straight for the final time at the front of the pack and took the win for the #99 VLT Aston Martin.
Richard Lyons made an excellent start from pole position, maintaining the lead before edging away from those behind. Using the clear space ahead, Lyons focused on consistently quick lap times and stayed ahead until changing over to, Frank Yu, on lap 14. Frank came out of the pits and continued to lead until contact from the Ferrari of, Todd Piti, spun the #88 Interush Aston Martin around. Frank quickly recovered and hung on to P3 as the safety car was called out. When the safety car returned to the pits Frank continued his challenge but was hit from the rear at the last turn on the lead up to the restart, spinning him around once more. Unable to safely rejoin the track until the field had passed, Frank was now in last place. Not giving up though, Frank fought to regain some positions and finished the race in P11.
Race two of GT Asia Shanghai will begin at 4:45 PM on Sunday and Daniel Lloyd in the #99 VLT Aston Martin will start the race from pole position.
Source material - Craft Bamboo Racing
Saturday, September 26, 2015 |
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Craft Bamboo Racing dominate GT Asia qualifying
Both of Craft Bamboo Racing's Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3's were the pick of the bunch during the two qualifying sessions for rounds eight and nine of the 2015 GT Asia Series.
Continuing the teams Free Practice domination, in Q1 it was the #88 car of Frank Yu and Richard Lyons who secured top honours just ahead of last years championship winning Clearwater Ferrari 458. Its sister #99 car of Darryl O'Young and Daniel Lloyd only qualified in a difficult mid field position for tomorrows race.
This weekend's double header will be crucial for O'Young's intention of securing the championship just four points behind the leaders and with just one more double header meeting left in Thailand in a months time.
Photo credits - GT Asia / Craft Bamboo
Friday, September 25, 2015 |
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Craft Bamboo claims a podium at Sapang
Craft-Bamboo Racing were able to claim a third place podium in the inaugural Sepang Three Hour for round seven of the GT Asia Series after a dramatic end to the rain soaked event. It was the #99 VLT Aston Martin of, Darryl O’Young and Daniel Lloyd, who took P3 after they started the afternoon from pole position after two blistering qualifying performances. The #88 Interush sister car of, Richard Lyons and Frank Yu , proved to be quick as well, starting from P3 on the grid for the three hour spectacle. They unfortunately suffered some setbacks but fought back towards the end of the race to take P10. The #99’s efforts today, see Darryl O’ Young only three points away from first place in the drivers’ championship heading into the next round in Shanghai.
It was, Frank Yu, who began the three hour event for the #88 Interush car and he made a clean get away from the rolling start, keeping the car out of trouble into the first few turns. Frank battled in the intense heat to drive a fantastic stint, keeping at bay many seasoned international GT drivers and at the end was able to hand over the car in P8.
Richard, showed his great pace from the get go and started to move up the field but after 20 minutes the weather had taken a harsh turn and brought out the safety car. Making the most of the situation, Lyons pushed as hard as he could and used his knowledge of the circuit to combat the weather and he was able to finish his stint in P6.
With the weather causing havoc for the team’s strategies as the track switched between wet and dry, Frank was putting in a solid second stint in P7 when the car spun and became buried, unable to make it out under its own power. After being towed back onto the circuit the #88 car was now in P13 and Frank put his foot down to claw back as much of the lost time as possible, displaying some great pace in the changing conditions.
Lyons was back in the car for the final stint and as the weather settled, he was able to put in some stellar lap times but was unable to make back the time lost in the previous incident. As the flag fell after a gruelling three hours, the #88 Aston Martin crossed the line in P10 to take home some more championship points.
Darryl O’Young started the race from pole position and remained in the lead after the first corner fray, managing to create a gap between him and his rivals as his first stint progressed. It wasn’t until his tyres began to degrade that the competition was able to catch up and he handed over to his new teammate, Daniel Lloyd, just behind the lead in P2.
The #99 pair were given an extra nine second penalty for their P2 finish in Fuji which hampered their brilliant start but, Lloyd, exited the pits and was instantly on the pace, charging towards the leader in P4 after only a few minutes on track. Unfortunately, the weather turned and brought with it a downpour of rain causing an accident which required the safety car, the team made the perfect call to change to wet tyres and the early decision helped to give them the one up on the other teams. Unfortunately, coming out the pits, Lloyd, found himself behind a back marker who was unable to catch the safety car on its slicks, which lost the #99 pair roughly 45 seconds. This single incident would see the pair of drivers trying to regain that time for the rest of the race and ultimately prevented them challenging for the victory.
Despite this, Lloyd, never gave up and kept a positive spirit which he used to make an intense comeback, driving a fantastic stint in the treacherous conditions to bring the car into the top three before changing over to his teammate. O’Young became locked in a battle with championship rival, Keita Sawa, during his stint and after an excellent battle eventually overtook the Bentley with a late breaking manoeuvre to move up to P3, before handing over to his young teammate for the final push.
Lloyd exited the pit lane and began his charge to the flag, with the aim of making it onto the podium. He hustled the Aston Martin around the Malaysian circuit and demonstrated incredible talent as he began to close in on P3. His determination and focus were unwavering and he was able to take P3 away from the Ferrari ahead of him, while the possibility of taking P2 was becoming a reality. Unfortunately, even though the #99 car was closing down the Bentley in rapid fashion, the clock ran out and they crossed the line in P3 just 0.3 seconds behind.
The top five positions in the drivers’ championship are now separated by only three points, with Darryl O’Young now fifth and they will be doing everything possible to reclaim the lead when the series hits Shanghai later this month.
Darryl O’Young, Driver
“It was a tough race today, unfortunately got caught up with the incident and lost a lot of time but I’m still proud of the team, we didn’t make any mistakes and they did an excellent job. Sometimes these incidents follow you away and sometimes they don’t and this weekend they didn’t. To score this many points in the double points race means it keeps us in contention and we are really close to the championship still. Overall a good weekend and big thanks to CBR for their excellent job.”
Daniel Lloyd, Driver
“So starting from pole we had high hopes for the race and Darryl had a great stint keeping the lead almost for the entire run until he handed over to me. I went out on slicks and we had good pace but then it started to rain heavy so I came in to pit to put on wets under safety car which was the right call. When I went back out under safety car, I got stuck behind a GTM car which was on slicks with an AM driver, unfortunately lost 45 seconds which in the end cost us the race. Both of us did a great job in some really tough conditions and we brought the gap down to about 8 seconds. Everyone did a great job, we were just a bit unlucky today but we have a great car and great pairing to go along with the rest of the season.”
Source material - Craft Bamboo Racing
Sunday, September 06, 2015 |
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Craft Bamboo chasing ouright championship leads in GT Asia
After a small break, the GT Asia Series has made its way from Japan and headed to the Sepang International Circuit for round seven of the season. The special three hour endurance event will be held on Saturday after a combined qualifying session and offers up double points this weekend. Both Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martins will be fighting hard in a bid to continue their charge to the very top of the leaderboards in both the drivers’ and teams’ championship.
Darryl O’Young is currently tied for the top spot in the drivers’ championship and will be concentrating on taking another strong result, with new teammate, Daniel Lloyd, that will allow him to capture the lead and separate himself from the competition. With double points up for grabs, a haul of championship points is just what the #99 pair needs to create a gap at this crucial part in the season. While Sepang is familiar to O’Young, new teammate, Lloyd, has yet to drive the circuit and will be concentrated on learning and developing a rhythm so he can secure a quick qualifying lap.
Unfortunately, during the break, Jonathan Venter, was injured in a cycling accident and suffered a dislocated and fractured hip which required surgery. This has ruled the young Australian out for the rest of the season while he recovers. He has been replaced by, Daniel Lloyd, also an Aston Martin Evolution Academy member who has experience behind the wheel of the GT3 Aston Martin in the Blancpain Endurance Series and British GT Series.
The #88 sister car of Richard Lyons and Frank Yu are focused on using this round to their advantage after some unlucky contact prevented them from being able to challenge for any top results in Fuji. No strangers to the famous Malaysian circuit, the pair will be mounting a championship resurgence this weekend and will be ones to look out for as both drivers have proven on multiple occasions that they are capable of podium results. A smooth weekend is what the #88 car is looking for so they can maximize this round’s points haul and climb their way back up towards the top of the standings.
Practice for the seventh round of the GT Asia Series will begin on Friday, September 4th. Qualifying one will be held on Saturday, September 5th, 09:00-09:15, with qualifying two running from 09:25-09:40. The Sepang Three Hour will be held on Saturday afternoon; from 15:00-18:00 (local time GMT +8). Live streaming of the event will be available from the GT Asia Series YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/user/afosTV.
“I think the Sepang Three Hours is going to be quite a decisive round in the championship. Any time you have a double points race it is something that is really important and we are going to have to do all the preparation we can to ensure we get a good result. The team is doing a big re-prep before the weekend and I think Daniel and I are ready for the challenge and we are going to try and move up to championship leader at the end of this race.”
'New boy' Daniel Lloyd said “I think the main focus this weekend is to get settled with the team as soon as possible and come away with some good strong points. For me it's just important to do a solid job, show my pace and keep out of trouble. I've heard great things about the GT Asia championship so I'm certainly not underestimating anything. On a more personal note I'm so excited for it; the circuit was awesome on the simulator so I can't wait to experience it in real life now!”
Source material - Craft Bamboo Racing
Thursday, September 03, 2015 |
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Craft Bamboo Racing leave Fuji with joint GT Asia lead
The Craft-Bamboo Racing team has a reason to celebrate even after some mixed results at Fuji. Drivers Darryl O’Young and Jonathan Venter of the #99 VLT Aston Martin were able to take the joint drivers’ championship lead after a hard fought second place podium in race two. The #88 Interush sister car of Richard Lyons and Frank Yu had a run of bad luck this weekend, suffering contact at the start of both races which prevented them from being able to challenge for any podium positions. This was made more frustrating by their excellent qualifying performance that saw them start race one in P3. Venter achieved another brilliant qualifying lap that saw the #99 car take pole position for race two and was instrumental in helping them secure the joint lead in the GT Asia drivers’ championship.
Qualifying
It was Richard Lyons who would take to the circuit first and as with the other Japanese circuits featured in the GT Asia Series, Lyons was certainly no stranger. Having raced at Fuji for the past 15 years, expectations were high and Lyons did not disappoint, setting a 1:52.329 which secured them P3 for race one.
Frank Yu was up next to contest the starting position for race two and began to push hard as soon as he hit the circuit. Confident with the Aston Martin’s abilities around Fuji, Yu was showing good pace as he went about his qualifying lap. The Hong Kong driver set a 1:55.778 which would see the #88 car starting from P8 for race two.
It was, Darryl O’Young, who would take to the Fuji Speedway first in the hopes of recording a strong qualifying time. However, the track conditions were not playing along, with intermittent rain making it difficult to set a flawless qualifying lap. O’Young pushed hard and set a 1:54.247 to take P12 for race one at Fuji.
Teammate Jonathan Venter would be tasked with setting the time for race two and after a string of good sessions behind him this season, he was keen to see it continue. Venter focused on taking the car to limit and in the process set a 1:53.642 which was all that was needed to secure pole position for race two.
Race One
As the lights went out and the GT Asia gird stormed into the first corner at Fuji, it was Richard Lyons who was jostling for a position at the front of the pack between the two Ferraris. Unfortunately, as he made his move into turn one he suffered heavy contact on the right side from one of the Bentleys. He managed to stay his course and continue his fight near the top of the field but as Lyons headed into turn two it was another Bentley that would appear and careen into the front right of the #88 Interush Aston Martin. Due to the resulting contact, the Irishman was dropped further down the order but he continued his challenge, mustering all available pace in an attempt to catch the leaders.
By the second lap though, the damage had taken its toll on the #88 car, smoke poured from the damaged body work and resulting tyre puncture, forcing Lyons to head into the pits on the next lap. The Craft-Bamboo Racing pit crew performed flawlessly, returning Lyons to the track as quick as possible. From here, Lyons was intent on clawing back the time that he had and he settled into attack mode. Using his knowledge and experience of Fuji to his advantage, the GT ace charged ahead.
The weather was now beginning to turn and the rain would gradually become heavier as the race progressed but Lyons was still pushing, right up until he pulled in for his compulsory pit stop and driver change to teammate, Frank Yu, on lap 16. After another smooth pitstop, Yu was out on track and after adjusting to the wet conditions continued the #88’s push to whittle away the time lost at the start of the race.
Yu did everything possible over the closing stages of the race and was unfaltering in his performance around the wet Japanese circuit but the #88 Interush Aston Martin was unable to claw back the time it had lost earlier on in the race. Yu never gave up and drove hard right up until the flag fell, crossing the line a respectable P11 and still managing to score some points.
It was O’Young who would start the #99 Aston Martin’s Fuji campaign and it began without a hitch, managing to avoid any of the first lap incidents that plagued his other competitors, O’Young was able to focus on chasing down those ahead of him. On only the third lap a sensor failure resulted in the car losing ABS and traction control, something that made the car very difficult to control in the deteriorating weather conditions.
By the 10th minute, the #99 VLT car had moved up three positions into P9 as the rain started to fall on the circuit. As the race progressed, the weather situation worsened and O’Young’s performance was starting to be affected, unfortunately losing a position as he struggled for grip.
O’Young decided to pit early to try and resolve the sensor issue and due to the light rain the team opted to stay on slick tyres. However, the issue was unable to be resolved and the rain worsened, leaving Venter in a difficult position. Venter put in an amazing drive to keep the car on the circuit and take the car to P9 with 16 minutes left on the clock.
Venter continued to push on but later found himself under attack from the GT-R Nismo. The pair battled and Venter’s defence was impenetrable, keeping the Nissan at bay with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Through the closing stages of the race, Venter held his position and continued his smooth drive, avoiding any mistakes as the track dried out. The young driver crossed the line in P9 and was able to collect some championship points in the process.
Race One Results
Van Dam/Bhirom Bhakdi – F-458 GT3
Vilander/Mok – F-458 GT3
Griffin/Wee – F-458 GT3
Liuzzi/Hamaguchi – 650s GT3
Tappy/Yeung – Continental GT3
9. O’Young/Venter – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
11. Lyons/Yu – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
Race Two
Frank Yu started race two from P8 and as the field of GT cars dove into the first corner, Yu was involved in a turn one incident which caused his car to spin. For the second time this weekend, the #88 would have a difficult challenge from the back but would be doing everything possible to score some points. Yu quickly re-joined the pack but on lap four he was hit from behind, sending him off the track and into the wall. Yu headed into the pits on the fifth lap to have the damage repaired, eager to get back onto the circuit to continue his challenge.
O’Young decided to pit early to try and resolve the sensor issue and due to the light rain the team opted to stay on slick tyres. However, the issue was unable to be resolved and the rain worsened, leaving Venter in a difficult position. Venter put in an amazing drive to keep the car on the circuit and take the car to P9 with 16 minutes left on the clock.
Venter continued to push on but later found himself under attack from the GT-R Nismo. The pair battled and Venter’s defence was impenetrable, keeping the Nissan at bay with 15 minutes left on the clock.
Through the closing stages of the race, Venter held his position and continued his smooth drive, avoiding any mistakes as the track dried out. The young driver crossed the line in P9 and was able to collect some championship points in the process.
Race One Results
Van Dam/Bhirom Bhakdi – F-458 GT3
Vilander/Mok – F-458 GT3
Griffin/Wee – F-458 GT3
Liuzzi/Hamaguchi – 650s GT3
Tappy/Yeung – Continental GT3
9. O’Young/Venter – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
11. Lyons/Yu – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
Race Two
Frank Yu started race two from P8 and as the field of GT cars dove into the first corner, Yu was involved in a turn one incident which caused his car to spin. For the second time this weekend, the #88 would have a difficult challenge from the back but would be doing everything possible to score some points. Yu quickly re-joined the pack but on lap four he was hit from behind, sending him off the track and into the wall. Yu headed into the pits on the fifth lap to have the damage repaired, eager to get back onto the circuit to continue his challenge.
From here, the #88 was disadvantaged but was not giving up, its two drivers were still giving it their best, lap after lap they set out to regain as much time as possible in the hopes of scoring more points. Yu put in consistently quick lap times until it was his turn to hand over to Lyons during the compulsory pit stop window. The Craft-Bamboo Racing crew performed another fantastic pit stop and Lyons was soon on his way and able to continue his teammates work of chasing down their competitors.
After doing all he could, Lyons crossed the finish line in P17 and put an end to an unlucky weekend for the #88 pair of drivers. They will be looking to the Sepang three hour and the double points to reignite their championship campaign.
Jonathan Venter was in control at the head of the field for the start of race two and he did not disappoint. Making a smooth getaway, he began to defend his P1 position right from the start and managed to exit the first corner fray still ahead of the competition. From here, Venter began to pull away, using the clear air ahead of him to create a commanding 2.5 second lead by the third lap.
It was now a battle between Venter and Adderly Fong in the Bentley, lap after lap saw Fong constantly attacking Venter but he was unable to find a way around. Eventually, Venter could defend no more and allowed the Bentley through, not wanting to risk his valuable position.
Once the compulsory pit window opened, Venter entered the pits to swap to teammate Darryl O’Young. The Bentley was just ahead and had entered the pit lane moments earlier. The Craft-Bamboo Racing crew decided to leave the Aston Martin on warm tyres and got O’Young out onto the track as fast as possible. In what was a tense moment, O’Young left the pits in front of the Bentley and was now in the lead.
After doing all he could, Lyons crossed the finish line in P17 and put an end to an unlucky weekend for the #88 pair of drivers. They will be looking to the Sepang three hour and the double points to reignite their championship campaign.
Jonathan Venter was in control at the head of the field for the start of race two and he did not disappoint. Making a smooth getaway, he began to defend his P1 position right from the start and managed to exit the first corner fray still ahead of the competition. From here, Venter began to pull away, using the clear air ahead of him to create a commanding 2.5 second lead by the third lap.
It was now a battle between Venter and Adderly Fong in the Bentley, lap after lap saw Fong constantly attacking Venter but he was unable to find a way around. Eventually, Venter could defend no more and allowed the Bentley through, not wanting to risk his valuable position.
Once the compulsory pit window opened, Venter entered the pits to swap to teammate Darryl O’Young. The Bentley was just ahead and had entered the pit lane moments earlier. The Craft-Bamboo Racing crew decided to leave the Aston Martin on warm tyres and got O’Young out onto the track as fast as possible. In what was a tense moment, O’Young left the pits in front of the Bentley and was now in the lead.
It was now a great battle between Keita Sawa and O’Young, the pair trading places as they fought for the lead. O’Young was defending well but as the race drew to a close, he could not hold on. The Bentley found a way around and as the flag waved, the #99 VLT Aston Martin crossed the line in P2. This superb result has allowed the #99 drivers to become joint leaders in the drivers’ championship thanks to a successful weekend filled with points.
Race Two Results
Sawa/Fong – Continental GT3
2. O’Young/Venter – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
Wiser/Jiang – F-458 GT3
Griffin/ Wee – F-458 GT3
Vilander/Mok – F-458 GT3
17. Lyons/Yu – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
Source material - Craft Bamboo Racing
2. O’Young/Venter – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
Wiser/Jiang – F-458 GT3
Griffin/ Wee – F-458 GT3
Vilander/Mok – F-458 GT3
17. Lyons/Yu – Craft-Bamboo Racing – Aston Martin Vantage V12 GT3
Source material - Craft Bamboo Racing
Monday, July 20, 2015 |
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Craft Bamboo Racing heads team table after Okayama
Craft-Bamboo Racing have taken the lead in the GT Asia series teams’ championship after a stunning double podium appearance in race two at the Okayama Circuit in Japan. Both cars claimed front row stating positions after qualifying, with the #88 of Richard Lyons and Frank Yu starting P2 for race one, with the #99 sister car also starting in P2 for race two on Sunday. The #99 VLT car made an incredible charge through the field to take P4 in race one, taking nine positions in an amazing display of overtaking ability. It was race two though where the team would put on another commanding display of performance, with #88 taking on the field and finishing in P2, with the VLT liveried car finishing just behind in P3. With such a consistent weekend of results under their belts, both cars have come away with a good haul of championship points before the series hits Fuji in July.
Qualifying
#88 Interush
Japanese GT expert, Richard Lyons, felt right at home in Okayama, as he had driven the Japanese circuit on numerous occasions and enjoyed great success. That string of success continued when he was able to grab second fastest in the first qualifying session, unfortunately, traffic towards the end of the session further prevented him from bettering his time of 1:29.282 but it would be good enough for the blue Interush Aston Martin to start on the front row for race one in Okayama.
Teammate Frank Yu took to the circuit for the second session, deciding to keep the same set of tyres that Lyons had used for Q1. Still testing a variety of set ups after the awful weather that had ruined free practice on Friday; Yu ran a 1:32.916 which would see them start in P8 for race two of Okayama.
Teammate Frank Yu took to the circuit for the second session, deciding to keep the same set of tyres that Lyons had used for Q1. Still testing a variety of set ups after the awful weather that had ruined free practice on Friday; Yu ran a 1:32.916 which would see them start in P8 for race two of Okayama.
#99 VLT
Darryl O’Young was absent for Thursday’s practice session and first took to the circuit during the torrential downpour that plagued Friday’s free practice. Getting his first taste of dry tarmac during the first qualifying session proved difficult and he was unable to maximize the car’s performance potential. O’Young gave it his all and managed to clock a 1:30.594 which secured the #99 VLT Aston Martin P13 on the grid for race one. It was a reminder of just how high the level of competition was in this year’s GT Asia field and it is evident how hard Craft-Bamboo Racing’s championship challenge is going to be.
Jonathan Venter was up next and made every effort to take pole position. He was looking very strong and recorded a 1:29.909 but was just beaten by Adderly Fong. The young Australian had done enough though to see the #99 car take P2 and start on the front row of the grid for race two.
Race One
#88 Interush
After a clean start from P2 that saw Lyons go head to head with, Andy Soucek, in the first corner, it was Daniel Tappy who capitalized on his good start to move ahead and take P2. From there, the #88 of Lyons and Yu began to prove that they had the pace to challenge the leaders, showing some excellent speed during the early parts of the sprint race. Lyons found a confident rhythm and produced consistently quick lap times to keep the Interush liveried Aston Martin up the front of the competition in P3. Unfortunately, after placing a wheel on the grass at turn eight, the GT ace spun and scraped the wall. This resulted in a great loss for the #88 car, losing ten places and relegating them to P13 before the driver change.
Lyons did his best to recover quickly and entered the pit lane to be sure his car wasn’t badly damaged but after a visual check of the car he continued down the pit lane. A lap later, they came back into the pits for the driver change, having just missed the compulsory pit window. The switch was made to his teammate, Frank Yu, who got in the car during a well performed pit stop from the Craft-Bamboo team.
Lyons did his best to recover quickly and entered the pit lane to be sure his car wasn’t badly damaged but after a visual check of the car he continued down the pit lane. A lap later, they came back into the pits for the driver change, having just missed the compulsory pit window. The switch was made to his teammate, Frank Yu, who got in the car during a well performed pit stop from the Craft-Bamboo team.
After the driver change, Yu, went out on track and put his head down and began completing some serious lap times. By working hard, Yu, was able to make up several positions and climb back into valuable championship points territory. While focusing hard on closing down the gap to his competitors, Yu hit a patch of oil, causing the car to spin and come into contact with the wall. Thankfully, the damage wasn’t race ending and Yu was able to bring the car back home and take P12 overall, collecting an important two championship points in the process.
#99 VLT
Starting from P13 on the grid put the #99 VLT Aston Martin right in the thick of the action and kept O’Young on his toes as the field dove into the first corner to begin race one of Okayama. With consistency and the championship long game in mind, O’Young made it his mission to stay out of trouble and avoid any racing incidents that would prevent them from climbing the championship ladder. O’Young kept up with the pack and began to move up the field, quickly falling into a rhythm. He knuckled down and continued with his strong pace until he handed over to teammate Venter.
After a flawless pitstop and driver change, it was Venter’s turn to continue the march through the strong field of competitors. The young driver pressed on and ever so surely began to pick up positions. Venter proved he had the skill to snatch away places from even the most seasoned drivers. He had done a stellar job of driving beyond his years to take the #99 car nine places ahead to P4 by the closing laps of the race. It looked as though he may even take away a podium position from those ahead but by the time the flag fell he would have to settle for P4, which was a monumental result after starting from P13.
After a flawless pitstop and driver change, it was Venter’s turn to continue the march through the strong field of competitors. The young driver pressed on and ever so surely began to pick up positions. Venter proved he had the skill to snatch away places from even the most seasoned drivers. He had done a stellar job of driving beyond his years to take the #99 car nine places ahead to P4 by the closing laps of the race. It looked as though he may even take away a podium position from those ahead but by the time the flag fell he would have to settle for P4, which was a monumental result after starting from P13.
Results
1. Tonio Liuzzi/Hiroshi Hamaguchi (FFF Racing McLaren 650S GT3) - 32-laps
2. Carlo Van Dam/Piti Bhirom Bhakdi (Singha Ferrari 458)
3. Davide Rizzo/Anthony Liu (BBT Team Ferrari 458 Italia GT3)
4. Darryl O’Young/Jonathan Venter (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston)
5. Andy Soucek/Jeffrey Lee (Absolute Bentley Continental GT3)
12.Richard Lyons/Frank Yu (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin GT3)
2. Carlo Van Dam/Piti Bhirom Bhakdi (Singha Ferrari 458)
3. Davide Rizzo/Anthony Liu (BBT Team Ferrari 458 Italia GT3)
4. Darryl O’Young/Jonathan Venter (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston)
5. Andy Soucek/Jeffrey Lee (Absolute Bentley Continental GT3)
12.Richard Lyons/Frank Yu (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin GT3)
Quotes
Richard Lyons, Driver #88 Interush
“It didn’t go to plan, but we showed great speed in early parts of the race but with a little mishap half way through and we unfortunately didn’t get back to a big points scoring position but still managed to take valuable points so we look forward to the following race.”
Frank Yu, Driver #88 Interush
“Race one was a really terrible day, Richard had one wheel on the grass and scraped the wall on turn 8, handed over the car to me in P3 and dropped down to P13 and I got into the car and I slowly fought back to P7 and hit some oil in turn one and the car spun and then I hit the wall, so from there it was just finishing the race and collecting the two points.”
Darryl O’Young, Driver #99 VLT
“Starting from P13 our strategy was to stay out of trouble and keep the pace and stay with the pack. We aimed to keep consistent lap times and to give Jonathan a good run in the second half of the race. He did a really great job and overtook a lot of cars, it is a really great result to get P4 and is above our expectations.”
Jonathan Venter, Driver #99 VLT
“Race one was going to be hard starting from P13, but Darryl did a great job with keeping with the pack in front of him. We had a good pit stop and made up some positions and after that it was a matter of staying fast and overtaking as many cars as possible. Once we reached P4 we were happy with the gap behind us, happy with P4 and it is good points for the championship and no penalty for race two.”
Race Two
#88 Interush
It was up to Frank Yu to start race two of Okayama and he made sure it was a successful one, surviving the first corner fray before taking a position later on that lap. Yu focused on those ahead and became determined to take as many places as possible. He settled into his stint and began to put away some impressive lap times, his pace closing down the gap to his competitors. Before the halfway mark, the safety car made an appearance and bunched up the field. Craft-Bamboo made a quick strategy call to bring Yu into the pits immediately which helped the #88 car gain some crucial time. Teammate Lyons hopped in the car and immediately set about chasing down the leaders with lighting pace.
As the laps ticked over and time began to run out, Lyons reached the back of the Craft-Bamboo Racing sister car of O’Young and began a friendly duel for P2. Lyons made it past without incident and into P2 where he would remain for the closing laps of the race. It was Lyons speed that was most impressive in these closing laps, as he overtook several cars while he chased down the race leader. Once behind Sawa, Lyons began to pressure during a final lap battle but made the safe choice to collect the points from a second place podium finish. Lyons crossed the finish line just ahead of the #99 car to make it a Craft-Bamboo Racing double podium and score themselves a healthy dose of points to take into the next round of the championship.
#99 VLT
Venter began race two in P2 and used his strong position to settle into a quick pace, putting in good lap times to keep him at the front of the field. After some strong running a safety car was called out after an incident, this bunched up the field and closed the gap that Venter had worked so hard for. This really affected the #99’s challenge as it dismantled their race strategy and forced them rethink their plan of attack. Once the safety car had returned home, Venter made an incredible push to open up a gap before handing over to teammate O’Young.
After another flawless pitstop from the Craft-Bamboo team, O’Young, set out to chase down the Bentley of Sawa. As they exited the pit lane, a monumental battle for the lead begun and O’Young worked hard to complete lap after lap of consistently quick times which kept him in the fight. Unfortunately though, Venter’s early push had an adverse effect on the tyres. O’Young began to lose grip and ever so slightly dropped back, unable to keep the pace as he had to conserve his tyres until the chequered flag. Lyons from the #88 sister car was fast approaching and after a small battle, moved ahead into P2. With O’Young defending until the end, they crossed the line in P3, making it a Craft-Bamboo double podium. More importantly though, they had completed a consistent weekend that brought with it a lot points that saw Craft-Bamboo take the lead in the teams’ championship and also help close the gap in the drivers’ standings too.
Results
1. Adderly Fong/Keita Sawa (Absolute Bentley Continental GT3)
2. Frank Yu/Richard Lyons (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin GT3)
3. Jonathan Venter/Darryl O’Young (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston)
4. Richard Wee/Matt Griffin (Clearwater Racing Ferrari 458)
5. Anthony Liu/Davide Rizzo (BBT Team Ferrari 458 Italia GT3
2. Frank Yu/Richard Lyons (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston Martin GT3)
3. Jonathan Venter/Darryl O’Young (Craft-Bamboo Racing Aston)
4. Richard Wee/Matt Griffin (Clearwater Racing Ferrari 458)
5. Anthony Liu/Davide Rizzo (BBT Team Ferrari 458 Italia GT3
Teams Championship
1. Craft Bamboo Racing - 80 pts
2. Bentley Team Absolute - 78 pts
3. FFF Racing Team by ACM - 58 pts
4. BBT - 57 pts
5. Clearwater Racing – 43 pts
2. Bentley Team Absolute - 78 pts
3. FFF Racing Team by ACM - 58 pts
4. BBT - 57 pts
5. Clearwater Racing – 43 pts
Quotes
Frank Yu, Driver #88 Interush
“I had a good start and I gained one position going into turn 4 and form that point on I was just following the train and then the safety car came out and I handed the car to Richard in position six.”
Richard Lyons, Driver #88 Interush
“We started in P7, Frank had a good start, taking P6 and then the pack closed up under the safety car and we had a great pit stop to bring us back out in P6 and from there we were able to show great speed and take P2 by the finish. So it was a great overall result for the team.
Jonathan Venter, Driver #99 VLT
“Happy with race two, starting in P2 me and Adderly had good pace all the way, once Sawa came out we bunched up the field again and had to push hard before handing over to Darryl. He did a great job of staying with Sawa until his tyres dropped off. P3 which we are really happy with, good points and lots of confidence heading into Fuji.”
Darryl O’Young, Driver #99 VLT
“Jonathan did a fantastic start and that helped us to get a big lead but a safety car was called out before our pit stop and closed up our gap to the rest of the field. Jonathan pushed really hard on the tyres to try and extend that gap, but that left me with quite used tyres to contend with in the race. We were able to hold off for P3 and we ended up scoring a lot of points this weekend.”
Richard Coleman, CEO of Craft-Bamboo Racing
“It was a great weekend of racing for Craft-Bamboo, with each car fighting some really great battles at the front of the field. To come away with both cars on the podium is fantastic and a testament to the team’s hard work this weekend. Both cars have scored a lot of points and we now leading the teams’ championship heading into the next round in Fuji.”
Source material and photo credits - Craft Bamboo Racing
Monday, June 29, 2015 |
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Craft Bamboo continues championship fight in Okayama
Okayama, Japan, will play host to the second round of the 2015 GT Asia Series this weekend, where Craft-Bamboo Racing will be focused on building on their first round double podium. Both cars will be looking to achieve consistent results to help them close the small gap in the drivers’ and teams’ championship that was opened in South Korea. The #88 car of Richard Lyons and Frank Yu will be one to look out for, as Japanese GT champion, Lyons, should be devastatingly fast, given his years of winning experience at the circuit. The #99 sister car of Darryl O’Young and Jonathan Venter will be looking to maximize their points haul this weekend by fighting hard for another race win, proving they have what it takes in South Korea. As a team, both Craft-Bamboo cars will be looking to remain consistent, with the continued collection of points paramount to claiming this year’s championship title from such a strong field of teams and drivers.
All eyes will be on the team this weekend to see if they can claim another double win at the Japanese circuit as the unfortunate events of South Korea have left them with a gap to close in the championship. With a truly competitive field this year, their podium assault will not be easy and the team will be looking to make it a consistent weekend of results to set themselves up for the next five rounds.
Craft-Bamboo Racing has a successful history at Okayama, with Frank Yu and Stefan Mücke taking a double win back in 2013, and with the team fueled on by the tantalizingly close victories from both races, each car will be focused on outright victory this weekend which is sure to create some more fantastic action for Asia’s motorsport fans.
The Okayama International Circuit is a 3.703 km (2.301-mile) race track near Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture, Japan and makes a return to the GT Asia Series calendar this year. This is a technical circuit with two long straights and 13 corners that mix hairpin bends and angular turns. The circuit has played host to major events such as the F1, Super GT and MFJ Superbike.
Practice for the second round of the GT Asia Series will begin on Friday, June 26th. Qualifying one will be held on Saturday, June 27th, 10:50-11:05 (GMT+9), with qualifying two held from 11:15-11:30 (GMT+9). Race one will also be held on Saturday, running from 15:10-16:00 (GMT +9). Race two will be held on Sunday, June 28th, 13:00-13:50 (GMT+9). A delayed broadcast of the event will be available from the GT Asia Series YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/user/afosTV.
The pursuit of the GT Asia Championship Title would not be possible without the support of INTERUSH, Phytter, VLT, POAD, Gravity, Tunewear and FreeM.
Quotes
#88 Interush
Richard Lyons
"Okayama Circuit is a familiar venue for me as I have raced here annually from 2002 clocking up many podiums and wins in Super GT. Hopefully with this experience it should start us off on the right foot and help bag some podium finishes for the weekend."
Frank Yu
“The last time we raced in Okayama, Stefan Mucke and I had a double win and the series has continued to develop since then, with the competition much more competitive now. I know it’s going to be a tough race this weekend but we will be doing our best to chase another double win.”
#99 VLT
Darryl O’Young
“We were quite fortunate in Korea to come away with fourth place in the standings, even though we had a DNF in the first race. The gap to the leaders is not a small margin, so we need to focus on consistent results with two solid finishes in Okayama and most importantly taking the points, we are looking ahead to the overall championship this year and we are going to have to work hard for that.”
Jonathan Venter
“After a rather successful opening round at Korea, we know that the Craft-Bamboo Aston Martin is quick, even in this year’s strong GT Asia field, so we are coming into round two at Okayama with good confidence. The Aston has been very good so far on the Michelin tyres and suits the car well, allowing for some good pace previously in Korea, so hopefully we can take what we learnt and apply it to Okayama.”
“Darryl and I have formed a good combination and worked well together at Korea with good pace between us so it will be important for us to keep improving and adapting to the conditions to get the best results.”
Richard Coleman, CEO of Craft-Bamboo Racing
“We have proven in South Korea that we have the pace to win races but we have to remain consistent if we want to close the gap and remain at the top of the championship. Everyone knows how strong the competition is and we are going to have to fight this weekend, but we are aiming to come home but we are aiming to come home with top results for both cars.”
Source material and photo credits - Craft Bamboo Racing
Friday, June 26, 2015 |
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More success for Craft Bamboo in Korea
Following on from the successes of its sister car yesterday in Race 1 it was the turn today of the #99 VLT sponsored Craft Bamboo Racing Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 to revel in the spoils of a commanding lights to flag victory in Race 2
Starting from pole the #99 car of Jonathon Venter established a commanding lead of several seconds even on the opening lap only to be hauled back by the Safety Car that was required whilst the #1 Clearwater Ferrari was recovered from a start line tangle on the pit straight.
With yesterdays winning #37 Ferrari keeping the #99 honest until the pit stops it then fell to Darryl O'Young to continue the good work of the AMR Evolution Academy driver, Venter in maintaining their track position.
That he was able to do eventually crossing the line with a nine second advantage over the chasing pack. The #88 was to suffer its own little gremlins during the race that would prevent Richard Lyons from picking up any places having taken over from FrankYu. The were to finish down in P7.
The series now moves on to races 3 and 4 at the Okayama International circuit in Japan at the end of June.
Photo credits - GT Asia / Craft Bamboo
Sunday, May 17, 2015 |
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