source: W Racing Team
OD Racing has confirmed its return to the Blancpain GT Series Asia for the 2018 season. The Malaysian based outfit announced its entry and new partnership with legendary European race team, WRT, competing this season under the name – OD Racing Team WRT.
The team will also see the return of Malaysian born race ace, Mitch Gilbert, back behind the wheel of the team’s Audi R8 LMS GT3, with the second driver to be announced later.
Introduced to the Asian race scene in 2015, OD Racing have claimed a series of wins and podium finishes but is still chasing that Championship trophy. Last year, the pairing of Gilbert and Aditya Patel came really close, missing the Championship by just one point in one of the most sensational season ending race.
“That one point margin may have lost us the Championship but it only made us more determined” said Director of OD Racing Team WRT, Cornelius Ee. “We promised to return to fight for the win this year and here we are in the new year, doing just that”.
“We have the opportunity to partner with the renowned race team – WRT, a team that Audi Sport have entrusted to run their factory cars in Europe. Like us, WRT may not have been around for very long but their impressive successes and solid experience with Audi in the European races is sure to be an advantage for us moving forward” said Ee.
In few years, WRT established itself as one of the world’s leading GT team, winning prestigious races and championships including Total 24H of Spa (2011 & 2014), Nürburgring 24H (2015), Dubai 24H (2016), Zolder 24H (2011 & 2012), Sepang 12H (2015), Blancpain Endurance Series (2011, 2012, 2014 & 2015), Blancpain Sprint Series (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2017), Blancpain GT Series (2014 & 2015) and the FIA GT World Cup in Macau (2016). Recently the team added the Bathurst 12H to their records in their first appearance for the down under classic.
Speaking on behalf of WRT, Vincent Vosse says of the partnership, “Asia has been on our bucket list for a few years now but it is only since 2017 that we have found a good way to do it. It has been an immediate success with several wins in the Audi R8 LMS Cup. “An opportunity arose during the winter to collaborate with OD and Mitch, and it became quite clear to us that it was the right move and we also felt at ease with them. To enter Blancpain GT Series Asia is a logical step for WRT, after so many successes in the European Blancpain series. It is like all the planets were aligned and we are definitely all looking forward to hit the tracks together!”
Ee continued, “We will definitely be aiming higher this year and with the help of WRT, we are confident of a good season. No doubt the competition will be tougher than last year and after seeing the early confirmations from teams, there is a long road ahead but we are glad to once again have Mitch on our side and have the expertise of WRT to get us to our goal”.
The Blancpain GT Series Asia will see the team visit six race circuits in four countries around Asia, including at the newly built Ningbo International Speedpark in China at the end of the season. The season will open at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia on 14th April 2018.
