Team NZ Embarks on Exciting New Challenge

Team NZ Embarks on Exciting New Challenge

Team NZ Motorsport is very pleased to be making its first ever entry into Porsche Carrera Cup Asia (PCCA) at Sepang International Circuit this weekend, running a Porsche 991 GT3 Cup for team regular Graeme Dowsett, which is entered in the hotly contested Pro-Am category.

PCCA will be supporting the FIA Formula 1 Malaysian Grand Prix, which is running here for the nineteenth and final time. It’s going to be an emotional and historic weekend for Sepang Circuit as it has hosted grands prix every consecutive year since 1999, so for us to be on track here during this weekend was an opportunity we simply couldn’t miss out on.

Graeme certainly knows the circuit inside out as we regard this is our ‘home’ track, but it will be his first time driving in PCCA as well as his first time behind the wheel of Porsche’s striking ‘991’ generation ‘Cup’ racecar – so a tough learning weekend lies ahead.

Entering PCCA, Asia’s most prestigious ‘one make’ series, on this dramatic final grand prix weekend really is the perfect fit for us and Graeme is more than ready for the fight ahead. The New Zealander, who counts victory in the Sepang 12 Hours victory amongst his and our team’s many achievements, will be flying the flag high for us in style and we come to this event straight off the back of winning the Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup 2017, which exclusively took place on this iconic track.

The track programme is already underway with Free Practice 1 having taken place today – the surface was wet, which sends out a signal for a weekend, Sepang is getting ready to throw the elements at the last ever F1 race weekend here – before PCCA qualifying looms tomorrow (Saturday 30 September) at 1520-1550. Then it’s on to the race which will be held on Sunday (1 September) at 1230 as a key ‘warm up’ race to the Grand Prix. The PCCA encounter is scheduled for 14 laps (30 minutes). Graeme will be running #3.

Graeme Dowsett: “I’m really pleased that it’s all come together for the team to make a one off entry into Carrera Cup Asia this weekend, it’s certainly the perfect event for us and I’m proud Team NZ will be part of the track action for the final Malaysian F1 Grand Prix, especially as we regard this as our home circuit and have had so many highs here. A huge thank you to Michael S., Open Road Racing and Modena Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to drive this weekend. A great group of people who are very welcoming and professional. I’m looking forward to driving the new 991 and to mixing it up with the regular Porsche runners and hopefully we can have a strong weekend and get a good result and we can learn plenty and as a team we can take a lot away from this opportunity. Wet practice went well this morning being mid pack in class in the first part of the session before we tried something new on setup.”

© Scoop Media