Chinese Audi RS 3 LMS team New Faster have won the 2018 China Endurance Championship’s TCR class. Andy Yan and Terry Huang crossed the line fourth in class at the Ningbo International Circuit season finale after four hours of racing to secure themselves the drivers’ title and New Faster the team title. The result capped off a fine race for Audi customers that saw five podium finishes in total across the GT3, GTC and TCR classes.
In Japan, another endurance championship – the Super Taikyu Series – held its 2018 finale. Audi customers celebrated three podium finishes across two classes in the sixth and final round of the series held at the Okayama International Circuit. The #83 Phoenix Racing Asia Audi R8 LMS GT3 of Lim Keong Wee, Mathias Beche, Melvin Moh and Shintaro Kawabata finished third overall, just ahead of the #81 J-Fly Racing by Phoenix Racing Asia GT3 entry of Jeffrey Lee, André Couto and Alessio Picariello in the 115-lap race. In the ST-TCR class, the Audi RS 3 LMS was driven to second and third, with Audi Team DreamDrive leading home Birth Racing Project.
“Congratulations to Andy Yan, Terry Huang and New Faster for securing the China Endurance Championship TCR title,” said Martin Kuehl, Director of Audi Sport customer racing Asia. “The podiums this weekend in endurance races in both China and Japan have demonstrated the power, performance and reliability of the Audi R8 LMS and the Audi RS 3 LMS as well as the tenacity and professionalism of our Asian teams.”
China Endurance Championship
The Audi R8 LMS ultra of Tianshi Racing Team’s Cao Muhua, Zhang Yaqi and Timothy Macrow crossed the line in second place at the fourth China Endurance Championship race of the season in Ningbo, China. The team’s Audi R8 LMS Cup entry of He Xianlei and Che Liang took the GTC class victory to round out the season in style for the Chinese Audi customer squad.
Audi Sport R8 LMS Cup drivers Jeffrey Zee and Jacky Wu were joined in their 69 Racing Team Audi R8 LMS Cup car by Zhang Ziqiang and took the flag second in the GTC class.
There were two podiums for the Audi RS 3 LMS in the TCR class. New Faster’s Wang Hao and Lin Lifeng took second in class with Linky Racing’s Shi Haihong, Sun Chao and Chen Bin third.
Super Taikyu Series
It was an exciting end to what has been an impressive Super Taikyu Series debut for Phoenix Racing Asia. The #81 J-Fly Racing by Phoenix Racing Asia team took pole position, with the sister car securing P3.
Having remained at the front of the pack from the start, despite an early drive through penalty for a jump start, both cars pushed hard. Couto set the fastest lap of the race, before storming closing stints by Picariello and Beche saw the pair of Phoenix Racing Asia cars close in on podium finishes. In the final 30 minutes, Picariello pounded out a series of lighting laps to go third. Minutes later, the ‘Belgian Bullet’ climbed to second but was hit with a drive through penalty which dropped him back down to fourth behind Beche at the flag.
The podium finish for the #83 Phoenix Racing Asia crew secured third place in the final championship standings at the end of the season, with the #81 J-Fly Racing by Phoenix Racing Asia team fifth overall.
