Craft-Bamboo Racing, an Official Performance Team of Mercedes-AMG, signs the international pairing of Christina Nielsen and Darryl O’Young for the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia season. The pair will share driving duties of the striking green, white and black #99 Mercedes-AMG GT3, running in the top GT3 Silver Cup class.
After completing a two-day evaluation test at the Sepang International Circuit earlier this week, she quickly demonstrated her speed and ability behind the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3, giving the team an easy and quick decision to sign the talented Dane for the upcoming season campaign. The 27-year old Danish driver has a commanding resume with a wide array of GT experience, highlighted by taking back-to-back GT3 championship victories in the 2016 and 2017 IMSA Sportscar Championships.
Joining Nielsen in the #99 car will be Hong Kong GT driver Darryl O’Young. The 2015 GT Asia Champion and multiple Macau Grand Prix winner continues on for a 3rd consecutive season in the competitive Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia championship with Craft-Bamboo Racing. O’Young’s vast experience in GT competition will be valuable this season as Craft-Bamboo Racing begins a new partnership with Mercedes-AMG. O’Young is a proven championship winner and the clear aim for the pairing will be to challenge for championship victory in the coming season.
The 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia championship begins on 6th April at the Sepang International Circuit, and Craft-Bamboo Racing’s pre-season preparations are in full-swing in anticipation of what should be an invigorating season of racing.
Quotes
Christina Nielsen
Driver – Craft-Bamboo Racing
“Craft-Bamboo is definitely a big name in international motorsport. They have been quite successful in the past, and I really got to see their professionalism first hand during pre-season testing at Sepang and it was a great first impression. I see them as a very structured and high-performing team which is something I value and appreciate.
The various Blancpain GT World Challenge series by the SRO is a great format and will be highly competitive and I’m excited also to be racing with Darryl; he’s a strong performer and I only have positive things to say about this new adventure. Big thanks to Mercedes-AMG and Craft-Bamboo Racing for putting their trust in me and giving me this opportunity, and I’m looking forward to getting the racing underway!
Darryl O’Young
Driver – Craft-Bamboo Racing
“It’s fantastic to have such a high quality driver joining the team, and I really look forward to working with Christina this year. After completing my first laps in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 during testing earlier this week, I was very impressed; the car was quick straight out of the box and we were able to achieve fast lap-times and consistent race pace.
I know what it takes to win in this championship; the level of competition is very high, but I’m confident that we will work hard and fight in every race and hopefully at the end, come out on top!”
Russell O’Hagan
Operations Director of Craft-Bamboo Racing
“We are very pleased to announce this pairing as one of our championship contenders in the 2019 Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia. We have a clear goal to fight for the championship win this season, and having a strong driver pairing is a critical part of achieving that target. Christina has been on our radar for some time now and we have been really impressed by her pace and approach. Both drivers are proven champions, and this comes from speed and consistency over their racing careers. We are very excited to see what this season will bring in this exciting driver line-up”
CRAFT-BAMBOO RACING
Hong Kong team Craft-Bamboo Racing competes in top GT & Touring Car series on the world stage of motorsport, whilst also taking part in a number of special blue-riband international endurance events throughout the year as an Official Performance Team of Mercedes-AMG.
Craft-Bamboo Racing also provides a connection between the developed European racing scene & the emerging Asia Pacific & China markets. The team’s experience in executing tailored marketing campaigns for sponsors alongside its racing activities adds a new dimension to sponsorship packages, giving clients a full program to fulfill sporting and marketing objectives in motorsport.
BLANCPAIN GT WORLD CHALLENGE ASIA
Asia’s most prestigious international championship, the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia series, is highly competitive, attracting factory drivers and international racing teams alike. The 2019 season stretches across 6 race weekends in 5 countries across Asia. The season begins on the 6-7 April 2019 at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, following with Thailand, twice in Japan, South Korea and closes in Shanghai, China in September.
