Craft-Bamboo Racing have revealed that 2015 GT Asia Series Drivers’ champion, Darryl O’Young, will be returning to the grid this year to defend his title alongside new team-mate, Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi of Thailand. After the incredible success story from the past season, VLT will continue as title sponsor of the #91 911 GT3 R; confident that this new pairing of drivers will be fighting for the GT Asia crown once again. With O’Young’s Championship winning experience and Bhirombhakdi’s determination to learn and develop, the combination should prove to be the perfect recipe.
O’Young had an incredible 2015 GT Asia season and was a force to be reckoned with right from the first race weekend, claiming victory in round two in South Korea. With his two team-mates, O’Young went on to take three more wins and five podiums over the course of the season, which saw him crowned the 2015 drivers’ champion. Craft-Bamboo has made the switch to Porsche for the 2016 season, marking the return of the Hong Kong “Porsche King” to the famous manufacturer with whom he won two Carrera Cup Asia titles early in his career, as well as three overall victories on the streets of Macau. The Hong Kong driver will be focused on continuing his legacy by adding yet another important championship to his many Porsche successes.
Bhirombhakdi started competing at the age of fifteen in selected rounds of the Toyota Vios one make championship in Thailand. Although having a fairly late start to motorsport, he quickly found himself winning races and moving up the national touring car ladder, whilst developing his driving skill in his home country. However, after taking a break from motorsport for several years to pursue his university studies, his passion never let him stray too far and he soon found himself back behind the wheel in 2014.
The 2016 season will mark Bhirombhakdi’s debut in the GT category, his first ever campaign in a full season championship, as well as his first time competing in an international competition. With the combination of Craft-Bamboo’s experience, O’Young’s guidance, and the new Porsche 911 GT3 R behind him; Bhirombhakdi will be gunning for the podium when the GT Asia Series kicks off in South Korea next month.
This completes Craft-Bamboo Racing’s GT Asia driver lineup for 2016, with the previously announced #88 Interush Porsche 911 GT3 R, which will be driven by Richard Lyons and Frank Yu.
Darryl O’Young: Driver #91
“It is very exciting to be returning to the Porsche 911, a car that has played such a major role in my career. I have heard so many positive things about the all new 911 GT3 R, so I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and start our work developing the car and setup. It’s going to be great working with Naiyanobh this season, as he has a lot of potential as a GT driver, so I hope my experience will give him the opportunity to unlock that potential. It is going to be a great year and I’m so happy to be back with Craft-Bamboo Racing, our aim is to defend the championship title in 2016.”
Naiyanobh Bhirombhakdi: Driver #91
“It is an honour for me to join the Craft-Bamboo family. I really appreciate the opportunity to compete at the next level alongside a vastly experienced team, as well as a world class manufacturer like Porsche Motorsport this season. Partnering up with Darryl in GT Asia is fantastic, being my first season, I will be learning a lot about how the car behaves as well as getting used to the aerodynamics of the GT3 class. It will be a challenging season ahead with a steep learning curve, especially with all the new circuits that I will need to learn, but I am prepared 100% to give it my best shot.”
