JMW Motorsport will make its GT World Challenge Asia debut in 2020 with Andrew Haryanto and Andy Meyrick.
The Pro/Am duo will race a Bentley Continental GT3, which returns to the championship for the first time since 2018. It also brings the total number of manufacturers confirmed for the upcoming campaign to five and ensures Bentley will be represented in all three GT World Challenge championships across Asia, Europe and America.
Haryanto gears up for his first full season in Asia’s biggest GT series after finishing second in 2017’s Am Cup standings and making several appearances in ’19. Meanwhile, Meyrick – a former Bentley factory driver – embarks on his first season on the continent since making selected GT Asia outings aboard Bentley’s previous-generation model in 2015.
It’s a similar story for JMW who are one of the highest profile sportscar racing teams in Europe and best known for competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and the Le Mans 24 Hours. 2020 represents the British team’s debut season with Bentley and their first in GT World Challenge Asia.
“When I first raced in sportscars back in 2009 I saw JMW Motorsport in the Le Mans Series paddock and always aspired to race for them,” said Meyrick. “Over the following 10 years I had a career that saw me race an LMP1 for Aston Martin at Le Mans, tackle the biggest endurance races in the USA, compete as a Bentley works team driver at the highest level of GT3 racing and much, much more. It’s incredible that after all of this, I’ll finally race with JMW Motorsport, who have gone on to achieve so much as a team.
“I’m looking forward to taking the Bentley brand to Asia and showing what the Continental GT3 is capable of – I know Andrew is up for the challenge and I’m sure he’ll be a fantastic team-mate both on- and off-track.”
Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, Paul Williams, added: “Having Continental GT3s capable of winning races in GT World Challenge Asia has been top of our priorities list for a while and, with JMW Motorsport, we believe we have this in place. There will now be a Bentley present in each of the GT World Challenge series making it a truly global customer motorsport programme.”
Sepang hosts the opening round of GT World Challenge Asia’s 2020 campaign on March 28/29. Buriram, Fuji, Suzuka and two events at Shanghai – the second a three-hour endurance race – complete the championship’s six-round, 11-race schedule.
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