The Asia Racing Team will return to action in the final two events of the TCR International Series and the TCR Asia Series in Thailand and Macau, having missed the previous round in Singapore.
The team, who are managed by Frenchman Philippe Descombes, dominated the opening meeting in Malaysia at the beginning of September, where drivers Rodolfo Ávila and Descombes himself took all three victories.
The team will enter just a brace of SEAT León racers for the next meeting in Thailand, having run three cars in the opening round in Sepang. The cars will be driven by Chinese racer Kevin Pu Jun Jin and Thai ace Tin Sritrai, who will also make his World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) début one week later, in Thailand.
“We are pleased to be back in the series with such a strong line up,” explained Team Manager Descombes. “Tin and Kevin are no stranger to the team. They both did well with us in single seaters and having them back at this event will be special for us.
“We are still leading the teams’ championship standings and we want to keep it that way. You never know until qualifying how the weekend will be, but we’re feeling confident.”
Pu has spent the past three years racing in single seaters and sportscars, with the race at the Chang International Circuit marking a return to front-wheel drive competition.
“I have been looking to competing in TCR and I am very happy to get this opportunity,” said 31-year-old Pu, who competed in the Volkswagen Scirocco Cup China in his first season of racing. “I never drove the SEAT Léon before and Buriram’s circuit is new to me.
“Nevertheless I will be aiming to perform my best at this event, hoping to finish on the podium in the TCR Asia and fight with the best of the international field.”
On top of having local knowledge of the circuit, Sritrai is an experienced touring car competitor, having claimed four titles in the Touring Car Series in Asia by IMSP.
“This will be a new challenge for me,” said the 25-year-old. “The SEAT is a front-wheel drive turbo car; very different from what I am used to drive. I’m not going to know what to expect until I get out there on Friday and get a proper feeling of it.
“It’s going to be a great experience though and I’m going out to do a good job in front of my home fans.”