Craft-Bamboo Racing will once again run three cars with backing from Lukoil in the 2017 TCR International Series, with the team continuing to run SEAT León TCR cars with support from SEAT Sport.
The reigning teams’ champions has consistency on its side for the coming season, as it continues with the same partners that has supported it since the start of its TCR campaign at the beginning of 2015.
The identities of the team’s three drivers will be revealed later in the week. The team’s cars will also sport a revised, more aggressive livery for the forthcoming season.
“Both Lukoil and SEAT Sport have been with us since the start of the TCR International Series and have been a big part of our success in this competition,” said Craft-Bamboo Racing CEO Richard Coleman. “Their continued support of this program and of Craft-Bamboo Racing is a testament to the hard work and dedication that the team has shown throughout the last two seasons.
“Of course, it is our ultimate goal to take both titles this year and I feel that with our driver line-up and our past experience, we will be challenging from the front of the grid come April 2nd in Georgia.”
Lukoil Racing’s Evgeny Malinovskiy hopes that the team will be able to improve upon the runners-up position the team have achieved in the drivers’ championship for the past two seasons.
“I’m sincerely happy that we can continue our cooperation with Craft-Bamboo Racing in the TCR International Series,” said Malionvskiy. “For the past two seasons we have managed to achieve two vice-champions in the drivers’ standing and win the teams’ title in 2017. Now our goal is to win the drivers’ championship.
“Over the winter we tried to reinforce our driver line-up by studying a few top level candidates. As a result, I trust we’ve chosen the nearly ideal combination that will help us to reach our goal.
“Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing will keep using the latest generation of SEAT Leon Cup Racer cars that helped LUKOIL to reach impressive results in international and domestic championships.”
SEAT Sport Head Jaime Puig has offered his department’s full support for the Anglo-Hong Kong team in the coming season.
“Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing’s continued participation with the SEAT Leon Cup Racer in the TCR International Series is great news for us,” added Puig. “We hope that they defend their title win from last year, and they will certainly have our full support in this.
“We are convinced that they will be able to bring home many titles for Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing and SEAT.”