Class-winning Le Mans team KC Motorgroup (KCMG) will run Josh Files and Attila Tassi in new Honda Civic Type R machinery in the TCR Europe series in 2018.
The Hong Kong-based team will run the Brit and the Hungarian in the new expanded series, with the cars being supported by the HELL energy drink brand.
KCMG was formed in 2007 by Dr Paul Ip and has competed in Asia and Japan. The team has a proven track record, with titles in Formula China Masters, Asian Formula Renault and the Asian Le Mans Series within the past five years.
In 2015 the team took class victory in the LMP2 category at the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hours race, as well as the runner-up position in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) for LMP2 teams.
“I’ve had a busy 2018 season already in my role as Official Test Driver for JAS Motorsport, but I’m a racer at heart and I can’t wait for my race season to start in TCR Europe,” said Files. “KCMG are Le Mans winners with a superb track record and I’m extremely proud to be a part of their first touring car programme in Europe as I aim to add to the TCR titles I’ve already won in Germany and the Middle-East.
“I’ve driven the Honda Civic Type R TCR a lot during its development process and that should put me in a very strong position to challenge for the title.”
The team, with Sporting Director Matteo Chiarcossi, will also enter this weekend’s FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) event with Tassi being one of the Hungarian wildcard entries.
“I was already excited to know I’d be racing in TCR Europe and making my WTCR debut at Hungaroring,” said Tassi. “But to know that I will have a team with the quality of KCMG behind me is even better.
“When you look at how many championships and races they’ve won in single-seaters, saloons and sportscars, you can see that the skills and experience of everyone in the team crosses over superbly. I’m sure we’ll be able to show some people that together, we can achieve strong results.”
Team Principal Paul Ip is confident ahead of his team’s first foray into touring car racing.
“This expansion is another huge milestone for KCMG and we are very happy to be partnering with JAS Motorsport and to have Josh Files and Attila Tassi representing us,” he added.
“Our objective has always been to be the Asian team that can conquer and be a front-runner in various motorsport disciplines and this new campaign in Europe definitely highlights that.
“We are looking forward to our first WTCR outing in Hungaroring and to the TCR Europe programme and we are confident that we’ll achieve impressive results.”
Mads Fischer, JAS Motorsport TCR Project Leader, added: “We are very pleased to be able to definitively confirm the race programmes for both Josh Files and Attila Tassi in TCR Europe and for Attila in WTCR this weekend.
“Both are incredibly strong touring car drivers and in KCMG they have a Le Mans-winning team with a lot of experience of touring car racing in Asia and a pedigree most drivers could only dream of.
“It is my great pleasure to welcome Paul Ip and his team into the JAS Motorsport family and I’m sure they will have a very good season.”