TITLES ON A KNIFE EDGE AS TSS THE SUPER SERIES ARRIVES IN BURIRAM FOR THE FINAL ROUND
The drivers and teams have arrived in Buriram for the final round of TSS The Super Series, which takes place this coming weekend, with double header races scheduled across the multi category programme where all the top Drivers’ titles still remain to be decided.
That’s added an extra explosive element to the event with packed grids in store for the fans that make the trek to the north east, back to where the season in fact kicked off in late April.
With rounds over the last eight months including the famous Bangsaen Grand Prix street race, a trip to Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit and the non-championship invitational race on Singapore’s Marina Bay Street Circuit, it’s been a hectic and exciting year that’s set to climax over the coming three days on Thailand’s world class track, Chang International Circuit.
At the top of the tree in Super Car GT3 the key title protagonists will be Vincent Floriendo, supported this weekend by Luca Engstler, in the #55 B-Quik Absolute Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II and the Toyota Gazoo Racing Thailand-run Lexus RC F GT3 of Nattapong Horthongkum and Manat Kulapalanont.
Floriendo, an accomplished former double Philippines GT champion, paired up with former F1 driver Markus Winkelhock for this season’s challenge and have enjoyed a strong year culminating in a win at the last round at Sepang. However, Winkelhock is unavailable for this round and Engstler, who has in fact raced here previously in TCR Asia with a Volkswagen, is deputising.
The Lexus drivers’ meanwhile have been a model of consistency and despite the RC F seemingly not quite capable of challenging for outright wins, they have never finished outside the top four. A second, a third and three fourth places from the six races means the gap between the top two in the rankings stands at a wafer thin six points with 50 points still on offer. It could go any way!
But it’s not just between those two as Malaysia’s 2022 Super Car GT3 Drivers’ champion Akash Nandy and Thai GT3 rookie Adisak Tangphuncharoen (B-Quik Absolute Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II) are just 16 points off the top after they enjoyed two hard fought second places at the last round to bounce back into title contention to put a dismal outing in Bangsaen firmly behind them.
Three points further adrift of Nandy and Adisak Tangphuncharoen sits the Dutch-Sri Lankan pairing of Henk Kiks and Eshan Pieris in a sister Audi, they took maximum points in the second race in Sepang to keep in shouting distance of the top of the standings.
Realistically, with 25 points dished out for a win here, meaning a total of 50 points being on offer this weekend, there’s going to be a four-way scrap for the title.
There are some wild cards in the mix for the wins too, as B-Quik Absolute will have two further Audis entered for all-Chinese crews. Vincent Lin and Huang Ruohan, who have already appeared in TSS this year, bagging both overall podium finishes in Sepang as well as claiming both GT3 Am wins that weekend with the former also entering the Singapore race and racing to a double podium, so clearly the pair are looking towards the front and could easily take points away from the title chasers. The other crew, Li Xuanyu and Daniel Lu Wenlong, are unknowns in the series but have a good track record.
Singha Motorsport Team Thailand are likely to be a real wildcard in the mix as they have swapped their Ferrari 488 GT3 for the final round in favour of a Honda NSX GT3, a car that’s good enough to win and in fact it almost took the title last year.
Voravud Bhirombhakdi and Carlo Van Dam combine vast experience with pure winning pace and if the team can dial the car in fast and get settled, they should be a package that can chase the wins and end the season on a high note to add to the sensational pole they claimed in Bangsaen.
Also looking to end the season strongly will be Douglas Khoo and Dominic Ang in the Viper Niza Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The pair have been improving all season as they get to grips with the brutal sounding machine and arrive in a rich vein of form, three podiums from the last four races.
In Super Car GTM Phaophong Chanchalia and Jakrapan Davee (Porsche) lead the rankings in both overall and Am with three wins from six races but after seemingly heading for the title it went a bit pear-shaped in Sepang and Toyota Gazoo Racing Motorsport’s Nattavude Charoensukhawatana elbowed his way back into the frame as he grabbed a win and a third. The wiliest fox on the grid needs no second invitation and the gap in favour of the Porsche crew is now just 14 points meaning it’s a long way from being over.
Super Car GTM will be hard fought as ever and other cars to look out also for include the Fire Monkey Motorsport Porsche of Simon Chan and Shaun Thong, a new package that’s been improving all year, while expect fireworks from the Singha Motorsport Ferrari 488 Challenge shared by Kittipol Pramoj Na Ayudhya and Supakit Jenjitranun as well as the Porsche shared by last year’s champions, the Sathienthirakul brothers, Tanart and Munkong. The former, who has been racing worldwide this year, claimed a sensational a double win at the Singapore F1 support race in September.
Also looking to end the year on a bright note will be Craig Corliss and Sam Collins in the MARC Cars Mustang. They will be looking for a much smoother weekend to start unlocking what this monster is capable of. After a very tough debut for the Australian-built car in Bangsaen they, however, showed real flashes of promise in Sepang.
In Super Car GT4 the odds are stacking in the favour of Iaro Razanakoto and Chanon Asavasangsidhi driving a B-Quik Absolute Racing Porsche Cayman. The Madagascan-Thai duo haven’t finished outside the top two all year and have a brace of wins to their name.
That means they have opened out a 29-point advantage over the YK Motorsport entered Mercedes AMG GT GT4 shared by Nattanid Leewattanavalagul and Dechathorn Phuakkarawut. This duo started the season with three straight wins and were seemingly cruising to the title, however a double DNF at the last round has shattered their hopes and even with two wins this weekend their title leading rivals can follow them home in both races and still claim the crown.
But anything can happen in racing, especially as the GT4 grid will expand further this weekend meaning there will be more cars to potential take away points – but at the very least expect some serious action at the front in GT4.
As the GT4 grid grows, there are three new entries for the final round that could prove real wild cards in the mix, Prutirat Ratanakul Serireongrith and Suphot Kasikam will field the second Mercedes AMG GT GT4 in the series, this car entered by AIM Motorsports, while there will be a Cayman GT4 (718) for more newcomers to the category, Kachorn Chiaravanont and Nanin Indra-payoong.
A very late entry has been lodged by B-Quik Absolute for a Chinese duo, Zhang Tianfang and Xie Wenjun, they will share a Cayman.
Super Car GTC provides its usual mixed bag of cars and the entry has grown further for the closing round with TECPRO Racing adding a second Daytona GT Coupe to its roster to be driven by promising young driver Siramedt Thungsuteeranonkul, Mitsubishi’s legendary “EVO” will make a welcome return to the grid as Partssport have entered a stunning EVO 7 for Chaiyavee Kongthed, while veteran Australian racer, Ian Geekie, undertakes his first outing in TSS this season in a B-Quik Absolute Cayman (987).
Add in three Ford Mustangs, Putra Adam’s Cayman GT4 (718) and the currently pace setting Full Function McLaren 570S GT4 and this is a category that is sure to provide nonstop action for the fans.
The double header races will unfold over Saturday and Sunday after qualifying on Saturday morning. All the weekend’s action will be live streamed on the official YouTube channel and Facebook page.
