Eurasia Motorsport confirms that it will compete in the seventh round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Spa-Francorchamps on 25 April as part of the team’s continued preparations for the recently confirmed entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The team will field the ‘all black’ Eurasia Racing New Zealand Ligier JS P217 at the event with Nick Cassidy, Daniel Gaunt and Nobuya Yamanaka.
#35 Eurasia Motorsport / Ligier JS P217 – Gibson / Nobuya Yamanaka JPN / Daniel Gaunt NZL / Nick Cassidy NZL
This is very much a follow on from the Asian Le Mans Series programme that saw all three drivers competing in the four-round championship and to help the team prepare for their fourth Le Mans start where Nobu and Daniel will be joined by Shane van Gisbergen. Due to a calendar clash with the mandatory Le Mans test day, Nick Cassidy will be at Le Mans but only in an advisory role to the team, which has a very strong New Zealand flavour.
Cassidy is the defending Super Formula Champion and has secured multiple championships in his short career to date, including Super GT, Formula 3 Japan and Toyota Racing Series New Zealand to name but a few. He claimed pole for the team at Sepang last month in one of his three outings with Eurasia and will undoubtedly be one to watch at Spa.
Daniel meanwhile is a Bathurst winner and has titles to his credit including Porsche GT Cup New Zealand and Toyota Racing Series New Zealand. He ran the full Asian programme with Eurasia and brings a great deal of continuity to the programme ahead.
Nobu has competed in the last two seasons of Asian Le Mans with the team, first in LMP3 equipment and then in LMP2. He enjoys close business and motorsport connections with New Zealand and it is for this reason that the two pro drivers and Ligier livery are very much focused on the country.
#35 Eurasia Motorsport / Ligier JS P217 – Gibson / Nobuya Yamanaka JPN / Daniel Gaunt NZL / Nick Cassidy NZL
Eurasia is no stranger to competing at the highest levels of sportscar racing, but the Total 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps will in fact be a first in the World Endurance Championship.
“We have raced at Spa before, but this is the first time for us in a Ligier LMP2 car,” stated team principal Mark Goddard. “We’re really looking forward to joining the WEC grid and to the race in its own right but also to help us prepare for Le Mans. We have three drivers that we know well, so the aim is to learn as much as possible and to further hone the Ligier in readiness for the 24 Hours.”
