KCMG Takes top-five finish in Nurburgring qualifiers
KC Motorgroup Ltd. (KCMG) finished fifth in the second race of the ADAC 24 Hours of Nürburgring Qualifiers, confirming their strong pace on the fearsome Nordschleife as they continue to prepare for the ADAC TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Nürburgring at the end of May.
Earl Bamber took to the circuit in the Top 30 Qualifying session, securing eighth on the grid for Saturday evening’s race. Dennis Olsen and Josh Burdon made solid progress during the three-hour event, with the duo moving up to the net top three. With Bamber set to take the final stint, the team were forced to retire the #18 Porsche 911 GT3 R after an incident.
Nick Tandy and Bamber paired up on Sunday morning for the second race, starting 21st following the British racer’s effort in Top Qualifying, his first laps on the Nordschleife in 2022. Both drivers pushed through the field on the fearsome 25.378-kilometre circuit, eventually finishing the race as the leading Porsche in fifth.
The Qualifiers served as KCMG’s last chance to prepare on-track for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and the team’s focus now turns to setting up the car for a successful race weekend in the Black Forest on 26-29 May.
DENNIS OLSEN
“We continued to improve throughout the weekend, we worked well together as a team and showed excellent pace. It was great to have Nick with us for the first time this season and we’re feeling strong as a unit."
NICK TANDY
“I’m really pleased to return to the Nordschleife, and to team up with KCMG again. It was a baptism of fire for me, as I got my first laps on the circuit this season in practice and qualifying. We had a bit of work to do on Sunday, so to come from 21st to fifth was an excellent performance. It’s a step in the right direction and it was great to return here fully refreshed and to achieve such a good result.”
EARL BAMBER
“It was a promising weekend, especially on Sunday. Starting so far back and being able to push to take fifth really shows how well the team has been improving on the Nordschleife in recent weeks. We learned a lot in these last two races, and it was awesome to share the car with Nick.”
JOSH BURDON
"Overall we had a good weekend, it was the first chance for the four of us to work together, and the team is doing a great job developing the car. We’re in a strong position, and we need to continue to push so we can build on our pace around the Nordschleife. It was unfortunate to get caught up in slower traffic during the first race, but it was a promising Qualifiers and I’m happy with the outcome.”
MATT HOWSON TEAM MANAGER
“The Qualifiers is usually the best measure of what the team will face in the N24. While we did retire from Race 1 after an incident, we made great progress to take fifth in difficult circumstances in Race 2. This result gives us a lot of confidence ahead of the main event. Nick got his first mileage at the Nordschleife this season and further improvements were made to the car, so now we focus on other aspects we can develop in the build-up to the 24 Hours. The N24 isn’t just about being prepared, it’s being ready for anything, and in this respect we are very excited to get underway!”
PAUL IP KCMG FOUNDER
“It was another solid weekend for KCMG at the Nürburgring, and a promising performance as we continue our preparation. The pace was strong in the first race, so the retirement was unfortunate, but the team confirmed its competitiveness in Race 2, taking fifth place after a brilliant charge through the field. We’re feeling positive for the main event, and the whole squad is looking forward to getting the 24 Hours underway.”
