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TRIPLE EIGHT UNLEASHES TWO CARS AND SUPERCARS STARS AT GT WORLD CHALLENGE

By Thomas Miles

Date posted: 18 October 2022

Triple Eight Race Engineering will launch a two-car Mercedes-AMG GT3 assault with both of its full-time Supercars stars on upcoming Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS rounds at The Bend and Bathurst.

The leading team will expand to include a second car to be shared by seven-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup and Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – the younger brother of Prince Jefri Ibrahim, who currently sits third in the standings.

Prince Jedri will be joined by Supercars rookie Broc Feeney and current Bathurst and Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen at The Bend and Bathurst respectively.

Triple Eight Race Engineering team manager Andrew Simpson said the squad will be attacking both races with all of its resources.

“With our racing in Asia wrapped up for the year, we’ve turned our attention fully to the remaining rounds of GT World Challenge Australia and that means running two cars under the Triple Eight-JMR flag,” said Simpson.

“Prince Abu Bakar has done a stellar job in his first full season of racing and we’re looking to capitalise on that momentum. He’s in very good company with Jamie Whincup as his co-driver, so it will be a good opportunity for him to learn.

“Prince Jefri is returning to Australia after sealing the Pro-Am title in Japan, so he should have plenty of confidence coming into the weekend and it’s a track he knows fairly well.

“He and Broc took a couple of podiums at The Bend last year and they’ve got a good chance of going a spot or two better this weekend.”

Triple Eight Race Engineering will launch a two-car assault featuring three of its Supercars stars at the upcoming GT rounds at The Bend and Bathurst. Pic: DANIEL KALISZ PHOTOGRAPHER

For the first time in Australia, the Ibrahim brothers will race against each other, but it is a regular occurrence in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS where Triple Eight Race Engineering-JMR regularly enter two Mercedes AMGs.

Teamed with Jazeman Jaafar, Abu finished ninth in the standings this year and will contest his first race on Australian soil this weekend.

Prince Jefri has been a familiar face in Australian GT3 racing over the past two years and will be partnered by both Red Bull Ampol Racing teammates over the next two rounds.

For Whincup, it marks his return to the category after filling in for van Gisbergen at Phillip Island for the opening round of Jefri’s campaign in 2021.

A previous Bathurst 12 Hour winner, Whincup has demonstrated his capabilities in GT machinery in recent years as he transitioned into managing Triple Eight Race Engineering and retired from full-time Supercars competition.

He has recent enduro experience having pushed car #88 from the the back of the pack to fifth at the 2022 Bathurst 1000.

The Bend marks the penultimate round of the sprint component for Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS season ahead of Bathurst and Adelaide’s return in December.

For more of the latest motorsport news pick up the latest issue of AUTO ACTION.

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