Craft-Bamboo Racing team secures win at the Macau GT Cup
O’Young muscles a rebuilt #95 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to victory
Hong Kong driver finishes brilliant race to end rollercoaster weekend on a high
Despite facing a major setback following a crash in Race 1 of the Macau GT Cup, Darryl O’Young came through to win a brilliant Race 2 at the 68th Macau Grand Prix. The Hong Kong driver drove a patched up #95 Mercedes-AMG GT3, placing it perfectly at the start to take an early lead. He controlled the pace from there, not allowing any chasing cars to overtake, and see home a well-deserved victory.
Sunday morning at the 68th Macau Grand Prix started with amicable doubt and uncertainty for the Craft-Bamboo Racing team. Following a major crash in Race 1 on Saturday evening, the #95 Mercedes-AMG required extensive repairs. O’Young was classified in P2 for the Saturday race, which meant he was due to start on the front-row for Race 2. The Craft-Bamboo Racing team mechanics worked all night long to repair the car and get it ready moments before it was scheduled to go out on track. Seeing the car ready to race on the grid was a significant achievement for the team.
O’Young lined up on the grid, writing off any doubts regarding the car’s ability to make it back out on track after the significant amount of damage. Determined to make up for the disappointment of the previous day, he was gunning for victory right from the get go. As the GT3 cars rolled down the main-straight for a rolling start, O’Young was ready to give it his all. The lights went out and he immediately began to pressurize the leading Porsche. With neither driver willing to give in, it was O’Young who kept his foot in and made the move stick into the Lisboa Bend taking the lead in the first lap.
It was clear to see that the patched up #95 Mercedes-AMG was struggling, however O’Young kept his focus. He drove excellent laps, managing to stay in front of a closely chasing pack of 3 cars and maintain the lead. A Safety Car was called out at the end of Lap 8 as a car hit the barriers and stopped on track. The pack bunched up behind the pace car, which stayed out for 3 laps. This meant just one final lap of Green Flag racing to see home the victory. O’Young timed the restart perfectly, and maintained his advantage throughout the final lap. The Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG crossed the chequered flag taking an emphatic and well-deserved victory.
Race 2
Darryl O’Young | Driver, #95 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
P2 - Chequered Flag
It was a rollercoaster weekend for Darryl O’Young and the Craft-Bamboo Racing team. The perfect end to an emotional Macau Grand Prix weekend. O’Young takes the crown, becoming a 6-time race winner at the Guia Circuit and a 2-time Macau GT Cup champion.
QUOTE
Darryl O’Young | Driver, #95 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
“What an incredible day. From the accident yesterday, I honestly thought the car couldn’t be fixed but the team at Craft-Bamboo Racing didn’t want to give up. They went for it and they were at it all night. These guys haven’t slept since 7:30 AM yesterday and it's 4:30 PM now, it's absolutely unbelievable. Without the dedication of these guys, I wouldn’t have a car to drive. It is really amazing, our car was only ready 10 seconds before the cars left the paddock. The chassis was completely bent, and to get it back to driveable conditions was something of a moment. Just incredible.
The race itself, I had to get a good start. The key was to get ahead. I managed to get a perfect start, timed it right at the light and was able to get side-by-side with Leo. I held it on the outside into Turn 1, and that gave me the inside line through Mandarin Bend. I was super happy with that start. The strategy from that point changed as I could feel that the car was not handling perfectly. So, I had to adjust my driving. I took it easy in the hills where they couldn’t overtake me. I preserved my tires and used them on the lower part of the track, where I could push hard and be aggressive. I was able to get a good gap before Lisboa, so they couldn’t overtake me. I played that strategy all the way to the end. I was quite fortunate with the Safety Car, to be honest. It helped me get a break for my tires and I was able to get a good jump on the restart for the last lap dash to seal it.
Super happy! I have actually never had a race where I had tears at the end, and I had some tears on this one on the in-lap. It was an amazing race and I want to thank all my sponsors and all of the supporters (even those from Hong Kong who couldn’t come here and were supporting me on social media). I want to thank the marketing team, the mechanics and all those who put in the efforts. I have a great group of sponsors who really believe in me and give me the support to race. Thank you very much to Z-Challenger, Motul and all other Partners.”
