Brutal Fish Racing will enter four cars in the season finale of the TCR Europe series at Monza this weekend, with Hong Kong racer Paul Ip and Australian Josh Burdon joining the grid.
Ip and Burdon will race Honda Civic Type-R TCR cars alongside team regulars Martin Ryba and Dan Lloyd.
Ip, who founded FIA World Touring Car Cup team KCMG which also took part in last year’s TCR Europe, has competed in TCR Malaysia, TCR Japan and the Super Taikyu series already in 2019.
Ryba started the season with one car, before adding Lloyd for the second event at the Hockenheimring, with the team running two cars ever since.
“I’m really excited to join Brutal Fish Racing Team and TCR Europe at Monza,” said Ip. “The series and its drivers are top level and so we’ll see how I’m going to finish.
“I’m also looking forward to spend the weekend with Martin and JAS Motorsport.”
Team Principal Ryba explained that the opportunity to expand the team to include Ip came when they met during the TCR Malaysia series at the start of the year.
“I met Paul in January, while we were both taking part in the TCR Malaysia Series and we became friends,” said Ryba. “During one of our long ‘brainstorming’ nights, we came up with the idea to do a team exchange, so he will drive for Brutal Fish Racing Team at Monza and in return, I will race for KCMG in an event in Asia, sometime.
“Then a few weeks ago he suggested to add Josh Burdon to the team, and we agreed.”
Burdon is a title winner in the Asian Formula Renault and he has also competed extensively in GT racing in 2019, including in the Intercontinental GT Challenge and Asian Le Mans Series.
Burdon has also shared a car with Ip and Jim Ka To in the Japanese Super Taikyu series this year.
“I wish to thank Paul and Brutal Fish for this fantastic opportunity of joining the exciting TCR Europe grid on the iconic Monza circuit,” added Burdon. “I know the car well, so I can’t wait foe the race weekend to start.”