Craft-Bamboo Racing
| Company type | Motorsport team |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorsport |
| Predecessor | Craft Racing, Bamboo Engineering |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Frank Yu (Craft Racing), Richard Coleman (Bamboo Engineering) |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong, United Kingdom |
| Products | Racing teams in WTCC, GP3 Series, FIA World Endurance Championship, TCR International Series, GT Asia |
Craft-Bamboo Racing emerged in 2014 as a result of the combination of two racing entities: Craft Racing based in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom's Bamboo Engineering.
Craft Racing was initiated by Frank Yu in 2009 and quickly established itself as a prominent competitor in Asian motorsport championships over a five-year period.
Bamboo Engineering was created in July 2009 at Silverstone following Richard Coleman's departure from Tempus Sport. The team secured third place in the drivers' classification of the 2013 WTCC and also took part in the GP3 Series. In 2017, Coleman was dismissed from his position, and subsequently faced legal proceedings in 2020.
British Touring Car Championship
In the 2009 British Touring Car Championship season, Bamboo fielded former Tempus driver Harry Vaulkhard, who achieved multiple top-10 results and concluded the season ranked 16th overall.
European Touring Car Cup
As preparation for their 2010 WTCC campaign, Bamboo entered two Chevrolet Lacettis in the single-event 2009 European Touring Car Cup held in Braga, Portugal. Vaulkhard teamed up with Duarte Fèlix da Costa. During qualifying, Costa secured third place with Vaulkhard close behind in fourth. In race one, they finished eighth and fifth respectively. In the second race, Vaulkhard initially led but spun to finish sixth, while da Costa took over first before also spinning and ending seventh.
Chevrolet Lacetti (2010–2011)
For the 2010 WTCC season, Bamboo Engineering competed with drivers Vaulkhard and Darryl O'Young. The team earned its inaugural WTCC Independents victory when Vaulkhard won at the 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Italy. O'Young made history by becoming the first Chinese driver to win an FIA event at the 2010 FIA WTCC Race of Portugal, followed by triumphs in Rounds 13 and 14 at Brno, where he also secured the team's first pole position. However, a subsequent 30-second penalty stripped O'Young of his initial race one win. Financial constraints forced Vaulkhard to end his season prematurely, with Yukinori Taniguchi stepping in for the final events. Taniguchi claimed a class victory on home soil in Japan, shortly before O'Young added another win. Although O'Young entered Macau's final races with a title opportunity, a crash in race one ended his bid; Sergio Hernandez ultimately won the championship. Bamboo concluded the year second in the Yokohama Teams' Trophy rankings.
Bamboo continued into the 2011 season retaining O'Young and Taniguchi as drivers and campaigning the Chevrolet Lacetti at events such as the 2011 FIA WTCC Race of Brazil.
Chevrolet Cruze (2011–2013)
At the 2011 FIA WTCC Race of Belgium, Bamboo transitioned to running Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T vehicles, replacing their earlier Chevrolet Lacettis. O'Young delivered the team's only independent victory that year by winning race two of that event. The squad finished fifth overall in the Yokohama Teams' Trophy standings.
In 2012, Bamboo Engineering collaborated with RML Group to operate cars built to factory Chevrolet specifications. They signed former BTCC competitor Alex MacDowall alongside Formula Renault 3.5 champion Pasquale di Sabatino, creating a roster composed entirely of rookies. MacDowall led early independent points and notched his first WTCC independent victory in Austria. Due to di Sabatino’s illness, Michel Nykjær substituted for Brazil, capturing pole position and winning race one among independents. Robb Holland joined for the United States round while O'Young returned for Japan and subsequent races. Both MacDowall and O'Young achieved independent wins despite setbacks caused by incidents in China and Macau. O'Young delivered multiple independent victories at Macau later that season, while MacDowall remained a contender for the independent drivers’ championship.
For 2013, Bamboo maintained their WTCC presence by signing James Nash from Team Aon and keeping MacDowall on board. MacDowall earned his first overall podium at Italy, while Nash led the independent drivers’ battle. Bamboo finished second among teams behind RML Group. Nash recorded his initial podium finish in Morocco and shared independent class victories with MacDowall throughout the campaign. The team celebrated their maiden overall WTCC win at Austria when Nash defended pole position against Yvan Muller, followed by another lights-to-flag triumph in Portugal ahead of reigning champion Rob Huff. The pair alternated independent wins across later rounds; MacDowall secured victories including an overall podium at Japan, while Nash took wins plus a podium finish at China. Heading into Macau’s finale both were contenders for the independent title; Nash clinched it by finishing runner-up behind MacDowall and placed third overall after rival Tom Chilton crashed out. Collectively, Nash and MacDowall amassed twelve independent race wins, marking an outstanding season for Bamboo Engineering.
Chevrolet Cruze TC1 (2015)
Following a hiatus in the 2014 World Endurance Championship, Bamboo made its return to the World Touring Car Championship in 2015, extending its collaboration with RML and Chevrolet by campaigning the Chevrolet Cruze built to the new TC1 specifications. The team enlisted experienced GT racer Grégoire Demoustier, who earned points on his debut by finishing 10th in Race 2 at Argentina. Demoustier replicated this result in Race 2 at Hungary and narrowly missed securing reverse grid pole by just 0.015 seconds during qualifying at his home event in France, after demonstrating strong pace in practice sessions. He continued to show competitive speed in China, performing well in practice and narrowly missing out on progressing to Q2.
GP3 Series
Bamboo joined the GP3 Series in 2013, taking over from CRS Grand Prix. Venezuelan driver Roberto La Rocca started the season with the team but departed due to political unrest in Venezuela and was replaced by Carmen Jordá. The roster was completed by British racers Melville McKee and Lewis Williamson. McKee secured the team’s inaugural victory by winning race 2 at the Nürburgring. By the end of the season, Bamboo was sold to Russian Time.
FIA World Endurance Championship
In 2014, Craft-Bamboo formed a technical alliance with Prodrive and Aston Martin Racing to compete in the FIA WEC GTE Pro class using an Aston Martin Vantage V8 GTE. The driver lineup featured Alex MacDowall, transitioning from WTCC, long-standing team member Darryl O'Young, and Brazilian champion Fernando Rees. Early season outings saw the #99 car challenging for class leadership at events such as the 6 Hours of Spa and Lone Star Le Mans. Unfortunately, a crash during the first night session of the Le Mans 24 Hours rendered the car beyond repair, forcing withdrawal from this marquee race. A highlight came at the 6 Hours of Fuji, where MacDowall and Rees secured pole position and narrowly missed victory by 30 seconds due to refueling issues. Strong performances at the Shanghai and São Paulo rounds culminated with a solid fourth place finish in Brazil.
Seat Leon (2015–2017)
Craft-Bamboo entered the newly established TCR International Series in 2015 with TC3-spec Seat Leon vehicles, collaborating with Lukoil. The driver lineup included former World Touring Car champions Pepe Oriola and Jordi Gene, along with Russian ex-Formula 2 and GT competitor Sergey Afanasyev. Additionally, a fourth car was selectively fielded for Hong Kong driver Frank Yu, who had previously raced with Craft-Bamboo in the GT Asia Series. At the series’ opening round supporting the Malaysian GP, Oriola and Afanasyev advanced from qualifying positions seven and eight to claim second and third places on the podium. Gene delivered a commanding lights-to-flag victory in race two, while Oriola finished runner-up again. During the European round in Spain, Oriola secured pole position and won race one, with Afanasyev and Gene completing a dominant Craft-Bamboo one-two-three finish. Gene added two further podiums in Portugal, including a decisive last-corner overtake for third place. At Lukoil’s home event in Sochi, Gene and Oriola’s one-two result intensified their battle for the championship lead. Oriola further narrowed the points gap with double podium finishes at the Red Bull Ring followed by a win and third place in Thailand—highlighting another team one-two-three sweep—and entered Macau trailing the championship leader by just two points. Gene remained firmly in contention after clinching his third victory of the season in Singapore.
Aston Martin Vantage GT3 (2014-2015)
In 2014, Craft Bamboo collaborated with Craft Racing to enter a pair of GT3 Aston Martin Vantages in the GT Asia Championship, benefiting from technical assistance provided by Aston Martin Racing. The #97 vehicle was piloted by long-time Craft driver Frank Yu, joined by Australian V8 Supercar competitor Warren Luff, Aston Martin factory driver Stefan Mucke, and seasoned GT competitor Richard Lyons. The #99 car featured several drivers, including Jonathan Venter for three race weekends. After earning points in Korea, the #97 secured pole position at Autopolis, Japan, and finished runner-up. The team’s only victory occurred during round 7 in Malaysia with Mucke co-driving alongside Yu. Although delivering strong performances, Yu ended the season seventh overall due to a disqualification and multiple retirements. The team achieved second place in the teams' standings.
For the 2015 season, both Aston Martin Vantages returned with dedicated full-time driver lineups. Frank Yu teamed up with Richard Lyons full-time in the #88 entry, while Jonathon Venter, supported by Aston Martin, joined former factory driver Darryl O'Young in the #99 car. Lyons secured pole and a third-place finish in Korea; meanwhile, O'Young and Venter captured a race win at the second round. Following Venter’s mid-season leg injury, British driver Daniel Lloyd stepped in, earning a podium at the Sepang 12 Hours and achieving a double victory in Shanghai that propelled the #99 into championship contention prior to the final round. Lloyd’s last-corner overtaking maneuver clinched an exhilarating win in Shanghai.
Qualifying difficulties in Thailand saw O'Young and Lloyd begin behind their rivals Song/Sawa despite being tied on points. Ultimately, O'Young secured the drivers’ championship for Craft Bamboo Racing with a commanding victory.
Porsche 991 GT3 R (2016)
At the start of 2016, Craft-Bamboo Racing established a partnership with Porsche Motorsport as its Official Technical Partner for the Asia-Pacific region. Utilizing Porsche’s worldwide network, the team broadened its sports car initiatives by defending its titles with two new Porsche 911 GT3 R cars in the 2016 GT Asia Series. Based in Hong Kong, they also campaigned the 911 GT3 Rs at prestigious events such as the FIA GT World Cup in Macau and the Sepang 12 Hour endurance race. In 2017, Craft-Bamboo aimed for a podium finish at Australia’s Bathurst 12 Hours after having achieved third place there in 2015.
Porsche 991 GT3 R (2017-2018)
During its inaugural Blancpain GT Series Asia campaign, Craft-Bamboo entered two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs alongside one Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR. The driver lineup featured Frank Yu and Jean Marc-Merlin competing in GT4, while Darryl O'Young and Peter Li Zhi Cong drove a VLT-sponsored 911 GT3 R. The team secured the GT4 Class Championship title and finished fourth overall in GT3. In 2018, Craft-Bamboo maintained a comparable roster of Porsche 911 GT3 Rs and Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR vehicles.
Mercedes-AMG GT3 (2019-)
At the close of 2018, Craft-Bamboo transitioned to Mercedes-AMG through a new long-term agreement, broadening their participation to include selected rounds of the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli as well as the Macau FIA GT World Cup. The team committed to entering at least two Mercedes-AMG GT3 cars along with one GT4 machine for competition within both the GT World Challenge Asia and GT4 divisions. Team director Darryl O’Young expressed optimism that this collaboration would enhance competitive results. In 2019, Craft-Bamboo concluded the season fifth in the GT3 Team Championship and third within the GT4 Team Championship rankings.
2015
At the conclusion of 2015, Craft-Bamboo Racing participated in the first-ever FIA GT World Cup, fielding three Aston Martin Vantage GT3 vehicles as Aston Martin's global representatives. Regular drivers Darryl O'Young and Richard Lyons were joined by factory driver Stefan Mucke for the Macau event. Mucke secured the fastest qualifying time but was later penalized after the race. During the main event, Mucke contended with leading rivals to secure third place, while O'Young finished fifth. Lyons, however, was forced to retire following a crash on the opening lap.
2016
Darryl O'Young began from the rear of the grid after missing qualifying due to an incident in FP2 that necessitated a complete car rebuild. The #99 VLT Porsche made significant gains during the rolling start before a safety car was deployed between laps two and five. On the final lap of the qualification race for the FIA GT World Cup, O’Young’s vehicle was hit by Edoardo Mortara, ending his run and resulting in a 13th place starting position for the main race on Sunday. Subsequent inspection revealed irreparable damage to the rear chassis.
2017
Laurens Vanthoor moved up from ninth position early in the race but collided with a stationary Mercedes, causing a large pileup that ended his weekend due to severe damage sustained by the #911 EVISU Porsche. Darryl O'Young started 16th and, despite being involved in the incident, returned to the pits with only radiator damage. The team quickly repaired the #991 VLT Porsche for the restart, allowing O’Young to resume from fifth place. Utilizing his extensive Macau experience, he found his rhythm and finished sixth, securing that spot for the main race.
In the final race, O’Young started sixth behind the safety car on a wet circuit and defended his position assertively once racing resumed. Despite strong defensive maneuvers against Daniel Juncadella and others, contact from Nico Muller’s Audi spun O’Young into the barriers. The resulting damage forced him to retire despite attempts to return to the pits.
2018
Craft-Bamboo Racing entered the 2018 FIA GT World Cup with drivers Mathieu Jaminet and Darryl O'Young representing the team.
2019
Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing encountered a difficult weekend at the 2019 FIA GT World Cup. Factory driver Edoardo Mortara piloted the #77 Tsingtao-backed car from 14th on the grid to finish sixth despite sustaining significant rear-end damage during Saturday’s Qualification Race. Meanwhile, in the sister #88 Evisu-sponsored Mercedes-AMG GT3, Macau rookie Belgian driver Alessio Picariello demonstrated impressive pace, running as high as sixth before contact with a wall forced him out of contention.
Porsche 991 GT3 R (2018)
EuroMechanica took on title sponsorship for Craft-Bamboo’s #991 Porsche 911 GT3 R at the 2018 Liqui Moly Bathurst 12 Hour event, fielding a full factory Porsche lineup consisting of Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, and Earl Bamber. The team concluded the race in fifth place. Additionally, they competed in the 2018 Suzuka 10 Hours with Estre, Mathieu Jaminet, and Vanthoor behind the wheel.
Mercedes-AMG GT3 (2019-)
Between 2019 and 2020, Craft-Bamboo collaborated with Black Falcon Racing for participation in the Bathurst 12 Hour. Their best outcome came in 2020 when they finished fifth despite a late puncture that dashed hopes for a podium finish. The team also took part in the 2019 Suzuka 10 Hours with drivers Yelmer Buurman, Maximilian Götz, and Luca Stolz competing in car #77.
Asian Le Mans Series
Craft-Bamboo competed in the CN class of the Asian Le Mans Series during 2014, fielding a Ligier Morgan-Judd. Their original plan included running two CN vehicles alongside an LMP2 entry. The team delivered an impeccable performance throughout the four rounds, securing pole positions, race victories, and fastest laps in every event. This dominant display earned them both the team championship and driver championship for Kevin Tse. The driver lineup featured Mathias Beche, Jonathan Venter, Samson Chan, Frank Yu, and Naoki Yokomizo. Craft-Bamboo did not participate in the 2015 season, opting to concentrate on other racing series.
TCR Asia
In June 2015, Craft-Bamboo declared its participation in the inaugural six-round 2015 TCR Asia Series.
World Touring Car Championship
| Year | Vehicle | Competitors | Events | Victories | Y.T. Wins | Pole Positions | F.L. | Points Accumulated | Y.T. Ranking | D.C. | T.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Chevrolet Lacetti | Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Darryl O'Young | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 4th | 15th | 2nd |
| Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Yukinori Taniguchi | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10th | 18th | |||
| Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Harry Vaulkhard | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8th | 21st | |||
| 2011 | Chevrolet Lacetti Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T |
Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Darryl O'Young | 24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 6th | 14th | 5th |
| Template:Country data JPNTemplate:Namespace detect showall Yukinori Taniguchi | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13th | 20th | |||
| 2012 | Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T | Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Alex MacDowall | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 5th | 11th | 4th |
GP3 Series
Detailed Overview
(Template:Motorsport driver results legend#key) (Bold font indicates pole position) (Italic font denotes fastest lap)
| Year | Chassis Engine Tyres |
Drivers | Points | T.C. |
|---|
World Endurance Championship
| Year | Vehicle Model | Car Number | Driver Roster | Events Contested | Victories | Pole Positions | F.L. | Points Total | D.C. | T.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Aston Martin Vantage GTE | #99 | Template:Country data HKGTemplate:Namespace detect showall Darryl O'Young Template:Country data GBRTemplate:Namespace detect showall Alex MacDowall Template:Country data BRATemplate:Namespace detect showall Fernando Rees |
7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 55.5 | 12th | 6th |
FIA GT World Cup
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