Solite Indigo Racing will become the first Korean team ever to compete in Blancpain GT Series Asia this season after announcing that Juwon Seo and Roelof Bruins will campaign its brand-new Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The news represents a historic milestone for Korean motorsport, which has never previously been represented on a platform as internationally renowned as Blancpain GT Series Asia. Indeed, the team – which has played a vital role in its country’s motor racing development since 1997 – will be making its full-season debut outside of a domestic championship for the first time in its 20-year history.
The team’s Korean flavour extends to its driver line-up courtesy of Juwon Seo, who has contested the GT1 class of his native CJ Superrace series since 2016 and finished fifth overall with Indigo Racing last season. The 23-year-old’s CV also features significant world-level karting experience, while his appearances on the popular Korean TV show Heart Signal have helped him amass almost 100,000 Instagram followers.
“This year will be my first opportunity to join the Blancpain GT Series Asia,” he said. “My goals this season are to focus on my performance and collect as much data for the team as possible. Although it will be the first year for the team and drivers, I believe we can show some great performance. In addition, I would like to thank the team and sponsors for the great opportunity.”
Meanwhile, Seo’s Dutch-Korean co-driver Bruins makes his Blancpain GT Series Asia debut this season as China GT’s reigning GT4 champion. A year earlier he wrapped up the CJ Superrace drivers’ title with Indigo Racing and is also a former three-time Korea Speed Festival champion. His single-seater career features a fourth overall in German F3 and Formula Renault stints.
“I am extremely honoured to be part as a driver and team principal of the first Korean entry in Blancpain GT Series Asia and to be able to show Indigo Racing’s potential on such a world-renowned stage,” he added.
Indigo Racing is supported by Solite Battery, one of Korea’s leading automotive battery companies and a subsidiary of the internationally-renowned Hyundai Sungwoo. Motorsport is considered an ideal tool for proving and continuously improving the company’s high-performance technology.
Indigo Racing’s announcement takes this year’s number of confirmed GT3 manufacturers to six, with Mercedes-AMG joining Audi, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Nissan and Porsche on the entry list. BMW and McLaren have also been confirmed in GT4.
The team’s confirmation also adds to the championship’s growing regional appeal, which has seen Australian, Japanese and Taiwan teams commit full-season entries for the first time this year.
Sepang hosts the opening round of 2018’s Blancpain GT Series Asia campaign on April 14/15.
