Multiple Toyota Racing Series Championship winning team, M2 Competition is heading to Japan, overseeing the entry of two New Zealand drivers at the next round of the Formula Regional Japanese Championship at Suzuka, 13-14 May.
Drivers, Liam Sceats and Kaleb Ngatoa will race under the guidance of M2 Competition Team Principal Mark Pilcher, at the second round of the Japanese regional championship.
The team will link up with Suketina Racing, the same team that operates the front running Super Formula team TGM Grand Prix.
“From New Zealand it is difficult to get quality single seater mileage and I find the championship while light on numbers is extremely competitive,” says Pilcher.
“The circuits are fantastic, the teams are very good and the car package is really nice with Dome/Alfa Romeo/Dunlop. These events also mean the team can do some homework for the future in Japan with some exciting developments in the works.”
Though Europe has been the traditional pathway for many young Kiwi drivers looking to make their mark in the sport, Japan is increasingly becoming a popular destination for drivers wanting to climb their way up the ranks.
More recently, Nick Cassidy claimed the Super GT and Super Formula titles, and Red Bull driver Liam Lawson is competing in Super Formula this season.
It’s not the first time Liam Sceats has visited Japan, the teenager, visiting the Fuji circuit in April for round one of the Japanese Championship, where he picked up a couple of top five finishes Though it will be Ngatoa’s first time racing Japan, he has considerable single seater experience in both New Zealand and Australia.
“I would recommend this championship to other drivers looking for excellent mileage at this level,” said Pilcher.
The presence of Mark Pilcher in Japan, is the result of a newly formed driver management company – M2 Competition Management. The newly formed organisation is headed by Pilcher – a successful team owner and engineer in his own right, and former IndyCar team owner Steve Horne. The new partnership will see a handful of Kiwi drivers come under the guidance of the experienced duo, with the first formally signed drivers to be announced soon.
Header Image: Supplied | Words: Supplied
