Team KCMG took on the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers last weekend as part of the squad’s 2026 Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie season, acting as the last racing action before the iconic Nürburgring 24 Hours next month.
The crew of David Pittard, Jesse Krohn, Nirei Fukuzumi and Naoya Gamou were able to gain more valuable experience on the Nordschleife during Friday’s test session.
Saturday morning saw Krohn qualify the car, with the Finn putting in an impressive lap-time of 8:11.585 to secure third on the grid for the Hong Kong-based outfit.
Pittard took the wheel of the #47 Mercedes-AMG for the start of the four-hour enduro, remaining with the lead group until a red flag was brought out due to a fatal incident, with the race not resuming.
Everyone at Team KCMG is deeply saddened by the passing of Juha Miettinen and sends our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and team during this incredibly difficult time.
The following day saw the squad line up 17th on the grid, after having its final qualifying run comprised by double-waved yellow flags. Gamou made solid early progress in the opening stint before handing over to Fukuzumi. During the second hour of the event, the #47 Mercedes-AMG suffered an incident which brought the squad’s race to a premature end.
Team KCMG is back in action on 14-17 May at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
DAVID PITTARD
“It was another great job by the whole KCMG team to confirm our #47 Mercedes-AMG is quick and competitive. Now we have four weeks to prepare for a clean and mistake-free 24-hour enduro, which I can’t wait for. However, it was a very sad weekend and our thoughts are with Juha’s family at this difficult time.”
JESSE KROHN
“Our final on-track preparation for the Nürburgring 24 Hours is complete. We learned a lot throughout the NLS campaign so far and I feel like we’re well set for the big one. It was a great maiden GT3 appearance at the circuit for Gamou and also nice to have Fukuzumi back in the car.”
NIREI FUKUZUMI
“It was a tough weekend, but I was able to learn a lot from this event. The team has a lot of potential and we know what we must continue to work on so I’m really looking forward to next event!”
NAOYA GAMOU
“This weekend was my first time racing at the Nürburgring in the SP9 class, and I was able to gain valuable experience and learn a lot. I’m truly thankful for the opportunity.”
MATT HOWSON TEAM MANAGER
“This event was the final chance to fully assess where the team must focus its efforts for the coming weeks, in order to be at our absolute best for the 24-hour enduro. It was a strong debut for Naoya Gamou in his first GT3 appearance at the Nürburgring, and Nirei Fukuzumi made solid progress building on his recent debut at NLS2. David and Jesse continue to impress, so now we can look forward to putting it all together and mounting a strong challenge at the big one in May. We send our thoughts to the family and friends of Juha Miettinen after the tragic accident on Saturday, who is a great loss to the Nürburgring racing community.”
PAUL IP KCMG FOUNDER
“Overall, it’s been a strong preparation phase for the team. We’ve made clear progress and gathered valuable data. Now all focus is on the Nürburgring 24 Hours next month – we’re ready to deliver.”
Media enquiries: Cristina Villar
Email address: cristina@kcmg.com.hk
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow on X and Instagram.
About KCMG
KC Motorgroup Ltd (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organisations around the world to provide unrivalled motorsport services, equipment, team management and quality distribution in the automotive industry. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk.
