Craft-Bamboo Racing has confirmed it will scale back to a single-car effort for the 2026 GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS (GTWC Asia) season. The decision follows a major incident involving Ralf Aron during last month’s Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
As a result, the Hong Kong-flagged squad will initially focus on its No. 77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 entry, while it works to rebuild its planned two-car programme.
Bathurst crash forces strategic shift; Aron sidelined after heavy impact
The change in plans stems directly from Aron’s high-speed crash at Bathurst. While leading the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Estonian driver struck a stationary car blocking the circuit.
Consequently, Aron sustained two fractures to his back, ruling him out and leaving the team without one of its key drivers. Furthermore, the incident significantly impacted the team’s resources, including the availability of a second chassis.
Despite the disruption, Craft-Bamboo Racing has acted quickly to stabilise its programme. Although the two-car entry has been postponed, the team has reiterated its intention to return to full capacity once a replacement chassis becomes available.
Craft-Bamboo Racing shifts focus to No. 77 Entry for 2026 GTWC Asia campaign
Liang Jiatong, also known as Alex, will spearhead the team’s 2026 campaign. He will share driving duties with a yet-to-be-announced co-driver.
Notably, Liang enters the season with strong momentum after finishing second in last year’s Silver Cup standings. During that campaign, he secured three class victories, including a dominant clean sweep at the Beijing finale.
Because of his consistency and race-winning form, Liang represents a key asset for Craft-Bamboo’s revised effort. Therefore, the team will look to maximise results with its single entry while planning its eventual expansion back to two cars.
Liang expressed optimism as he prepares for his fourth consecutive year with the team and second in GTWC Asia:
“I am very happy and grateful to start my fourth consecutive year with Craft-Bamboo Racing, and our second together in GT World Challenge Asia. This year we again represent the brand of ROWE Motor Oil as brand ambassador.
“Last year we finished strong in GT World Challenge Asia with second in the Silver championship, so hopefully this year we can have a step forward and fight for the best result in season 2026.
“I would like to say thank you again to Mercedes-AMG, Craft-Bamboo Racing, ROWE Motor Oil, and Exgel Motorsport for all of the support and trust.”
Team Principal reflects on challenges
Team principal Darryl O’Young acknowledged both the disappointment and resilience within the squad:
“We are delighted to welcome Alex back for another GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS season with Craft-Bamboo Racing. Last year’s results give us plenty of momentum, and we are committed to taking another step forward in performance for 2026 while helping Alex to achieve his targets as a driver.
“It has been a devastating blow to not begin our GT World Challenge Asia season with the two-car program we had planned after the crash in Bathurst.
“Despite the disappointment, the team has rallied together, and we are looking forward to putting our best foot forward with the No. 77 while we work to get a second car back on track as soon as possible.”
In the short term, Craft-Bamboo Racing will concentrate on extracting maximum performance from its single-car entry. However, the team’s long-term goal remains unchanged: a return to a full two-car GTWC Asia programme.
As the season begins, the No. 77 Mercedes-AMG will carry the team’s hopes. Meanwhile, efforts behind the scenes will continue to restore the broader campaign once conditions allow.
