TAYLOR COCKERTON GETS BREAKTHROUGH CHINA LMP3 DEBUT
September 10 2018
After half a year away from competition, Taylor Cockerton will return to racing with a debut drive in the China Endurance Series.
Formerly known at the FRD LMP3 Series, the China Endurance Series caters to ACO homologated LMP3-specification cars. LMP3 is the third step on the Le Mans Prototype ladder behind LMP1 and LMP2.
While LMP3 cars don’t race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, regional LMP-based series like the China Endurance Series and Asian Le Mans Series have recently seen the LMP3 formula quickly gaining traction.
Cockerton this weekend joins well known Hong Kong-based outfit KC Motorgroup (KCGM) with Irish co-driver Dan Polley. The penultimate round of the series is being held at Zhuhai International Circuit, a circuit that Cockerton knows well.
Last year the 20-year-old won the Formula Masters Series in China before a return to the five-round Castrol Toyota Racing Series where he finished 10th in a 13-car field.
By his own admission Cockerton said that the series return was unsuccessful in what he had hoped would be a strong start to 2018. However, his time away from racing has been therapeutic.
"I think it’s probably been a really good thing for me to get out of the frame of the sport for a little bit,” he said told velocitynews.co.nz.
"This year’s Toyota Racing Series was a bit of a disaster for me and it took a big hit on my confidence so it was probably a good thing for me to back away and basically hit the reset button just for my mental game.
"It’s been really good and has only made me more determined to get back into it. I’m just going in there with a fresh face and trying to learn as much as I can.”
While it’s been over six months since Cockerton has had on-track action, the Pukekohe-born driver has remained fit and is ready to go racing. While not trackside, Cockerton has been studying at Waikato University.
Cockerton’s single seater experience in the Tatuus FT50 should put him in good stead for his debut.
The Onroad Automotive-built Ligier JS P3 he’ll drive has similar characteristics to the high downforce FT50. However, he will have to get used to having an extra four cylinders at his backside. The carbon monocoque chassis is fitted with a 5.0 litre Nissan NISMO VK50, which produces just over 310kW.
Cockerton said he’s looking forward to getting behind the wheel and will take some of his Toyota Racing Series experience across to the single seater prototype.
"There’s definitely going to be techniques I can carry over from the Toyota. I don’t think they’ll be too dissimilar. Obviously they’re heavier and you’ve got a roof over your head, so I think things will just happen a little bit slower.
"The biggest thing will be the heat over there. It’s bloody hot. In Zhuhai it’s something like 32 degrees normally in the day.
"Having a roof over your head it’ll get up to 50 degrees in the cabin. That’s going to be physically demanding. But I’m not too worried about that. I think I’ll be able to adjust after a few practice sessions.”
Cockerton is hopeful he can find success in the series long-term. All going well, he plans to race full time next year with KCMG in the China Endurance Series or with the team elsewhere.
If successful, Cockerton is keen to grow his racing portfolio. KCMG have an extensive motorsport profile with teams in the Blancpain GT Series Asia, Japan’s SUPER FORMULA Series, the Asian Le Mans Series and even NASCAR’s Xfinity Series.
"I’ve got a reasonably good reputation up in Asia from winning Formula Masters last year and I’ve made some really good contacts with some great guys.
"This is my chance to prove that I can be quick in not only a single seater but also in a high performance LMP3 prototype—and against pretty tough competition.
"We’ll be looking at it long term. These next two rounds will just be about me trying to do a good job and impress the team. Who knows what that could lead to.
"I still firmly believe that I can race long term in Asia so that’s why we’re going down this path.”
Fellow New Zealander Andrew Waite will also be racing this weekend at Zhuhai. With one race win to his credit alongside Ye Hongli, the pair sit equal second (62 ponts) in the standings behind Joshua Burdon (72 points).
Polley, who Cockerton will race with, has one win to his name too and currently lies fourth in the standings on 43 points.
