Craft-Bamboo signs Pepe Oriola for inaugural TCR season

Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil has signed Pepe Oriola for the inaugural TCR International Series season.
”It has been a hard road filled with sacrifices, but it’s worth it. I now have the reward of becoming a professional driver and I will be participating in a new competition that will become a milestone in international touring car racing,” said Oriola.

The Spaniard, who previously has raced in the WTCC, with the runner-up spot in 2012 of the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy as a best result, is going to drive one of the team’s three SEAT Leóns.

“I am so pleased to welcome Pepe Oriola to Team Craft-Bamboo Lukoil, he is a proven race winner and despite his young age will not be a number two driver. I expect he will be a championship contender and I think Craft Bamboo Lukoil will give him the environment to take the step from a race winner to a champion,” said Richard Coleman, CEO of Craft-Bamboo.

Oriola becomes team-mate to the already confirmed Sergey Afanasyev, with the third driver of the team remaining to be revealed.