Kiwi driver Earl Bamber loving life as a Chip Ganassi driver

Earl Bamber in action during practice for the 8 Hours of Bahrain. Photo / Getty Images

While Brendon Hartley closes in on another World Endurance Championship, fellow Kiwi Earl Bamber has been enjoying driving for Chip Ganassi as the legendary American looks to make his mark in the Hypercar category.

Bahrain hosts the last of seven rounds this weekend and three-time champion Hartley tops the standings with co-drivers Ryo Hirakawa and Sebastien Buemi in their No 8 Toyota Hypercar.

Bamber, fifth overall with Richard Westbrook and Alex Lynn, is in his first full season with Chip Ganassi Racing in the Cadillac LMDh and is loving his time at the American-based team.

“We’ve been working hard on the car and learning all the time,” said Bamber. “It’s been great working with a bunch of new people [after years at Porsche] and I’ve learned a lot.

“Chip [Ganassi] is an awesome guy; he’s a huge motorsport fan and loves it. He flies into all our tests, and out of nowhere, he’s at the track.

“There are two teams in the world growing up you want to race for: one is Roger Penske and the other is Chip Ganassi.”

Bamber first turned a wheel in the Cadillac prototype just 16 months ago and yet the team still reached the Le Mans 24 Hour podium in June.

Bamber and his co-drivers are aiming to match their top-five finishes at Sebring, Portimao and Spa Francorchamps.

“I’m looking forward to the race in Bahrain. We’ve definitely had our ups and downs. The highlight of the year so far has been the third place at Le Mans, though we’ve shown at every race this year that we have the potential to be on the podium,” Bamber said.

“It’s been an amazing 16 months with simulation and then bringing the car online in July 2022, Daytona, the first-ever race, Le Mans, and now, all of a sudden, the season is nearly finished.

“It was great to see the No 31 Whelen Cadillac win the GTP championship and Cadillac win the Manufacturers’ Championship. It’s an awesome achievement for the whole project.”

Compared with the likes of Porsche and Toyota, Ganassi and the Cadillac are the new kids, with no reference points for any of the tracks.

In free practice in the run-up to the Bahrain race, the Cadillac of Bamber, Lynn and Westbrook were third fastest, taking the challenge to the two Toyotas.

The race will see the final running of the LMP2 class in the World Endurance Championship, as in 2024, there will be two categories for the Hypercar and LMGT3 (replacing GTE-Pro and GTE-Am). LMP2, however, will remain at the Le Mans 24 Hour.