Griffin joins Clearwater Racing for FIA World Endurance Championship

Ferrari GT driver, Matt Griffin has been confirmed as part of Clearwater Racing’s driver line up for the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship, alongside Singapore based Mok Weng Sun and Japanese driver Kieta Sawa.

Griffin is no stranger to the World Endurance Championship having competed in at least one round of the championship every year since its inception in 2012 and holds four WEC podiums to his name including a win.

“Its great news to be making a full on assault on the 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship, it is the pinnacle of GT and sportscar racing so it’s where I want to be. I have a lot of experience in the championship and know all the tracks bar one so I feel we will be able to hit the ground running’ enthused Griffin.

Matt is no stranger to Clearwater Racing either, having raced for the team on seventeen occasions so far. Continuity is the key and all three drivers share the number 61, Clearwater Racing, Ferrari 488 GT3 that currently sits in 4th position of the Asian Le Mans Series with one round remaining. While the team will utilize a Ferrari 488 again for the WEC, this time it will the 488 GTE version. Clearwater will also be the 1st Singapore based team to compete in the WEC.

Matt continues “I have been fortunate to race for Clearwater Racing many times in the past and the fact that Weng, Sawa and I are successfully teamed up together in the Asian Le Mans Series, gives us an advantage for sure. I am also super confident in the Ferrari 488 GTE car, it proved to be a race winner in the WEC in 2016 and hopefully it will propel us to a championship challenge. It’s also a great achievement from Weng (Mok Weng Sun) and Arj (Arjunan Kulasegaram) to have been able to put this programme together.”

The jewel in the crown of the World Endurance Championship is definitely the 24h of Le Mans. The twice round the clock endurance classic is regarded as the most prestigious race in motorsport and 2017 will see Matt Griffin make his 6th consecutive appearance, something which the Irishman is very proud of. Having one Le Mans podium to his name he is keen add another this June.

“Since I was very young Le Mans has fascinated me, I watched the Iconic cars and never really thought I would race there, yet here we are in 2017 and I am due to make my 6th consecutive start, which is a dream come true. The Le Mans 24h is a very tough race, maybe the toughest race there is and it’s true that finishing the race is an achievement in itself. Having felt what it is like to stand on the podium however, that is where I am aiming and I definitely feel we have the team, the driver lineup and the car to get the job done”

Griffin has consistently been one the busiest racing drivers in the world over the last few years and 2017 will be no different for the Cork based driver, having previously announced that he will compete in the British GT Championship and the European Le Mans Series, adding the World endurance Championship will see him make 28 race starts in 12 countries on 4 continents.

“I have been very fortunate that I have been able to consistently race over 25 races every year since 2011. Obviously its very demanding physically and mentally especially with the amount of travel involved, what it boils down to though is that I absolutely love racing. There is a famous quote saying if you love your job you never work a day in you life and I think that sums up my life.”

Next week will see Matt race at Kuala Lumpur’s Sepang International Circuit for the final Asian Le Mans Series race of the 2016/2017 season, after that the hectic schedule kicks of with European Le Mans Series prologue, which takes place at Monza on March the 27th and 28th.