Racing Spirit of Leman back in the ELMS for 2026 with their Vantage LMGT3
This largest ever entry will see the grids comprising of some twenty-three LMP2 cars, ten LMP3 cars and fourteen GT3 cars within which the Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 will again compete as the sole representative of the brand.
Retaining the same car number for next year, this season saw the #59 car entry being comprised of Clement Mateu, Erwan Bastard and Valentine Hasse-Clot behind the wheel whilst for next season, continuity is largely still there as both Mateu and Hasse-Clot return for a second attempt at the class crown but this time they will be joined by fellow Frenchman and driver of the teams LMP3 entry of this season, Marrius Fossard.
The #59 car is just one of two LMGT3 entries to confirm a full driver line up ahead of the new year that will again start in Barcelona for the Prologue test on the 7th April before the opening race of the new season the following weekend.
From there, it will be visits to Le Castellet, Imola, Spa Francorchamps and Silverstone before the seasonal finale in Portugal in early October.
This season saw the #59 lead the class after their win in Belgium before eventually losing that rich vein of form at the final two rounds to eventually finish third in the championship at the end. 2026 will be a season for the team and crew to correct that anomaly!!
Photo credit - Team
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 |
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Full Send Racing - the latest AMR powered team to commit a two car effort into British GT
Joining them will be Aston Martin’s longest serving works driver, Darren Turner, as he returns to the series and class for the first time since narrowly missing out on 2022’s overall drivers’ title.
“It’s always great to be involved in a project from the very beginning. Seeing how FSR has taken shape and is already operating at such a high level is hugely encouraging, with all the right pieces being put in place,” Turner said. “The last time I raced in British GT was in GT4, where I was able to secure back-to-back Pro-Am titles in 2021 and ‘22. This time, the aim is to fight for the overall GT4 championship, and I genuinely believe that’s achievable with FSR.
Turner will be joined in the first of two Grange Racing by FSR bannered entries by team director Daniel Lavery whose fledgling motorsport career encompasses two full seasons of national one-make BMW series and several Masters outings with a Ginetta G55 GT4.
“FSR started as a bit of a giggle between friends but has quickly become a serious set up,” said Lavery. “I grew up watching British GT and seeing Darren competing, so having him with us is a real honour. “To be competing at this level and seeing how we stack up against the other teams on the grid, both personally and collectively, is super exciting.
“With Elliott’s [Cole] leadership running the team and the over 50 years of experience between himself and Darren, I’m confident we can surprise a few people next season. Now the focus is on improving and being ready come the opener at Silverstone.”
Lavery is coached by team principal and owner Elliott Cole whose own competition career included several British GT outings at the wheel of an Eclipse-run Mosler in 2006 and ’07.
“It’s fantastic to have our first entry confirmed for British GT in 2026,” he said. “As a team we’ve been working incredibly hard to get this finalised and we couldn’t be more excited to line up on the grid.
“I’m also immensely proud of our Pro-Am driver line up. To have a pro like Darren with his decades of experience and the immense success he’s had in his career is fantastic and we’re unbelievably excited at the level of expertise he’s able to bring to the team.
“I’ve also been coaching Dan since before he had a race license and to see the journey he’s been on and to now be getting him on the grid in such a prestigious championship like British GT is brilliant. I’m also a former British GT competitor myself and to be back now as a team owner and principal is a huge honour. I can’t wait to get started at the Media Day in March.”
The Rockingham-based team, which will announce its second driver pairing shortly and joins the GBR Stratton AMR powered team within the class for next season.
Source material - British GT
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 |
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Team NZ commit to Mount Panorama and the 12 Hours of Bathurst next year
Racing again as the opening round to the Intercontinental GT Challenge Series for GT3 runners and as the Maguires 12 Hours of Bathurst race for other classes of entry, this news is certainly the first from any other Aston Martin Racing powered entry as team boss and racer Grahame Dowsett enters his 17A version of the race car.
Aston Martin Racing have now confirmed that the driver line up will be Dowsett and his long-term driver coach in Asia, Romain Leroux plus Chris Van Der Drift competing for the team in mid-February 2026.
Last time around in January this year, we saw the Volante Rosso AMR Vantage GT3 crew of Jamie Day, Matteo Villagomez and Jaylyn Robottom grab some early season headlines within their older specification Vantage GT3, eventually finishing third in class.
Photo credit – Teams / Series / social media
Tuesday, December 16, 2025 |
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A tale of two halves for both Aston Martins at the ALMS opening weekend in Sepang
Back-to-back four-hour races of course over the race weekend at each of the three scheduled races in Sepang, Dubai and Abu Dhabi saw the season’s opener take place in Malaysia with another capacity grid of forty-seven LMP2, LMP3 and GT3 machinery with the two Aston’s part of the largest group of twenty-one such cars.
Both Astons would be fielding a crew mainly familiar with the rule set of the ACO rules series although both would be running with a ‘novice’ driver to both the circuit and ruleset although certainly not to GT3 racing in general. The #56 car would follow the usual trait of a bronze, silver and gold or platinum grade driver within their crew, but the #89 crew would feature just a bronze and two silver grade drivers to add something a little difference to the mix.
Giacomo Petrobelli would go onto claim top qualifying honours within the two AMR’s as he posted the sixth quickest time for Saturday’s race opener (as opposed to Martin Berry’s time worthy of P9) and would do so again with his second fastest lap also to pip their stablemate as they would qualifying P7 and P8 respectively for Sunday’s race.
The usual issues with multi-class racing come to fruition again on only the opening lap as spinning LMP3 cars collided with one another just in front of the GT3 leaders to bring out a very early Safety Car intervention to cool things back down again. Getting back to racing, the #56 would consolidate its then P4 running position although the #89 EBM car had dropped down to the back of the pack for unknown reasons.
As the first hour was coming to an end, the rain that had hampered earlier Free Practice and Qualifying had returned with something of a vengeance and that caught out a number of cars out, some going off bring out the Virtual Safety Car as well. That at least allowed the EBM car to climb back up the order again as the rain passed over and the race approached the halfway stage.
Another Race Control intervention for a beached LMP3 car just outside the final hour brought the GT3 field back togther again but contact between two such cars on the restart simply extended the caution to well within the final hour where the #89 EBM car was shown running 3rd and the #56 13th at the time. That would however soon change as the final pitstops panned out for both of these crews.
Although the top two finishing GT3 cars would later get reversed in order that’s to a time penalty being applied to the ‘winner’ for contact, the #56 Ecurie Ecosse AMR would take a close P3 finish (just half a second behind) whilst the #89 would eventually finish P7 in class for some valuable championship points each.
Sunday’s race start was a much cleaner affair as both Astons hung it out within the top ten in class before the inevitable rains returned to the circuit at the half hour mark and with multiple cars off at one corner alone, the VSC rule was hastily required.
Soon the skies were cleared and the track again dry as the remaining cars upped their speed accordingly again as the race topped only its first hour but with Matisse Lismont being the best placed of the two Aston’s in P10 just as the rain started falling again around just parts of the circuit as the Safety Car was this time called upon.
Still raining throughout the third hour of the race had seen the two Aston Martins again switch positions on track but both were still in close enough proximity to the peers ahead to seek out a similar result to that of yesterday although grip and visibility was still something of an issue on track but with thirty minutes remaining, the Safety Car was again called out for an LMP3 in the gravel.
With the rain again falling heavily all around the circuit and the race cars still behind the Safety Car, the race was eventually ‘called’ with fifteen minutes of the race clock still remaining. That left the #56 Ecurie Ecosse AMR running at the time in P13 and the #89 EBM car in P14 for a disappointing finish but no championship points to add to their name as the series heads to Dubai in February.
Photo credits – Teams / Series /social media
Sunday, December 14, 2025 |
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Kobe Pauwel takes the Aston Martin Racing Drivers Academy win for 2025
Congratulations to Belgian Racer Kobe Pauwels who today was announced as the latest winner of the coveted Aston Martin Racing Drivers Academy for 2025.
Following in the footsteps of a long line of eight other accomplished racers including that of his 2025 teammate (Jamie Day) who last year secured the same prize in a year saw both Pauwels and Day compete within both the SRO GT World Challenge Europe Sprint and Endurance Cup Series with the Comtoyou Racing AMR team.
Their success came within the Sprint Cup Series where they secured the Silver Class Championship after a dominant second half to that season within their Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3.
With the season then over at the final round of the season in Barcelona, there was still a final evaluation process that many entered drivers still had to endure at the Bahrain International Circuit where they took to the track within the Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage LMGT3 car.
For Pauwel, his 2025 season has yet to come to an end as he partners both Jonny Adam and Giacomo Petrobelli aboard the Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR Vantage GT3 within the six race, three round Asian Le Mans Series that starts this weekend in Sepang.
Congratulations.
Photo credits – AMR / Team / social media
Friday, December 12, 2025 |
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Heart of Racing steps up to the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series for 2026
More known within the GT4 America Series sees the teams #26 AMR Vantage GT4 of both Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier move up to the GS class of the IMSA sanctioned support series for the first time after spending the last three seasons (two seasons together) learning their craft.
This news is very timely seeing the departure from the AMR family of the Team TGM outfit after their winter move to the Ford Mustang package despite recouping their Bronze Cup Championship win for their #64 crew.
Today’s news from the Heart of Racing team sees the two Hannah’s joined by former ADAC GT4 Germany Champion Mike David Ortamann for those two longer four-hour races having impressed so much in his debut American season last year with the JMF Motorsport team.
“I’m incredibly grateful to The Heart of Racing for this opportunity,” said Grisham. “Racing a full season in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is a dream. I’m excited to kick off the season at Daytona and take on some iconic tracks that are new for me, like Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. I’m really looking forward to continuing to share the car with Hannah Greenemeier. The longer race format is a bit different than what we are used to, but I think it will play to our strengths. I can’t wait for what’s ahead!”
“I’m incredibly grateful to The Heart of Racing for this opportunity,” said Grisham. “Racing a full season in the 2026 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is a dream. I’m excited to kick off the season at Daytona and take on some iconic tracks that are new for me, like Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. I’m really looking forward to continuing to share the car with Hannah Greenemeier. The longer race format is a bit different than what we are used to, but I think it will play to our strengths. I can’t wait for what’s ahead!”
“I’m beyond excited to be back with The Heart of Racing for another season, and to be competing in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, I’ve watched the series for many years, and it has a lot of talent in it. Being in the IMSA paddock is truly a privilege. It’s great to be back with Hannah for another year, and to have Mike Ortmann with us in Daytona is something I’m incredibly excited for. I’m ready for our first race in Daytona in January; it’s a track I have never driven on, but I know that we will get up to speed quickly. I want to say a massive thank you to The Heart of Racing for this opportunity, Gabe Newell and Yahn Bernier. Let’s go racing!” added Greenemeier.
The Michelin Pilot Challenge season kicks off at Daytona in January.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Thursday, December 11, 2025 |
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The Asian Le Mans Series season 2025-26 is go this weekend in Sepang
Now into its fifth season, this is the third time that the ACO rules series has visited this part of Asia to go alongside their more used venues at both the Dubai Autodrome and the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, and like always, each will be a double header race event.
This year, there will be again two Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 powered entries entered amongst the GT3 class – one from the Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR team and the other from the Earl Bamber Motorsport team but with both teams arriving this time with their experiences and knowledge of last season.
Hopefully this time, a more coherent and consistent driver entry list will bolster both teams racing efforts this time around as last year both teams played with their driver line ups according to who was available (and paying) and the time.
As we have known for some time now, the #56 Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn AMR will be driven again by the returning pair from last season of Giacomo Petrobelli and Jonny Adam, this time joined by the Comtoyou Racing European Sprint silver class champion of Kobe Pauwels whilst the #89 EBM AMR entry was something of a late confirmation by the team.
Originally listed as being both Jamie Day and Marco Sorensen returning to the squad for another effort this season alongside a bronze driver then yet TBA, news this week confirmed that Martin Berry would be returning to an Aston Martin (after his ELMS efforts with TF Sport a couple of years ago) to race alongside former Comtoyou Racing European endurance racers Jamie Day and Matisse Lismont.
Today has seen the two private test sessions take place for all forty-seven crews with both the #56 and #89 crews running respectable lap times just under a second off the lead pace in session one with the #56 crew then lowering that time deficit to just over half a second in session two as both crews completed seventy-three laps each over the two sessions.
Friday will see the grid move into the more formally timed Free Practice one and two sessions before qualifying early on Saturday and the first four-hour race of the new season later that day and race two on Sunday.
Let’s see what this winter brings!
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Thursday, December 11, 2025 |
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Two long established teams join forces for British GT GT4 2026 assault
Two of the squad’s Aston Martins will contest the GT4 class next season, marking the manufacturer’s full-time return to the class after a year away.
The new venture sees two existing and accomplished domestic outfits joining forces. GBR, short for Graham Brunton Racing, has a wealth of junior single-seater experience thanks to its GB4 exploits, while Stratton – which also sells and services Aston Martin road cars – has previously raced them and Lotuses in British GT.
Drivers are yet to be confirmed for either of the two Vantages, which are competing with the full support of AMR.
“This is a defining step for both teams,” said team principal and Stratton’s founder, Roger Bennington. “Combining our strengths under the GBR Stratton Motorsport identity – and doing so as an official Aston Martin Racing partner – positions us for another exciting chapter in our history. We cannot wait to showcase what our combined capability can deliver.”
MKH flew the GT4 flag for Aston Martin last year, albeit on a round by round basis. The manufacturer is one of British GT4’s most successful and last won a championship in 2024 when Forsetti Motorsport clinched the teams’ crown.
Season 34 begins with media day at Silverstone on March 31 before the same venue hosts the season opener on April 25/26.
Source material - British GT
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 |
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In other news - just a bit of fun done at Sebring this weekend
Not exactly a mainstream race series of course but this weekend’s Piston and Props event at the Sebring International has brought out one AMR Vantage GT4 team and another driver of note.
Mike Fitzpatrick and his 89X Motorsport team have fielded one of his Vantage GT4 cars into the Mission GT Challenge race alongside that of Roman De Angelis and his dad within a pair of Porsche’s. These and plenty of other familiar names from the IMSA and SRO America Series are there but the 89X AMR is sadly the only Aston at the event despite its vast and varied grid.
Photo credit – Teams / social media
Saturday, December 06, 2025 |
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Strong news out of the Heart of Racing camp ahead of IMSA 2026
The No. 27 Heart of Racing Vantage welcomes Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello for his first full-season IMSA campaign, joining returning drivers Tom Gamble, Zacharie Robichon, and Mattia Drudi. While Barrichello has raced at many IMSA venues, the 2026 Rolex 24 will mark his debut at Daytona International Speedway. He enters the event alongside a proven trio that delivered a podium finish at last year’s Rolex 24.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to race in IMSA,” said Barrichello. “I’ve seen my dad compete in the series on multiple occasions, and since then, it has become a personal goal. To get to do it with such an iconic team is something I never thought possible. I’m extremely happy and grateful to be doing it with the great group at The Heart of Racing, and I can’t wait to get started. Bring on 2026!”
“I can’t wait to be returning to the IMSA championship in 2026 with the Heart of Racing Team,” said Gamble. “I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity. We had some great races last year, but didn’t quite secure the championship, which is definitely the goal for this year! We have the tools to do the job and I’m excited to see what myself and Dudu can achieve.”
The No. 23 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie will field an unchanged lineup for the upcoming season, with Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis returning as the full-season GTP drivers. Alex Riberas rejoins the program for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, and Motul Petit Le Mans. Marco Sørensen will round out the four-driver roster for the 24-hour classic.
Gunn, De Angelis, Riberas, and Sørensen previously teamed up for the 2025 Rolex 24 in the GTD PRO category before an early mechanical issue forced a retirement. The trio of Gunn, De Angelis, and Riberas concluded the 2025 season by securing the Valkyrie’s first IMSA podium — a strong second-place finish that marked a breakthrough moment for Aston Martin’s prototype program.
“I’m very happy and excited to rejoin The Heart of Racing and Aston Martin for 2026,” said Gunn. “2025 was a year of learning, growth, and relentless improvement with the Valkyrie. I think 2026 is an opportunity to keep pushing forward and enjoy what we’re building together. I’m really looking forward to Daytona — it’s a race we missed in the Valkyrie last year, and I’m determined to get back there. Hopefully, we can continue the form we showed at the end of 2025 and fight for a win.”
The Heart of Racing will return to Daytona International Speedway for the ROAR Before the 24, January 16–18, 2026, followed by the Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24, 2026.
Source material - HoRT
Tuesday, December 02, 2025 |
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Aston Martin crews seal the remaining Iberian and CPV Class titles at Supercars finale
Featuring two final fifty minute races within the series season concluding Estoril Endurance Festival saw both the #77 Racar Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 of Mathieu Martins and the #777 Gianfranco AMR Vantage GT4 of Rubens Vaquinhas and Pedro Bastos Rezende chase the Iberian and Espana Series double within their respective GT4 Pro and GT4 Am classes.
With Martins claiming pole position ahead of race one on Sunday, that lead was short lived going into the first corner whilst the #777 Gianfranco machine of Vaquinhas was the meat in a three-car sandwich as many took avoiding action from a spinning BMW on the opening lap.
From then on in, it was to be a frustrating chase to the pit stop window for the #77 car before most of the field pitted at the earliest opportunity. With the younger Henrique Oliveira now aboard the #77, he too went into an immediate racing dice with at least three other cars in class which extended until the chequered flag with the #77 claiming a P4 finish and the #777 another P1 in class.
Race two later in the day had much the same franticness about it as cars squabbled for early track position but with a reversal on starting drivers of course. As the race seemed to be going through its motions, an off for a championship contesting Am Class Mercedes saw the Safety Car brought out with just four minutes remaining.
Seventh at the restart, the #77 was on something of a charge that saw them move up to P4 overall at the end with a last corner switch for position on track for Martins to lay claim to both the Iberian and CPV Portuguese drivers championships to go with his already claimed Espana title.
Vaquinhas and Rezende also added both the Iberian GT4 Am Championship title with that of the CPV Class title to also go alongside their previous Espana Championship win from a few weeks ago.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Monday, December 01, 2025 |
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More details confirmed ahead of the Asian Le Mans Series opener later this month
With the sixteen strong LMP2 class again taking the spotlight alongside the ten new LMP3 runners, it’s from within the twenty-two strong GT3 entry that obviously grabs our attention as both the Ecurie Ecosse bannered Blackthorn AMR, and the Earl Bamber Motorsport AMR’s also confirmed at least most of their drivers.
The #56 Ecurie Ecosse entry has been known about for some time now as British GT Championship pairing of Jonny Adam and Giacomo Petrobelli step up another gear together having just missed out on the top accolades within this season of racing together in the UK. For AMR factory driver Adam, this is nothing knew as the Scot has assisted many a driver crew along the way within this series before but for the Italian it will be another ACO rules series under his belt. They will join forces with Comtoyou Racing GT World Challenge Sprint Cup Silver Class Champion 2025 Kobe Pauwels.
What we did learn today is 66% of the driver line within the #89 EBM AMR Vantage GT3 entry as the other half of the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup Championship winning duo Jamie Bell returns to the team for a second season of ALMS racing but he will this time have the frame of Marco Sorensen alongside him as the entry’s professional driver but they have yet to announce their bronze rated driver.
Last season saw the team run Anderson Tanoto for the opening Sepang races before alongside Kiwi Brendon Leitch and Marco Sorenson before Day, Mattia Drudi and Gabriel Rindone took over for both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Depending upon just how will the within the #89 will dictate just how much of a chance that car will have within an obviously competitive class but the #56 crew is already looking strong with three drivers well versed and competent within that platform.
Depending upon just how will the within the #89 will dictate just how much of a chance that car will have within an obviously competitive class but the #56 crew is already looking strong with three drivers well versed and competent within that platform.
This season’s opening races in Sepang will be run back-to-back again over the weekend of the 13th and 14th of December before moving across to both Dubai and Yas Marina in the New Year.
It will be another eventful season, we are sure!
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media / GTWCE
Friday, November 28, 2025 |
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More AMR powered crews chasing Supercars Iberian titles at season finale this weekend
Getting ourselves confused with the series inter Supercars Espana Series which concluded at Jerez a few weeks ago with a number of Aston Martin Racing powered crews taking the top accolades throughout the multiple classes, this weekend’s final races of the Iberian based series sees similar AMR possibilities.
Seven AMR Vantage GT4 crews have been listed within the provisional entry list although one (#78 Racar Motorsport) does not have any driver names listed, and we have seen previously just how not all listed entries will be there when the track action starts.
Going through the entry list (as listed) we again see the #007 Araujo Competicao Pro-Bronze entry of Bruno Pereira and Goncalo Araujo; the #77 Racar Pro class entry for Mathieu Martins and Henrique Oliveira and the sister #79 Bronze entry for Vasco Oliveira and Francisco Carvalho.
The two Am class entries of the #707 Racar Motorsport for Antonio Lopes and Filipe Videira as well as the #777 Gianfranco Motorsport of Ruben Vaquinhas and Pedro Bastos Rezende complete the Aston Martin powered entry.
Championship wise – Martins aboard the #77 Pro remains just six points behind the championship leader as he looks to add the Iberian title to that of his Espana Championship win, whilst both Oliveira and Carvalho could close the gap within Bronze should results go their way with their sixteen-point points deficit.
Vaquinhas and Rezende need just another sixteen points to secure their Am class championship to go alongside the Espana championship win too.
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 |
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A close run thing for the Archangel AMR Vantage GT4 at the Apex One 10 Hour enduro
With the #66 Archangel AMR Vantage GT4 of Paul Holton, Madeline Stewart and Joshua Jacobs having started strongly during the opening Free Practice sessions leading the GT4 class in Practice 1 and Night Practice 2, the mixed driver line up came back to secure class pole position ahead of Saturdays marathon.
Despite having not participated within their own GT3 class Qualifying, the new #71 Rebel Rock Racing AMR Vantage GT3 of Frank DePew, Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis was still on hand to complete some racing laps with their new car although their ‘racing’ was limited to just a few hours of track time for their first event with their new GT3.
With just eight cars taking to the Sebring International Raceway for the race, track incident and accident was thankfully non-existent as their Code 60 safety measure on track was never utilised.
Initially losing the GT4 class lead to the #52 Kelly Moss Porsche at the start and for the first hour hours, the #66 Aston then took the class lead for the next three hours before eventually conceding the class win to the #52 crew at the end by just two laps.
Whilst the leading GT3 crews had completed 245 laps of the circuit in that ten-hour event, the #71 Rebel Rock had completed just 41 but for them, learning and familiarity rather than racing itself was the name of the game for them.
Photo credits – Apex One
Monday, November 24, 2025 |
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