Six Vantage GT4s at penultimate round of the WRL at Sebring

Six Vantage GT4s at penultimate round of the WRL at Sebring


There is more multi-classed action from the World Racing League hosting its penultimate round of the season from Sebring with another gruelling eight plus seven-hour race affair over the infamous bumps this weekend.

Within their provisional entry list, the GTO class lists six Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 crews competing from the likes of the TLM Racing, Prosport Competition, Automatic Racing and 89X Motorsport stables.


As always, whilst the entry list provides teams, cars and class it does not give driver crews behind them.


89X Motorsport are listed back with their pair of AMR Vantage GT4’s (#89 and #289) as are the TLMM Racing with their #172 and #888 entries whilst both the Prosport Competition and Automatic Racing with a single car apiece with the latter (we believe) may be running their #909 platform for the final time having also ran it at last weekend’s Daytona HSR 24hr Classic.


The seventy-five car maximum entry will have Free Practice available to them on Friday before an eight hour race on Saturday with a Seven hour on Sunday.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Wednesday, November 06, 2024 | Read more...
One last AMR races out the final round of the Ultimate Cup Series this weekend

One last AMR races out the final round of the Ultimate Cup Series this weekend

 


The Swiss based Racing Spirit of Leman team go one last time in southern Europe this weekend as the Ultimate Cup Series runs out its last round of the season from Le Castellet.

Far from full season entrants, the Swiss team is back with a differing driver line up as Henri Lombard and Franck Dupuis will contest the four remaining GT Sprint races of the season within their #7 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 within the USC4 class.

They will compete amongst a mixed class grid of twenty-one cars over the course of the weekend after two thirty-five-minute Free Practice sessions, two fifteen minute Qualifying sessions and four twenty five minute races around the Mistral circuit.

Photo credits– Team / Series / social media
Tuesday, November 05, 2024 | Read more...
One Aston Martin Vantage GT3 after all for Bathurst finale

One Aston Martin Vantage GT3 after all for Bathurst finale

 


Despite earlier news to the contrary, it does now appear that one Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 will be thundering around The Mountain this weekend as the GT World Challenge Australia Series runs out its final race of the season from Bathurst.

Today’s publication of the entry list confirms the return of the #38 KMB Motorsport V12 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 that regular driver Valentino Astuti will share with Liam Dunn within their Trophy class.


The team were absent from the proceedings at the previous round from Sydney Motorsport Park but last time out but did score a class second within the second race of the GT Festival meeting on Phillip Island back in late August.

This is great news considering we had confirmation of the Volante Rosso’s withdrawal from the meeting after (undefined) technical issues sidelined the #14 V8 turbo version of the Vantage platform in the early track session of the last meet at their home track in Sydney.


Track time at Bathurst will begin on Friday with two Free Practice sessions before moving into Q1 and Q2 Saturday morning ahead of the first hour long race later in the afternoon before the season finale on Sunday afternoon.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Tuesday, November 05, 2024 | Read more...
The FIA WEC rounds off under the lights of Bahrain with next season looking brighter still

The FIA WEC rounds off under the lights of Bahrain with next season looking brighter still

 


That was the season that was on Saturday evening season 12 of the FIA’s World Endurance Championship concluded under the light of the Bahrain International Circuit and at the end of another gruelling eight round international campaign.

Even before the thirty six strong full season Hypercar and LMGT3 classes had even turned a wheel at this final eight hour round, we were already aware of the inaugural LMGT3 Championship title going the way of the #92 Manthey PureRxing Porsche 911 GT3 R crew leaving both the Heart of Racing and D’Station Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 crews of Ian James/Alex Riberas/Daniel Mancinelli and Erwan Bastard/Clement Mateu/Marco Sorenson little to race for other the pride and personal development.


Having started the season so well at the opening round in Qatar with a double class podium for the two AMR teams, their racing endeavours with the latest version of the Vantage race car platform faired not so well over the remaining rounds and perhaps culminated with the #27 Heart of Racing car crashing out of a potential Le Mans 24hr podium winning position and onto its roof in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Obvious personal safety was all that mattered in that kind of scenario, and it was a relief to all to watch Mancinelli finally extricate himself from the car and be able to walk away unaided.


Whilst D’Station Racing P3 in Qatar was their best result of the season followed by a P9 at Le Mans for both Sorensen, Bastard along with a final cameo appearance from team owner Satoshi Hoshino, there was more to cheer from the American based Heart of Racing team within the AMR supported garage as a P2 in Brazil and a home win at CoTA gave the team class championship hope going into the penultimate round in Fuji but again that thing called Balance of Performance didn’t quite go in their favour.

With further (negative) changes for the AMR platform going into this weekend’s final round in Bahrain, the writing was kind of ‘on the wall’ as the two Aston Martin’s finished the season line astern to one another in P11 and P12 in class.


These results left the Heart of Racing crew in fifth overall whilst the D’Station crew (of Bastard/Sorensen) finished P11 with Mateu a few places further back having skipped out Le Mans in place of Hoshino.

Inevitably, as one season closes the workings of another immediately take over and whilst we understand that the D’Station Racing team will be stepping away from the FIA WEC to concentrate more upon their national Super GT Series endeavours, we also understand that Swiss based Racing Spirit of Leman may well be stepping into their shoes for 2025 with possibly part of the successful European Le Mans Series driver line up of Derek DeBoer and Valentin Hasse-Clot.


Then there is the Heart of Racing team who have already shown off their latest project in the form of an Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar in time for a duel commitment into the topflight classes of the WEC an IMSA Series. Indeed, one such platform will be circulating around Bahrain International today as part of a collective Michelin tyre test!!


The future remains bright within the AMR family for 2025.



Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Monday, November 04, 2024 | Read more...
D'Station Racing lose out on their Super GT hopes at Motegi

D'Station Racing lose out on their Super GT hopes at Motegi

 


It was to be a doubly disappointing motor racing weekend for the Japanese based D’Station Racing team after results in both the World Endurance Championship and Super GT series left them with a feeling of what might have been.

Racing out what has turned out to be their final WEC race at the season finale in Bahrain saw them eventually finish that eight-hour marathon twelfth out of the eventual fourteen LMGT3 finishes whilst their results from Motegi earlier this morning has effectively seen off any championship hopes that they may have had within their similarly numbered #777 Aston Martin Racing GT3.


With all the teams ‘bigwigs’ this time electing to stay within their national theatre of racing at Motegi this weekend, their #777 car of overall team manager Tomonobu Fujii and their former WEC driver in Charlie Fagg needed to at least continue their recent streak of GT300 class podium finishes in order to keep their class hopes alive in both this race and the season finale from Suzuka in a month’s time.

The wet conditions of Free Practice allowed Fujii to claim the top position in class during the morning session, but they were unable to replicate that feat come Qualifying where the #777 eventually claimed a fifth row slot.


Race day on Sunday and at least the rains had passed leaving a clear and bright day for this three-hour penultimate round. Despite making up early places, the inevitable sequence of multiple Full Course Yellows and Safety Cars again caught the #777 out of sequence for them to eventually sixth in class.

This result also saw the two of the three cars above them in class again finish upon the podium in a 1-2 position, so the points position now is that the team now do not have any championship hopes at the final round next month but as we know, their 2025 priorities have now changed with the Super GT Series now their main racing focus over the WEC moving forward.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Sunday, November 03, 2024 | Read more...
No Volante Rosso AMR Vantage GT3 at Bathurst next weekend

No Volante Rosso AMR Vantage GT3 at Bathurst next weekend

 


Unfortunate news from down under today as the Volante Rosso Aston Martin Racing powered team confirmed that they will now be missing the final round of the GT World Challenge Australia Series next weekend from Bathurst.

With an AMR Vantage GT3 being absent from many an event around the Mount Panorama circuit of late, the prospect of the #14 car being at the iconic circuit next weekend was certainly one to look forward to but continuing technical and mechanical ‘issues’ within the car from the previous round at Sydney Motorsport Park just a couple of weeks ago has put paid to that idea.


“Missing Bathurst was a difficult decision to make but one that had to be made," said Team Owner Josh Hunt.

“In light of the difficulties we faced in Sydney, we wanted to make sure we were prepared properly and because of the close turnaround between events – getting the car fixed and with a proper testing program was a real challenge.

We looked at all options and it just wasn’t in our interests to turn up without proper preparation and just hope for the best. We’re more structured than that.

Looking back on Sydney, the crew went above and beyond to try and get the car back on the road, and drivers Jamie Day and Andre Canard were absolute professionals during the weekend, the way everyone handled it and understood the process, so a big kudos to them” he went on to say.


We also await news from the KMB Motorsport stable as to whether or not their older generation V12 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 will be in attendance as they also skipped the round at SMP.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Saturday, November 02, 2024 | Read more...
Aston Martin Racings latest converts ahead of 2025

Aston Martin Racings latest converts ahead of 2025

 


Those at Aston Martin Racing have obviously been busy behind the scenes again across Europe this summer securing the latest teams to the extended AMR family ahead of 2025.

Confirmed late last month saw the Spanish based E2P Group and TSID Motorsport become the latest proud owners of a new AMR Vantage GT3 Evo but didn’t go as far as publicly confirming its chosen series pathway nor its drivers for next season after its shakedown test at Navarra.


Long standing Porsche racers within the Creventic 24H Series and BMW and Mini saloon racers within their own domestic marketplace, however, the Javier Morcillo lead team has now apparently made the switch to the British marque in time for next season 24H Series European Series that kicks off at Mugello in late March 2025.

Welcome aboard.

Photo credits – Teams / social media / series
Friday, November 01, 2024 | Read more...
Final WEC grid set ahead of tomorrows eight hour marathon in the desert of Bahrain

Final WEC grid set ahead of tomorrows eight hour marathon in the desert of Bahrain


After three earlier Free Practice sessions, the grid has now been set ahead of tomorrow’s final eight-hour round of the 2024 World Endurance Championship from the Bahrain International Circuit.

This afternoon’s final Hypercar and LMGT3 class Qualifying sessions saw the #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Racing LMGT3 of Ian James progress through to their Hyperpole session whilst the #777 D’Station Racing AMR of Clement Mateu narrowly missed out on that feat by finishing just 0.122 of a second of what was required for them to finish within the top ten and progress in the Hyperpole session as both cars had laps deleted for track limit violations.


Whilst their race starting position was then cemented in P11 out of the class entry of eighteen cars, the #27 car ran a further five lap session of Hyperpole to claim a P6 starting position for Saturdays race – some three quarters of a second off the pole setting pace of both United Autosport McLarens.

Obviously qualifying pace and race pace are two distinct things in their own right as we know, as we would image that that with a blistering eight-hour affair in front of them that tyre strategy has already come into play.


Looking through the earlier Free Practice times, that is clear during FP1 when both Astons featured at the bottom of the timing screen, posting lap times (at best) two and a half seconds off the pace before the #27 improved upon this to complete the track practice availability to just over 0.165 of a second. 


How much of that is down to strategy over ultimate pace from the new Vantage LMGT3 will not be clearly seen until the race gets underway but at least there is no championship pressure to perform over and above the rest with the LMGT3 class title already having been claimed after the previous round from Fuji.

The race itself begins at 14:00hrs local after which on Sunday will be the now customary Rookie Driver Test.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Friday, November 01, 2024 | Read more...
The Vantage LMGT3 again tamed ahead of WEC finale from Bahrain

The Vantage LMGT3 again tamed ahead of WEC finale from Bahrain


The concluding round of Season 12 of the FIA World Endurance Championship is fact approaching this weekend as we see out the inaugural season of the new LMGT3 class as well as look forward to what’s just around the corner.

The race results from last time out at Fuji Speedway back in mid-September final saw the class championship aspirations of both the Heart of Racing and D’Station Racing team’s firmly put to rest but both teams will be looking to finish upon something of a high for varying reasons.

No changes are expected from within either the #27 Heart of Racing or #777 D’Station Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3’s as Ian James/Daniel Mancinelli and Alex Riberas team up again within the American HoRT entry whilst Clement Mateu/Erwan Bastard and Marco Sorensen will race out what might well be the final WEC round for the Japanese D’Station Racing entry as they look more homeward for their 2025 campaigns – that has yet to be confirmed by the team though.

What is certainly changing within both Aston Martins is their Balance of Performance requirements as Vantage LMGT3 sees both base weight increases (over and above any success ballast) as well as power decreases all ahead of an eight-hour finale around the widespread desert circuit of Bahrain within their eighteen strong class.

Whilst the D’Station Racing team ponder upon what maybe next for them and where, the Heart of Racing already have that answer as they continue to develop their much awaiting Aston Martin Valkyrie which they will run in both the FIA WEC Hypercar and IMSA GTP classes next season as well as a smaller LMGT3/GTD package in either series.

Earlier photographs of the new car being tested around both Silverstone and Donington Park were recently updated with video of it testing at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta ahead of its global debut at the Roar before the 24 test at Daytona in early 2025.

Despite the class championship having already been claimed by the #92 Manthey PureRacing Porsche, the #27 crew presently rest P4 within the LMGT3 Drivers Championship and in easy reach of the other two teams above if the race results go in their favour whilst Erwan and Sorensen sit P8 (Mateu P12 thanks to him missing Le Mans in favour of team boss Satoshi Hoshino) so the best that these guys can hope for is progression up to about fourth with the same degree of racing fortune being received.

Track action begins on Thursday with Free Practice 1 and 2 before Free Practice 3 and qualifying later on Friday before the eight-hour race being waved off at 14:00hrs local on Saturday.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 | Read more...
Feathers Motorsport eyeing up a 2025 return with their Vantage GT4

Feathers Motorsport eyeing up a 2025 return with their Vantage GT4

 


Having had to curtail their racing programme towards the latter stages of least season following a heavy accident for James Guess at the Silverstone round of the GT Cup Series, the Middlesex based Feathers Motorsport is eyeing up a return to the racetrack in 2025.

Since seeing that sorry sight of the teams Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 being carried away after it clashed with another GT4 car on the run up through Maggots and Beckets and impacted heavily with the barrier onto the Hanger Straight, an extensive rebuild was required and only recently has the team been able to get some testing mileage in with the car since.

That testing was undertaken by the team's resident young professional in Tom Canning who put the car around the test track of Silverstone without issue, just leaving the team the more involved decisions of just where to compete in 2025.

Photo credits - FMS


Tuesday, October 29, 2024 | Read more...
AMR powered teams looking to round off the WEC with a win in Bahrain

AMR powered teams looking to round off the WEC with a win in Bahrain

 


The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will conclude a highly successful debut season in the FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC], as the series reaches its finale – the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain – on Saturday, 2 November, 2024.

Aston Martin’s new GT3-based challenger, which is closely derived from the new Vantage road car unveiled earlier this year at Silverstone, is built around a proven bonded aluminium chassis and powered by a fearsome twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. The car has already earned its maiden victory in WEC this season, winning the Lone Star Le Mans round at the Circuit of the Americas [COTA] with The Heart of Racing team [THoR], in September. Driver crews from THoR and D’station Racing have stood on the podium steps on four other occasions throughout 2024.

Thanks to a spectacular home race at COTA, THoR led the way in Round 5 from pole, recording the fastest LMGT3 class lap on route to the team’s maiden WEC victory. Another points finish in the most recent round at Fuji in Japan last month means that team principal and driver Ian James (GBR), Alex Riberas (ESP) and Daniel Mancinelli (ITA) are right in the fight for second place in the LMGT3 Endurance Trophy for drivers’ and teams. Just seven points separate three GT crews contesting the runner-up place, with 39 points available in Bahrain.


Should THoR achieve its goal, it would wrap up a strong season with the new Vantage GT3 for the US-based outfit, having already secured runner-up in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD Pro class drivers’ and teams’ championships at Road Atlanta earlier this month. Aston Martin works driver Ross Gunn (GBR) narrowly missed out on his first IMSA full series crown by just five points, having taken a win and four podiums – including third in the Petit Le Mans finale. New Vantage also took Aston Martin to second in the manufacturers’ championship in North America’s premier GT endurance series.

D’station Racing has also enjoyed great success with the Vantage GT3 domestically, where it remains in title contention for the GT300 class in the Japanese-based SUPER GT Series – having recorded Aston Martin’s maiden victory in the championship at Suzuka in June.

The team, owned by former WEC racer Satoshi Hoshino (JPN) and managed by SUPER GT Series class winner Tomonobu Fujii (JPN), comes to Bahrain hoping to improve on its best WEC finishes of second in class, recorded at the same race, in Bahrain, last year.

Among D’station Racing’s driving strength is Aston Martin’s most decorated active works driver, Marco Sørensen (DEN), a three-time FIA WEC champion in the GT classes and a Rolex 24 and 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner, and now the most recent Spa 24 Hours winner alongside fellow works drivers Nicki Thiim (DEN) and Mattia Drudi (ITA). Erwan Bastard (FRA), a French and European GT4 title-winner, join the Dane in the #777 Vantage.


Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport, said: “No matter what is left to come from 2024, I believe we are safe to declare the season a successful start to the new Vantage GT3’s career. A resounding a victory in COTA for THoR along with podiums for both our US partners and D’station Racing prove what a raceable GT car the Aston Martin is for both professional and amateur drivers alike in WEC. In contention for championships around the world, Vantage is still fighting for titles in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe and the SUPER GT Series in Japan. To be competing for second on its debut in the world championship proves what an excellent option it will be for any existing or potential partner in year two.”

Aston Martin’s record at Bahrain in WEC is excellent. Vantage took pole for the inaugural race there in 2012 and went on to finish second with Darren Turner (GBR) and Stefan Mücke (DEU). Since then, it has won in each of its three previous configurations (Vantage V8, V8 Vantage GTE and Vantage GTE) in the GT class, and Aston Martin has recorded seven class victories all told. In total, Aston Martin crews have stood on the podium no less than 15 times. Last year’s event witnessed D’station Racing’s best WEC result (second in the LMGTE class), while THoR recorded its maiden WEC podium with third place.

Official practice for the 8 Hours of Bahrain begins on Thursday, 31 October at 1215 local time (0915 GMT) with the race beginning at 1400 (1100 GMT) on Saturday.

Source material - AMR
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 | Read more...
D'Station Racing search for that edge that will keep them in Super GT GT300 Championship contention

D'Station Racing search for that edge that will keep them in Super GT GT300 Championship contention

 


This weekend should have been the concluding round of the Japanese Super GT Series but for the late cancellation of the second visit to Suzuka at the end of August when an expected typhoon put paid to the event on the grounds of public safety.

That means that this weekend’s trip to Twin Ring Motegi circuit will be its penultimate three-hour round before a rescheduled trip to Suzuka in mid-December.


For the D’Station Racing entry, this weekend sees another clash with its World Endurance Championship crew as they embark upon the final eight-hour round of that series over in Bahrain in what mainstream media has reported to be, their final WEC involvement before a more concentrated Super GT Series approach next season.

That means that Team Manager Tomonobu Fujii will be again on domestic racing duties this weekend as he and co-driver Charlie Fagg seek out that little bit of difference in race pace that will see them break their recent performance mould and take the GT300 Championship race to the two crews presently listed above them in class.


Despite a decent Qualifying and early race pace last time out at Autopolis two weeks ago, a late Safety Car period for a heavy impact involving a topflight GT500 car saw the #777 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 get caught out in its final push to the flag to finish fifth overall in class despite having lead the class for much of the race.

Going into this penultimate round, results from Autopolis have seen the crew slip to fourth in the drivers table (from third beforehand) but still just twenty points behind the class leaders and with twenty points being available per round, the GT300 class is still wide open.



Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Monday, October 28, 2024 | Read more...
Iberian Supercars bows out with another AMR powered class win but no Championship this time around

Iberian Supercars bows out with another AMR powered class win but no Championship this time around

 


The weekend just gone motor racing affairs was slightly less than what was originally expected as the sole Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 crew within the endurance side of the Italian GT Series wasn’t involved with their seasonal finale from Monza.

We had expected the #5 L&A Infinity AMR entry of William Alatalo, Matteo Di Guisto and Jorge Lorenzo to make their final appearance together after both Alatalo and du Giusto secured podium success during the final round of the Sprint Series at the Temple of Speed just a few weeks ago.


As a result of their elective no -show, the L&A Infinity entry finishes the season eighth within their Pro- Am class.


We did, however, see seven Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 crews see out the final round of the Iberian Supercars Series at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve near Portimao at the weekend.

Sadly, none were in championship grabbing positions but that didn’t stop those from challenging for class honours within either the Pro, Bronze or Am classes with either their new 2024 Evo or 17A versions of the AMR platform.


The best results came from the #6 Racar Motorsport AMR of Jose Pires who claimed a hero to zero weekend result of P1 within his bronze class after Sundays earlier opening race before failing to finish the concluding round of the season but there was a whole fistful of top five finishes within classes amongst the Racar and Araujo Competicao entries.


As we have mentioned before, it will be interesting to just see where Racar Motorsport go from here as their entire fleet of 17A variants of the AMR Vantage GT4’s have been listed for sale for a number of months, but like most things post season – only time will tell!!

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Monday, October 28, 2024 | Read more...
An Aston Martin powered entry for this years Gulf 12Hr it seems!

An Aston Martin powered entry for this years Gulf 12Hr it seems!

 


It appears that Aston Martin could be going to the Gulf 12Hrs this year after all following the latest release of entry information from the race organisers.

Today’s edition of its provisional entry list details twenty-one crews being entered for the two-part event that will take place around the F1 circuit around Yas Marina but one entry line towards the end this list does now state Aston Martin alongside the team name of Simpson Motorsport.

Driver crews will be confirmed at another time, but each entry will now consist of at least one bronze ranked (Gentleman) driver.

A quick search of that team name did reveal that an AGMC by Simpson Motorsport team did take part within last year’s 24H Series with a BMW M4 GT4 but this will be a step up for them to the GT3 platform.

We will have to wait and see as scrolling through the provisional entry lists for both the 24H Series Dubai 24 and Abu Dhabi 6H shows the team still pedalling BMW GT4 and GT3 machinery. That just raises the question of who's car could they be running??

Photo credit - Series
Thursday, October 24, 2024 | Read more...