Multimatic Fields Fleet of Astons for 2013

Building on the solid foundation of the team’s 2012 Aston Martin Grand-Am campaign, Multimatic Motorsports is doubling its efforts by entering four Vantage V8s in the 2013 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. After running four cars in two classes last season the decision has been taken to consolidate all of the team’s racing activity back into the Grand Sport category where it achieved its greatest successes, including three outright championships.

2012 was a season of highs and lows for the Canadian racing organization. Highlights included a second place at Barber Motorsports Park only two races into the new Aston relationship, and a pair of thirds, at Laguna Seca and Lime Rock Park, in the last two races of the season when the team really started to sort the cars. The middle of the year proved difficult as North American specific performance issues forced unforeseen development during race weekends, which is never a good recipe for success. However, the highly competitive Astons were ultimately sorted for the unique requirements of CTSCC competition and the future looks bright for the attractive British sports car.

In preparation for the 2013 season the team has made a number of changes and already participated in three multi-day tests. With the addition of more drivers to the team’s line-up, three Aston Martin Vantage V8s were taken to Road Atlanta and then Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, which are two new additions to the 2013 CTSCC schedule. The most recent test and official season kick-off was held at Daytona International Speedway at the beginning of January, where the Multimatic Astons consistently posted top three times in almost every session. The #55 car set the fastest time in two of the six sessions and the #71 and #15 cars were never far behind. The major changes to the team for 2013 are:

• Multimatic’s lead driver Scott Maxwell will remain in the #55 Aston but now partners with young gun Jade Buford. Buford joined Multimatic at the Indianapolis test, midway through the 2012 season, after previously driving for both Roush Performance and Rebel Rock Racing. He ran with Kasemets for the final three races of last season, finishing in the top 15 all three times and on the podium at Laguna Seca, where he displayed an outstanding turn of speed towards the end of the race.

• The #71 Aston will remain in the hands of Tonis Kasemets but he will now be paired with Michael Marsal, new to the Multimatic team but highly experienced, with time at Turner Motorsports in both CTSCC GS and Rolex GT as well as in Le Mans prototypes with Dyson Racing in ALMS. Marsal has already proven to be a contender showing great pace at the Daytona test.

• Possibly the most exciting addition to the Multimatic roster for the 2013 season is the 2012 championship winning drivers, David Empringham and John Farano. The famous Multimatic #15 will be used on this new entry and the two ex-Porsche campaigners have already come to terms with the front engined machinery. It was the old friendship and rivalry of Canadian’s Maxwell and Empringham swapping fast times at the Daytona test. Empringham and Farano finished all but one race in the top 10 during their 2012 championship winning run.

• A fourth Vantage V8 has been added to the line-up since the Daytona test, carrying #16 and driven by the young duo of Frank Montecalvo and Nick Mancuso. Montecalvo previously drove a Mustang Boss 302R for Multimatic Motorsports in 2010; partnered with team stalwart Gunnar Jeannette he did an excellent job in his first attempt at large, rear wheel drive street cars. In 2012 he was brought in to drive the #16 Multimatic Ford Focus ST-R on a couple of occasions with Mancuso who led the charge in the ST class car for the full season. The two worked perfectly together and proved their capability to compete in the rough and tumble world of CTSCC racing, having both graduated from successful single seat careers. The two of them showed their stuff at the Daytona test and a last minute deal was put together for them to share a fourth team car for the season. That Aston will arrive in North America on the Tuesday before the race just in time to make Wednesday’s practice sessions.

Multimatic Motorsports Team Principal,Larry Holt, commented: “To have this level of talent in all four cars is unprecedented. We have four potential championship winning pairings with these guys. Maxwell, Empringham and Farano are all previous champions which combined with the experience and pace of Tonis and the four young guns, gives me high expectations for the season. We are still dragging a load of ballast around in the Vantage due to Grand-Am’s balance of performance decisions but were still quick at the test and obviously have some headroom if allowed to take a few pounds out. The #16 car deal came together late and having it land in Miami on the Tuesday before the race puts a little pressure on the team, but it is coming with a few of my top UK based technicians including Rob Taylor who has a wealth of engineering experience.Sean Masonwill once again be overseeing the program but with guys like Rob,Charlie Cadieux,Brian Jones,Jeff Ripleyand Will Kerley running the cars he has some pretty stout help. Last year’s ST and GS teams have been combined and with that level of talent on hand I will be able to watch from the hospitality suites.”