TRG-AMR rolls out its first Aston Martin at Daytona Test

Friday, January 04, 2013



TRG fans will get their first glimpse of an Aston Martin this weekend at the testing session that serves as a prelude to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona race weekend. During the off-season, team owner Kevin Buckler signed a long term partnership with Aston Martin Racing to become TRG-AMR North America, and the first race car to hit the States is an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 that will compete in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge the weekend of the Daytona 24.

Aston Martin Racing factory driver, Stefan Mücke, will test the car this weekend for its inaugural run. Buckler intends to fill the co-pilot seat shortly with Mücke, who last year saw action in the U.S. driving with Aston Martin veterans Adrian Fernandez and Darren Turner. The trio competed at both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the American Le Mans Series race at Laguna Seca, where it sat on the pole in the GT class.

"We are all very excited about our inaugural run with the new GT4 Vantage this weekend," said Buckler. "We are taking a measured approach with our first event in focusing on sorting the new car. We have several Aston Martin racing engineers coming to Daytona to join our team as well as Stefan driving the car so I'm looking for a very positive result. We will be filling the car with a qualified co-driver in the next few days."

Mücke, an Aston Martin factory driver from Germany, is a veteran sports car driver, having driven not only in the ALMS but the DTM, FIA GT1, FIA GT2, Europe's Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours at Le Mans twice. Last year, with Fernandez and Turner, the Aston Martin trio earned a third-place podium at the world's most famous endurance classic.

"We are really looking forward to competing again in GS in the Conti Series," said Buckler. "We're going to have Astons in three series this year - ALMS, Grand-Am and Conti - but Daytona is the first big test. I know Stefan and our team will do a great job. I look forward to this weekend!!"

California-based The Racers Group (TRG) has a legacy of motorsport success that dates back to the 1990s with extraordinary wins and championships that include the Rolex 24 At Daytona (four times, once overall), the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans, four championships and more than 50 major racing victories.

Equally, Aston Martin Racing is rich in heritage. It began racing in 1949 and by 1951 the DB2 had swept the podium in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The DB3S debuted in 1952 and won class at Le Mans from 1955-57. In 1959, the DBR1 finished one-two overall at the Circuit de la Sarthe as legendary driver Sir Stirling Moss joined the race team.

Aston Martin returned to GT racing as a factory team in 2005 with the DBR9 GT1, which went on to record back-to-back victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 and 2008, as well as winning the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship.

Most recently the formidable new race cars achieved a string of successes, capturing three of the last four pole positions in the FIA World Endurance Championship, a win at the final round in Shanghai, China and finishing second in the World Championship with the GTE machine. The new GT3 had an incredible run in its debut year with 11 major victories, and the GT4 is the car of choice in multiple series worldwide.

In 2013, Aston Martin Racing continues its tradition with the advent of TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America, proudly taking the reins of its North American operation.

TRG-AMR expects to debut the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Rolex series this coming spring. Its ALMS Vantage GTE is expected to debut at Sebring.



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