This is week has been somewhat of a busy one for the guys and girls at Aston Martin Racing who have been pounding the track at Estoril in preparation for both the 2016 World Endurance Championship and the finale of the 2015 European Le Mans Series.

It was customer team Beechdean Motorsport who had the benefit of an empty track earlier this week to test their V8 Vantage GTE in preparation for their expected entry into the European Le Mans Series finale at the Portuguese circuit in just over a couple of weeks time with Andrew Howard's most recent racing acquisition.


Having only shared the car with Liam Griffin at the Aston Martin Festival at Le Mans in June further track mileage and setup was the order of the single day test for Howard in order for him to transpose between the handling characteristics of a V12 GT3 and the V8 GTE.  Jonny Adam and an as yet to be announced third driver (without giving anything away) were also on hand at the circuit to assist with this transition.

This race will be seen as a precursor to an expected full season 2016 European Le Mans Series entry by the team.


It has now transpired that the new 2016 Vantage GTE has today also been at the circuit getting some crucial test miles on the clock following the recent FIA Balance of Performance test in France earlier this month.

With the present V8 Vantage GTE's having a unfavourable balance of power within the WEC at the moment it highly likely that factory emphasis has now been placed fully onto the new car in readiness for the 2016 WEC season where it will come up against the all new Ford GT and the new Ferrari 488.

It was later reported that at least AMR factory drivers Richie Stanaway and Jonny Adam were both on driver duty with the new GTE.


Prodrive also this week published a picture of the new 2016 specification V8 Vantage GT4.


The 2016 GT4 now features the Vantage V12 road car bonnet. This has additional vents both aiding cooling and releasing under-bonnet air pressure, improving front-end aerodynamics. The car also has the latest Aston Martin seven speed semi-automatic transmission for faster shifts and a better spread of ratios.

TRG-AMR, the North American partner team of Aston Martin Racing, is targeting two Tudor United Sports Car Championship (TUSCC) titles this weekend (2/3 October) at the world famous Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta.

Leading the GTD class championship, the team from Northern California will race its #007 V12 Vantage GT3 in the 10-hour long race with drivers Kuno Wittmer (US) and team-mate Christina Nielsen (DN), who is not only set to become the first Aston Martin champion in the USA but also the first female.

Nielsen, from Hørsholm in Denmark, has had a fantastic season in North America’s largest sportscar championship. The 23-year old star has scored podiums at Detroit GP, Lime Rock, Road America and Virginia International Raceway but the competition has been tough.


“We are heading into the final race with only a one point advantage over our competitors so now the pressure is on us to finish ahead of the Ferrari and Audi and close out this championship,” said Nielsen. “As drivers, this is what we dream of - a chance to win a championship in the last race of the season when everything is on the line.

“It’s exciting and a little nerve-wracking all at the same time. When I started with the team back in Daytona, I never believed we would be going into the last race in this position. The entire team has done such an amazing job to get us here and now we have to deliver.”


TRG-AMR has been Aston Martin Racing’s partner team since the start of 2013 and, if successful this weekend, will be responsible for taking Aston Martin’s first major North American championship win.

“The biggest thanks goes out to this most amazing brand, Aston Martin, and the fantastic race cars that they build at Aston Martin Racing,” commented Kevin Buckler, Chief Executive Officer at TRG-AMR. “This has been quite a journey together since starting from scratch three years ago and we are both pleased and proud to be working together. Everyone has done a superb job to get us here and once again we want to show that TRG-AMR is the place to be!”



Source material - Aston Martin Racing
Photo credits - TRG-AMR

TF Sport will make two more appearances in the International GT Open at Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Italy (2-4 October) and Circuit de Catalunya in Spain (30 October-1 November).

The official Aston Martin Racing (AMR) Partner Team recently concluded the 2015 Avon Tyres British GT Championship with a one-two result and is currently in contention for class honours in the GT Cup, but it has also flourished in other high profile sportscar categories, including the International GT Open, Dutch Supercar Challenge and Blancpain Endurance Series during a full and comprehensive 2015 programme.

Tom Ferrier’s team from Surrey achieved a race win on its maiden International GT Open appearance in 2014 and returned to the fray in the most recent round of the championship at Belgium’s Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

Salih Yoluc of Turkey partnered with Euan Hankey in a TF Sport-prepared Aston Martin V12 Vantage in the Ardennes Forest and the pairing will reunite for the final two rounds of the season at the host venue of the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix, Monza, and the home of the F1 Spanish Grand Prix, Circuit de Catalunya, near the majestic city of Barcelona.

TF Sport Director, Tom Ferrier, said: "We are very happy to be competing in the final rounds of the 2015 International GT Open at Monza and Catalunya, as they are both great circuits and it will be a great experience for both TF Sport and its drivers."

Source material - TF Sport
Photo credit - GT Open

Darryl O’Young now leads the drivers’ championship after a dominant race two win in Shanghai, where Daniel Lloyd helped the #99 pair to lead from start to finish. O’Young is now four points clear of second place, with only one round left in the championship scheduled for next month in Thailand. The #88 Interush Aston Martin of, Richard Lyons and Frank Yu, proved to be even quicker, setting the fastest lap of the race but were unable to capitalize on their speed after having to fight their through their way through the midfield.

Darryl O’Young is once again tied for the lead in the GT Asia Series drivers’ championship after an incredible last minute dash by teammate, Daniel Lloyd, helped the pair to victory in race one at the Shanghai International Circuit. The #88 Interush Aston Martin of, Richard Lyons and Frank Yu, started the race on pole and were looking like strong contenders for the win until two separate incidents of contact ruined their chances.

O’Young started the race in P8 and after a long battle in the midfield, the Hong Kong driver handed over to teammate Lloyd at the start of the pit window. The young Brit began to move his way up and was making good progress until a large accident brought out the safety car. After the extensive safety car period, there were only a few minutes of race one remaining. Lloyd, who was in P5, didn’t give up and instantly made the jump on the Ferrari of Liu as the safety car returned to the pits. From here, Lloyd was on a mission to hunt down the leader before the flag fell. In an incredible display of skill, the Craft-Bamboo driver closed the gap and fought his way to the front of the grid, taking P1 with a superb maneuver, running three wide on the way into the first corner. Lloyd executed the daring challenge perfectly and was now in the lead with one lap left. In a nail biting finish, Lloyd roared down the pit straight for the final time at the front of the pack and took the win for the #99 VLT Aston Martin.

At the beginning of the year Aston Martin Racing launched 'Evolution Academy' - their new young driver development programme for 2015 that would ultimately land at least one lucky candidate a coveted full works drive for 2016 season.

Limited to just ten drivers drivers of between 17 and 25 years of age, with a confirmed seat within an Aston Martin race car and competing within a stipulated top flight national and international series, the academy was designed to help and support these developing race drivers and create a self sustaining 'breeding ground' for Aston Martin Racing's future driver requirements.

In March ten successful candidates were announced having been selected by a panel of judges including amongst others AMR Team Principal John Gaw, Head of Motorsport at Aston Martin Lagonda David King and current AMR works driver Darren Turner.

Both of Craft Bamboo Racing's Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3's were the pick of the bunch during the two qualifying sessions for rounds eight and nine of the 2015 GT Asia Series.

Continuing the teams Free Practice domination, in Q1 it was the #88 car of Frank Yu and Richard Lyons who secured top honours just ahead of last years championship winning Clearwater Ferrari 458. Its sister #99 car of Darryl O'Young and Daniel Lloyd only qualified in a difficult mid field position for tomorrows race.
In Q2 however fortune was on the side of the #99 car when the end of a red flag period only left Lloyd enough time for a single run to beat then then pole sitting Bentley. Evolution Academy driver LLoyd, who is sitting in again for the injured fellow Evolution Academy driver Jonathan Venter, ultimately crossed the line four hundredths of a second faster to claim pole. In an almost mirror image of Q1 the #88 finished eighth.

TF Sport took a lot of lessons away from its exploratory one-off outing in the final round of the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series – the iRacing.com GT500 – at the Nürburging (19-20 September).

The team tackled its Blancpain and Nürburging debuts with a sole Aston Martin V12 Vantage for Salih Yoluc, Euan Hankey and Bradley Ellis and the Redhill, Surrey-based outfit performed admirably in entirely unfamiliar territory and against a bumper field of more than 90 of the world’s most formidable GT drivers.

Red-flag stoppages curtailed its testing programme and placed it on the back foot going into qualifying, as its drivers had a very narrow window in which to complete both high and low-fuel race and qualifying simulations on new and used Pirelli tyres.

As a result, the car was an unknown for the TF Sport trio – particularly Ellis, who returned to the cockpit of a modern GT3-spec racecar for the first time since 2011 – but the pace was strong, despite suffering in traffic and changeable weather conditions and failing to maximise the tyres' grip during their peak operating window.

Some skilled and controlled driving from Ellis ensured the TF Sport Aston Martin emerged unscathed from a typically frenetic start to the Blancpain Endurance Series’ iRacing.com GT500 on the 3.19mile Nürburging Grand Prix circuit.

Ellis gained track position overall and in class on the opening tour and his pace was strong until he was baulked by a pair of battling Pros, although Yoluc took the next stint and a drive-through for crossing the white line at pit exit was the first real blow to TF Sport’s challenge.

The three-hour endurance race was a hard and aggressive affair and Yoluc did himself justice while competing at a much higher level than he's used to, and TF Sport threatened for a top-five result in class until the team suffered a significant time loss due to a decision not to carry out the second driver-change under Safety Car conditions

TF Sport’s GT Cup returnees, Andy Houghton and Phil Glew, were jubilant race winners at Donington Park (19-20 September), but Paul Bailey was distraught leaving the East Midlands, as a minor lapse in judgement led to a pair of non-finishes that dashed all hopes of winning the overall championship title.

The historic Donington Park circuit hosted the opening round of the 2015 GT Cup in April and yielded a hat-trick of race wins for Bailey and his long-standing teammate Andy Schulz, who have continued collecting the silverware during a highly lucrative season.


The TF Sport pairing looked set to extend their winning streak and bolster their bid for the overall and GTO class titles on their return to the East Midlands when they finished fifth overall, in the wake of three non-points-scoring entries and immediately behind their chief title rivals, Wayne Marrs and Charlie Hollings, on Saturday.

However, the tides turned when the action resumed on Sunday, as Bailey locked his brakes and span while lapping a class rival and, unable to select a gear, caused a red-flag stoppage that would see him disqualified from the result.


Sadly, terminal gearbox issues prevented him from starting the third and final race of the weekend later that day, all but destroying his hopes of winning the overall GT Cup title.

“I was close to tears and beyond distraught leaving Donington Park on Sunday, as I only had to finish to win the GTO title,” said Bailey. “It was a schoolboy error, as I simply locked up while passing a backmarker, but I couldn’t select a gear and the TF Sport guys were unable to repair the problem between races, so we racked up a couple of DNFs, which was catastrophic for our title hopes.

“I’m still upset about it, but it was a simple misjudgement on my part. We can’t win the overall title now, but we can still become GTO class Champion by finishing a race at Oulton Park, so I’ll go there with the intention of playing it safe. Ultimately, I never thought titles would be achievable in our first full season of competition in the GT Cup, given the depth and breadth of the field. Wayne (Marrs) and Charlie (Hollings) are both great drivers and I applaud them for their speed and consistency.”


TF Sport fielded a second Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 for GT Cup returnees, Houghton and Glew. The teammates made an instant splash on the series when they reached the winners’ rostrum with a Ferrari 458 Italian GTC in Donington Park’s season-opener, but faced a new and more intense challenge this time around with a thoroughbred GT3-spec Aston Martin.

Nevertheless, Houghton – a newcomer to motor racing – rose to the task at hand with assistance from his professional mentor and co-driver, Glew.

The Cambridge racer clocked up invaluable testing miles at Silverstone prior to the race weekend at Donington Park and subsequently shone during only his second ever competitive outing.

Still acclimatising to the Aston Martin’s supreme power, braking and cornering capabilities, Houghton was some five second per lap quicker than in testing and stood his ground in sixth position during the first phase of Saturday’s race, before a storming drive from Glew and well-drilled pit stops from the TF Sport crew resulted in a sensational race win, which was backed up by fifth and ninth-place results the following day (Sunday 20 September).

“The weekend couldn’t have been any better,” said Houghton. “To achieve a win in only my second race weekend and my first outing in the Aston Martin is incredible and the fact I was able to bring my laptimes down so quickly was purely due to Phil’s coaching and the feedback from TF Sport. I kept the car in sixth during my first stint on Saturday and some remarkable driving from Phil and short stops meant we inherited the win after one of our rivals received a time penalty for a track limits infringement.

"By Sunday, I was settled in the car. The first race was relatively straightforward after I avoided the first corner melee and I finished fifth. It was good to have some more seat time, but then fatigue started setting in. I’d had four days in the car, the heat inside the cockpit was draining and it really took its toll on me. I had a few good battles, but I just decided to settle down and simply bring the car home safely. It was just a very positive weekend!”


Martin Johnston, meanwhile, ran through his usual programme, gradually upping his pace as he acclimatised to his car and the circuit during free practice, before working his way up from the back of the grid to sixth position in class by the conclusion of Saturday’s race.

Johnston – Managing Director of AllFloors Express – found chunks of time on Sunday morning and followed up a below par eighth place finish in the day’s opening encounter with a highly respectable fourth.

Source material - TF Sport
Photo Credit - Nicola Todd

Anyone tuning into the start of Saturday's six hours of the Circuit of the America's would have been mistaken to believe that Aston Martin Racing had overcome their apparent 'blib' in performance at the previous round of the World Endurance Championship at the Nurburgring, Germany and had regained their racing 'high ground' from their competitor's going into Round 5 in Austin, Texas.

After all, the #99 Velero liveried Pro car of Fernando Rees, Richie Stanaway and Alex MacDowall was sitting on the grid proudly at the head of the GTE field with the #97 Hanergy liveried car of Darren Turner and Jonny Adam just two cars behind and the #95 Young Driver Pro just behind them again.

Even in GTE Am there was a Vantage close to the head of that class in P2 - this time it was the #96 car of Stuart Hall, Francesco Castellacci and Benny Simonsen pipping the #98 to the leading Aston Martin Am car honour.

So, what was all the fuss about?


Unfortunately it only took a handful of laps to become evident.

Despite a superb move by Turner in the #97 car to take the #91 Porsche and the #99 car to lead the class out of the first corner the two chasing Porsche 911 RSR's would soon be able to exercise their now superior performance as offered to them by the series technics panel post Le Mans and not only catch them all but pass the heavily defending Aston's with obvious ease before making their escape into the sunset with the silverware.

It transpired that the Porsche's and Ferrari's were all on differing strategies and set up's compared to the Aston's in qualifying and were all not necessarily able to pick up the mantle from where they left off in Free Practice during the twenty minute qualifying session thus allowing the V8 Vantages to pick up the metaphorical scraps.


Looking at the timing data available from the WEC the simple statement of fact remains -  that the Aston Martin Racing Vantage is still the slowest car on the track across the GTE Pro and Am class in Free Practice and race format in terms of maximum speed - they were in Nurburgring and probably will be in Fuji in three weeks time as well unless something changes.


So and not surprisingly the trophy cabinet at Aston Martin Racing didn't get any bigger again following the conclusion of Saturday's race in either class, the #99 lead the #95 and #97 home in the Pro class in a distant fourth.

What is difficult to understand is how the supposed balancing of performance carried out by the FIA can lead to such a exaggerated and opposing levels of performance across two marques. The Porsche's were at first lagging (artificially) behind the rest for the first three events of the year but now post Le Mans they have now been given a weight break that now sees them further out front than the Aston's ever were. The Aston's were in mitigation for their early form given a reduction in air restrictor size post Le Mans in an attempt to slow them down. This virtually strangles the life out of the V8 leaving a now visual difference between the performance of all GTE marques out of any slow corner and onto a long straight where the Ferrari and Porsche's simply cruise away.


Something obviously isn't right here and it harming the sport the very measures are designed to protect. With three rounds of the 2015 championship remaining surely the FIA needs to re-evaluate its restrictions and off set them so that the cars can race on a level track?


It would be sad to see the remnants of 2015 peter out into oblivion for Aston Martin Racing because of such a small (5mm) but very significant adjustment in performance imposed onto them. They already have much work to do to rekindle any chance of a championship success following their dreadful Le Mans experience - especially in GTE Am without the series inflicting further insult to injury in such a manner as no set up or driving manner can possibly compensate for!

But then they, like the others, now have a heavily revised 2016 variant that they need to get up an running ready for the Prologue in March so minds may already be moving to next year?

Only time will tell.

Photo credits - Aston Martin Racing






  

Australian GT team Ross Stone Racing had a baptism of fire with their first race experience in their national GT series at Sandown racetrack, near Melbourne a couple of weeks ago in their recently acquired #95 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3.


With long term car dealer and experienced multi race formula driver Andrew Miedecke at the wheel the team managed a very respectable P12 in qualifying out of the strong 30 car grid before finishing P18 in race 1 and P12 in race 2 over the two day, V8 Supercar support event. The team may have also finished slightly higher had it not been for some customary GT car panel interaction and a drive through for a pit lane violation.


The team will now reassemble at Highlands Motorsport Park, New Zealand for the final round of the 2015 Australian GT Series in mid November.

Photo credits - Australian GT

After their race one disappointment FF Corse drivers Calum Lockie and David Masonresumed their domination of the MSA British Dunlop Endurance Championship with a victory by two laps over Beechdean Motorsport’s Aston Martin Vantage GT4.

The winning margin was due to the differing fortunes of the two teams in the second half of the 90 minute race. Having been given a four lap lead by Lockie when he took over the car with 40 minutes remaining Mason was able to ease home. He was able to take the strain off the worn tyres beneath the Ferrari 458 Challenge, as well as bring the car to the checkered flag following the team’s repair job, which Mason was quick to praise after the race.

There was a brief scare during the pitstop with smoke once more rising from the machine as it sat stationary. Fortunately, this time it was not the sign of a serious problem and Mason was able to go on to take the win that all but confirmed the pair as 2015 champions as second in the points Nick Holden was an early retirement in his Ariel Atom.

While Mason was moderating his pace Beechdean driver Andrew Howard, fresh from his GT3 championship win a week earlier, was setting his fastest laps of the day. He regularly took four seconds a lap back from the Ferrari, sufficient to twice unlap himself around the 1.85 mile Silverstone International circuit. Howard’s performance secured a second runner-up result for himself & Hollywood, who has been cooking with gas recently on the circuit.


Chris Valentine and Fareed Ali were the men who made the lofty observations of their competitors and they added a second Endurance Championship podium finish to their day in the Porsche Boxter.

The Anglo-Canadian pair also finished third in the trophy standings for the second time of the day, finishing behind Steve Glynn’s TVR and the Chevrolet CR8 of Gary Simms. Glynn doubled his count of winner’s trophies, having also come out ahead in the first race of the day, but he did so only after a seven second stop go for Simms off set the delay of a longer than expected pitstop for the TVR driver.

Early in the race he had been the second quickest man on track, proving the Sagaris’ pace by taking second overall from the Hollywood driven Beechdean Vantage GT4 that had started the race from pole position.

Source material - Beechdean Motorsport
Photo credit - Britcar

the GT Asia Series reconvenes for the penultimate meeting of the year on the 
Aston Martin Evolution Academy driver Lloyd will once again partner championship challenger Darryl O’Young in the #99 VLT Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 as the pair look to close the gap on the championship lead during the weekend’s two, hour-long sprint format races.

Straight off the back of his superb British GT race win at Donington Park just over a week ago, 23 year-old Lloyd is confident of carrying his good form into the closing races of the GT Asia Series where he and O’Young claimed an impressive pole and podium on his championship debut in Sepang last month.

“After our podium last time out in Sepang and then following it up with the win in the British GT, I’m feeling positive heading into the weekend and really looking forward to getting back into the GT3 again;” said Lloyd.

“It’s another new circuit for me to learn so we have a big challenge ahead of us, but the guys at MSA Team UK have been helping me out with work on the simulator in preparation so I’m confident that with the support from Darryl and the Craft Bamboo squad we’ll be right up there challenging for podiums once more.”


The duo face fierce competition from Asia’s top GT teams and racers on the tight and technical Shanghai circuit but Lloyd is determined to continue his impressive run and help re-ignite O’Young’s chances of clinching the championship title, with the 35 year-old heading into the weekend just 4 points off the current leaders.

Source material - Daniel Lloyd
Photo credits - Craft Bamboo

Factory Aston Martin Racing (AMR) driver and GP2 race winner, Richie Stanaway, will be welcomed to the TF Sport stable when the team escalates its GT racing programme with an entry in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) at Circuito do Estoril (17-18 October).

TF Sport – an official AMR Partner Team – has thrived in many of the most competitive GT racing categories the UK and Europe have to offer since it was founded in 2014.

The Tom Ferrier-led outfit from Redhill in Surrey has been primarily focused on full-time assaults on the Avon Tyres British GT Championship and GT Cup, but has made a splash during sporadic outings in other high profile championships, such as the Blancpain Endurance Series, International GT Open and Dutch Supercar Challenge.

A victorious end to the 2015 British GT season has buoyed the team as it looks forward to extending its reach further and welcoming yet another talented and high-calibre driver to the fold.

As in the most recent round of the International GT Open at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Turkish racer, Salih Yoluc, will be partnered with Euan Hankey, although Stanaway will join the teammates for the highly anticipated ELMS finale in Estoril, where they will vie for top honours in the super-competitive GTC class.

Darren Turner and his Aston Martin Racing team-mate Jonny Adam took a sixth place finish at the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship on Saturday. The six-hour race ran into the night at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, providing some real Le Mans-style night running for the American fans.

Both Turner and Adam qualified the #97 Aston Martin Vantage GTE in a very credible third position for the race, even though their pace earlier in the weekend had indicated that this would be a tough task.

“The free practice running told us that the balance of performance changes would still be an issue at COTA,” said Turner. “We do seem to be able to deliver a good performance over one lap though. I was baulked slightly on my best lap, which meant we just missed out on the front row and my time actually came from my fourth lap.”

Starting duty fell to Turner in Texas and he made a great getaway, getting a good run on the Porsche beside him and nipping around the outside of Fernando Rees in the #99 Aston Martin through turn one, taking the GTE Pro lead as the field went into turn two.

Young Driver AMR finished fifth in the GTE-Pro class at the fifth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Austin in Texas. The team expected a challenging start into the second part of the season and this exactly happened in Texas. In hot conditions around 35 degrees, Marco Sørensen and Christoffer Nygaard drove a clean and trouble free race in their Aston Martin Racing entered Young Driver AMR-Aston Martin Vantage GTE, but had no chance to fight for a podium.

Sørensen and Nygaard started from fifth position into the six-hour race, which started late Saturday afternoon and was held in complete darkness for it’s major part. Due to a performance cut before the recent Nürburgring round, the two Young Driver AMR boys couldn’t match the pace of the Porsche and Ferrari at the front and experienced a difficult race. At late move from Sørensen, who overtook fellow Aston Martin driver Jonny Adam in the final hour, eventually secured fifth place.


"The race went as expected“, said Young Driver AMR´s Jan Struve. "After we were given less power before the last round, our hopes for good result were not high and this is exactly what happened. Nevertheless Marco showed a great speed, but we also lost some time during the pit stops and Christoffer couldn’t find into his usual rhythm. We now look forward to the next round at Fuji and really hope for a rule change that will enable to compete for podium position again.”

The next round will take place at Fuji in Japan in three weeks.

Source material - Young Driver AMR