Rolex 24 update - UPDATED AGAIN!

With just about a week to go before the preliminary track sessions of the 2020 Rolex 24 and supporting IMSA series, this week has seen a number of changes made to the expected Aston Martin Racing contingent in both the 24 main event as well as the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

Yesterday saw the release of the first official provisional entry lists for both races that detailed two AMR Vantage entries apiece in both GT3 and GT4 form - nearly what was expected.


In GT3, Aston Martin Racing have continued to list the attendance of their #98 Northwest supported car despite the non attendance of gentleman driver Paul Dalla Lana at the Roar before the 24 official test just over a week ago.

We heard then how the Canadian had injured his foot in a skiing accident over the Christmas holidays and how that injury would be keeping him away from next weeks IMSA series opener from the Daytona International Speedway. AMR have been actively seeking a suitably funding replacement who could join drivers Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda and Ross Gunn in the new AMR Vantage GT3 (GTD's) first venture into an American Series which has all gone a bit quiet until today.


Today we hear from Aston Martin Racing themselves to expect an exciting announcement tomorrow morning (Friday) into what is happening with that presently vacant position within the #98 car. Who that could be we have no idea but then it could always be Dalla Lana himself having been given an additional week of recovery since his accident - we don't know but at least we don't have long to wait!!

This Vantage GT3 of course joins the debuting Heart of Racing AMR team Vantage GT3 with their drivers Roman De Angelis, Alex Riberas, Ian James and Nicki Thiim aboard their #23 car. With these guys let's not forget that they are not just a racing team but also a fund raising mechanism for the Seattle Children's Hospital.


Further details of that good cause can be found HERE


Then we come to the IMSA support Michelin Pilot Challenge Series which will also have their first race of the season on the Saturday of the Rolex 24 with their annual four hour BMW Endurance Challenge.

At the Roar, we saw the #99 Automatic Racing AMR Vantage GT4 crew of Kris Wilson and Gary Ferrera conduct a very productive test weekend aboard their new turbo charged iteration of Vantage having conducted most of last seasons racing aboard their normally aspirated car.


Whilst we were lead to believe that another entry from the Florida based team was expected, the additional AMR runners have come from a another team returning to the AMR family for the first time in a number of years with the Cameron Racing #43 car of Greg Liefooghe and Ari Balogh but then there may just be others as well.


This California based team have only just taken delivery of their AMR Vantage from AMR's North American Strategic partner CSJ Motorsport so they have little time to prepare their car. That will not come as too much of a surprise for these two drivers however having raced the very same platform at last seasons Lime Rock Park event where only race ending contact damage scuppered a decent race finish potential.

Let's see what tomorrow brings.....................!!


UPDATE 1 - ASTON MARTIN RACING HAVE THIS MORNING CONFIRMED THAT AMR JUNIOR DRIVER ANDREW WATSON WILL FILL THE SEAT LEFT FROM DALLA LANA'S ABSENCE AT DAYTONA AS WELL AS THE SECURING OF RIBERAS' DRIVING SERVICES AS AN AMR NORTH AMERICA WORKS DRIVER


UPDATE 2 - AUTOMATIC RACING HAVE REPORTEDLY DECLARED THEIR SECOND AMR VANTAGE GT4 ENTRY FOR THEIR OTHER LONG TIME CLIENTS OF ROB ECKLIN JNR/BRANDON KIDD/RAMIN ABDOLVAHABI ABOARD THEIR #09 STONER CAR CARE LIVERED ENTRY

The news from the USA just keeps getting better!

Photo credits - HRT / AMR / IMSA / CSJ Motorsport