Japanese Aston Martin Racing Partner team, D’Station Racing certainly saved their best till last with their best performance of the season at the finale of the 2020 Super GT Series from the Fuji International Speedway earlier today.

Having endured what could only be described as a ‘difficult’ season with their AMR Vantage GT3 competing in the GT300 class, circumstance finally allowed the green liveried #9 car to race its own race at a chilly Fuji circuit to end the year with a magnificent P5 result. 

 

This weekend sees the concluding round of the 2020 Japanese Super GT Series, back again at the Fuji International Speedway Circuit for the fourth time this year in another racing season ravaged by the effects of the global pandemic.

The D’Station Racing team and their title sponsors Pacific had high hopes for the new season having secured the racing services of a one, Nicky Thiim but a lot of those hopes and aspirations quickly faded as it soon became apparent that neither Thiim nor the supporting Prodrive engineers would be able to freely travel in and out of the country as the world slowly worked out how to deal with the virus.

DAE offers the opportunity to participate in British and or European GT4 sharing our brand-new Aston Martin GT4 with your own co-driver or our in-house pro driver, who can help you win the championship.

DAE (David Appleby Engineering) is an AMR Partner team and British motorsport engineering specialist founded 1988 by David Appleby. The team is run by David and his son James who have many years of experience in both British and international motorsport.

DAE is an Aston Martin Racing Partner team. The team operates from its impressive 14,000 sq ft premises, 5 minutes from Silverstone circuit. With a highly professional and well experienced crew of mechanics, championship winning AMR GT4 engineer – and a pair of fully rebuilt, race ready and fully updated Aston Martin GT4s

DAE provides a complete pay-and-drive package and can also assists the drivers with everything from finding the right equipment, physical training and diet.

We are extremely proud of being the best equipped and turned out team in the paddock.

For more information on race opportunities and budget please contact James Appleby - James@davidapplebyengineering.com or on 01280 416441

Source material - Racecarsdirect.com

 

Congratulations again go out to the AGS Events Racing team for another strong performance at the final (re-arranged) round of the French FFSA GT4 Series from the Circuit Paul Ricard at the weekend where they secured not just three more class podiums across the two final races but also the Pro-Am Teams Championship title.

Having already secured both the Am, Silver Cup and Team’s titles in the sister SRO sanctioned GT4 European Series at the circuit the weekend before, last weekend’s FFSA GT4 finale was always going to be difficult task for the team to achieve anything more despite their #89 Pro-Am entry of Nicolas Gomar and Mike Parisy laying in second place in the Championship such was the points deficit.

Aston Martin Racing has created the Vantage Legacy Collection to commemorate one of the most successful periods in the luxury British sportscar brand’s racing history, as well as one of the company’s most successful racing cars – the Aston Martin Vantage.

This period, between 2009 and 2018, brought Aston Martin two 24 Hours of Le Mans class victories (in 2014 and 2017) and seven FIA World Endurance Championship titles, as well as numerous international sports car championship titles in British GT, GT World Challenge (Europe) and the European Le Mans Series.

The trio of Legacy Vantages, based on V8 Vantage road car launched in 2005, have been created in Aston Martin Racing’s workshops and is being offered for sale as a collection. It includes a V8 Vantage GTE, a V12 Vantage GT3 and Vantage GT4. All three are brand new chassis, ready to race, and have been identically liveried in sterling green with the distinctive and classic Aston Martin yellow trim lines around the radiator and cant rail.

The Vantage GT4 was the first racing car created around the VH-era architecture. It made its debut in 2009 and, by the end of 2018, Aston Martin Racing had built 107 cars, winning races and international championships across the world. Many of these cars are still competing today. The car in the collection is the 108th and final car to be made.

The V12 Vantage GT3 followed the GT4 three years later, making its debut in 2012. It soon became the dominant car in the British GT championship, winning outright titles in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018, proving its competitiveness right up until it was replaced by the new Vantage in 2019. Over seven years, up until the end of 2017, 46 cars were built.

The V8 Vantage GTE made its debut with the Aston Martin Racing works team in 2012 at Sebring. It spearheaded Aston Martin’s works return to production-based racing following three years of competing in the LMP1 class. The V8 Vantage GTE took its first win at the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Shanghai in October that debut year.

Only six V8 Vantage GTEs were originally built, with the car racing for the last time in the GTE Am class at Le Mans in 2018. During this time, it became the most successful car in the FIA World Endurance Championship, winning seven titles and two Le Mans class victories, including a famous final-lap triumph in 2017. The GTE in this collection is the seventh and final car to be made, chassis number 007.

President of Aston Martin Racing, David King said: “For a collector, this trio of Aston Martin Racing Vantages represents the ultimate tribute to a halcyon period for the brand in international sportscar racing. While Aston Martin has since gone on to record world championship titles with the current generation turbo-charged V8 Vantage, the foundations laid by the huge success of the original car won it admirers the around the globe and led to it becoming a firm favourite with racing fans. The Legacy collection is a beautiful sign-off for this wonderful car.”


CAR SPECIFICATIONS

VANTAGE GT4

Engine & Transmission
Aston Martin Racing 4.7-litre V8 engine
Weight-reduced rear silencer or straight-through tailpipes
FIA-approved bag type 115-litre centrally mounted fuel tank with twin fill
Six-speed Sportshift (ASM) transmission
Twin-plate cera-metallic clutch with lightweight flywheel


Chassis
FIA approved full rollcage in 15CDV6 high-strength steel
Integral air jacks
Polycarbonate side and rear windows
Side sills with exposed carbon fibre rib
Quick-release bonnet and tailgate
Carbon fibre side strakes
Reduced weight wiring harness
Lightweight battery


Suspension
Double wishbone suspension adjustable for toe, caster and camber
2-way adjustable Koni dampers
Stiffened front and rear anti-roll bars
Spherical bearing suspension


Interior
Recaro competition seat embroidered with Aston Martin Racing logo
Recaro HANS compatible seat (optional)
Sabelt six-point safety harness
FIA compliant Lifeline plumbed-in extinguisher system
Lightweight door casings
Weight-reduced facia, trimmed in Alcantara
Quick-release steering wheel


Aerodynamics
Adjustable carbon-fibre rear wing
Increased protrusion front splitter
Carbon-fibre front dive planes


Brakes
Four-piston monoblock calipers fitted with
high-performance Pagid RS 29 race pads
Uprated two-piece front brake discs
Twin front brake cooling ducts
Endurance brake package
Bosch race-developed ABS and traction control system


Wheels
Magnesium 5-stud wheels
Front - 10” x 18”
Rear - 11” x 18”


V12 VANTAGE GT3

Chassis
Lightweight aluminium chassis
Steel rollcage to FIA safety standards
High speed pneumatic jack system
Low engine position


Engine
Lightweight 6-litre V12
Dry sump oil system
Engine repositioned to optimise weight distribution and centre of gravity
Power 600 bhp
Torque 700 Nm


Transmission
Xtrac six-speed semi-automatic paddle shift transmission
Racing clutch
Limited slip ramp/plate differential
Easily accessible drop gears
Carbon fibre prop-shaft


Cockpit
8862 safety seat
Six-point safety harness
Racing seat nets
Lightweight battery
Carbon fibre dash
Fire extinguisher8862 safety seat system
Driver display and shift lights


Body
Front splitter
Adjustable full width carbon fibre rear wing
Aerodynamically optimised bumpers, side sills and rear fenders
Removable carbon-fibre body panels
Aluminium roof


Fuel system
125-litre fuel cell to FIA safety standards
Twin quick-release couplings


Suspension
Double wishbone suspension with uniball bearings
Four-way adjustable Bilstein dampers
Optimised geometry for lower ride height


Brakes
Six-pot front calipers
Ventilated front & rear brake disc
Four-pot rear caliper
Manually adjustable front/rear brake bias


Wheels
Front 12.5” x 18”
Rear 13” x 18”


Weight
Dry weight 1250 kg


V8 VANTAGE GTE

Chassis
Lightweight aluminium chassis
Steel roll cage to FIA safety standards
High speed pneumatic air jack system


Engine
Lightweight V8
Dry sump oil system
Engine repositioned to optimise
weight distribution
Power > 500 bhp*
Torque > 500 Nm*


Transmission
6-speed semi-automatic paddle shift gear change
ZF Sachs Racing clutch
Limited slip combination VC and ramp/plate differential
Carbon fibre propshaft


Body
Full aerodynamic update to 2016 LMGTE regulations
Lightweight carbon fibre bodywork
Aluminium roof with driver safety access hatch
CFD optimised aerodynamics with splitter and diffuser
Adjustable carbon fibre rear wing


Fuel system
Designed to FIA safety standards
Twin quick release couplings


Brakes
Front: six pot Brembo calipers
Rear: four pot Brembo calipers
Vented discs
Pagid RS pads
Bespoke lightweight pedal box
Goodridge hydraulic brake lines


Wheels & Tyres
TWS Mg front 12.5” x 18”
TWS Mg rear 13.0” x 18”
Dunlop 305-680R18
Dunlop 312-705R18


Weight & Dimensions
Length 4550 mm
Width 1963 mm
Height 1185 mm
Wheelbase 2600 mm
Dry weight 1240 kg*
*Dependent on Balance of Performance BoP

Source material - Aston Martin

 

Coming first in class within the New Zealand South Island Endurance Series pays well apparently and we all know that the overall winners of that Series, the Heart of Racing team of Darren Kelly and Alex Riberas raced their Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT3 in aid of the country’s Starship Foundation.

 

With the 2020 motor racing season not even yet over for several series still, it’s great to see at least one team raise their hands and declare at least some of their ambitions for next season.

Having competed in most of this year’s 24H Series Europe endurance races to come away as winners of that series overall GT Team Europe Championship as well as cameo appearances in a handful of other European races in other series, has the German based PROsport Racing Team this week announce that they plan to compete within the DTM Trophy Series with at least one – maybe with both of their Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4’s.

 

Their delayed 2020 season started with a four-car test at the pre-season FFSA GT4 Series shakedown at Nogaro in early July and their season will finish with a four-car effort at the final round of the season at Paul Ricard this weekend.

Having already scooped the GT4 European Series Silver Cup, Am Class and Team Championship titles at this circuit last weekend in their first year of running the new 2019 Aston Martin Racing, the AGS Events Racing Team will again field all four of their AMR race cars at this weekend’s final round of the French National Series – again one that the team could (mathematically at least) secure should results go their way of the weekends two races.

TF Sport enters a second Aston Martin Vantage GT3 for the 2021 Asian Le Mans Series, at the recently relocated venue of Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi. Established teammates John Hartshorne and Ollie Hancock, will be joined by factory driver and 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, Charlie Eastwood.

Hartshorne and Hancock have raced Ferrari GT3s together for the past three seasons and have both previously competed in the Asian Le Mans Series, albeit in LMP machinery.
The duo have enjoyed some successful test days with the UK-based team, to prepare for the four, four-hour endurance events.

 

Whilst many race Series and Championships around the world have already come to an end for 2020, the Japanese Pirelli Super Taikyu Series is still going strong having only started their revised six round calendar back in early September with a twenty-four hour race at Fuji International Speedway.

 

Touching briefly upon the success of so many Aston Martin Racing teams at last weekend’s finale of so many Series and Championships across the world, that was a simply case of Wow – just wow!!!

Possibly a once in a lifetime experience, we can be only contented that we were there watching (albeit from a distance) as a global pandemic had previously threatened everything to a point of near extinction and we can only thank those within those organisations who put in the effort and additional mileage in to get these series and Championship’s running – yet alone concluding to such a degree of excitement and success in which we can all rejoice in.

 

The Heart of Racing team put on an exceptional performance yesterday at the final round of the 2020 season, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Drivers Ian James, Roman De Angelis and Aston Martin Factory Driver, Darren Turner, finished the race in second, after a grueling 12 hours on track.

Qualifying Friday in 11th, James expertly navigated the competition and made his way all the way up the front of the pack within his first drive of the day. Handing the car over in fourth to Turner, the car then returned to the front and led the GTD class for the most part. As the race went on, James, Turner and De Angelis battled traffic, conditions and then daylight, as the team strategised and made their way through the twelve hours, ending the day with a best-season, second-place, podium finish.

 

TF Sport, Salih Yoluc, Jonny Adam and Charlie Eastwood narrowly missed out on the FIA World Endurance Championship LMGTE AM title, at the 2019/20 finale in Bahrain. A brake issue, which all competing Aston Martin’s suffered with, and an unfortunately-timed safety car period when #90 was almost two minutes ahead of championship rivals AF Corse, took away the team’s chances of taking home the championship honours.

Season 8 of the FIA WEC consisted of two pole positions, four victories, including the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, and a third place finish for the UK-based team, which saw them lead the standings going into the last round. After a superb qualifying session, where Yoluc and Adam placed their Aston Martin Vantage GTE on the front row, the team were hopeful for a strong race.
Source material- TF Sport