Many a new face set to appear in an Aston Martin at Watkins Glen this weekend
Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Having missed this family of races for a couple of months then two rounds come along in relative quick succession as the SRO America Series take their GT America, GT4 America and GT World Challenge America grids back east and across the Great Lakes to Watkins Glen in upstate New York for their fifth round of season this weekend.
Last out at Road America at the end of August, there was double podium success for Jason Bell and his GMG Racing Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 in the two races that made up the Am only GT America Series, another podium finish in race 2 of the GT4 America Series for the Bryan Putt/Kenton Koch Bsport Racing AMR GT4 as well as the best results of the year so far for the Ian Lacey Racing AMR Vantage GT3 of Frank Gannett and Drew Staveley.
We also welcomed the latest AMR customer team in the form of M Squared Motorsport (Automatic Racing) into both the GT America and GT4 America for drivers Paul Kiebler and Mikel Miller.
Looking through the provisional entry lists for all three series, there appears to be yet more Aston Martin Racing newcomers present within the GT4 ranks as opposed to those who raced last time out.
In GT America, we again have the three expected entries from Jason Bell (GMG Racing), Gray Newell (Heart of Racing) and Paul Kiebler (M Squared Motorsport) but we also now show a #50 AMR Vantage GT4 for Ross Chouest racing with 3R Povoledo Racing.
They in turn also all turn out again within the multi-class GT4 America Series with their respective co drivers with Andrew Davis joining Bell, Ian James joining Newell, Mikel Miller with Kiebler and Aaron Povoledo pairing up with Chouest. With these, we still need to add into the mix the Bsport Racing Aston, the brothers Dexter in their family run Aston as well as the WR Racing Aston of Paul Terry who will this time be joined by one Owen Trinkler instead of his usual side-kick, Brandon Davis.
So in the GT4 arena alone, that will be four Aston Martin’s racing in the GT America Series and a whopping seven Aston Martin’s with the GT4 America Series. Add that to the Ian Lacey AMR Vantage GT3 competing again in the multi-class GT World Challenge America Series and that’s a very healthy AMR presence in North America thank you very much!!!
Take a bow Cy and Susan Jary, as well as the rest of the team at CSJ Motorsport as all your efforts are gratefully received on this side of the fence!
Indeed, our friends at CSJ Motorsport have confirmed that the Povoledo Racing effort has come about as a result of a crash for Chouest/Povoledo in their #89 Renntech Motorsport Mercedes AMG GT4 last time out at Road America that has left them car-less and they have in turn bought the distinctly liveried Texan/Union Jack covered car that CSJ Motorsport have had available all season. We also understand that the new drivers intend to race it with this livery which should look amazing around the Watkins Glen circuit.
In terms of Championship standings, in GT America Jason Bell sits P2 in the GT4 Drivers table fifty five points behind the leader but with still six races to go. Chouest (now in the Aston of course) rests P6 and Gray Newell P8 but both sadly not in any position to upset the leading drivers.
In the GT4 America Pro-Am class, everyone has a battle on their hands to reign in the runaway leading Nolasport Porsche which leads with a mighty sixty-three-point margin but again with six races still to go. The #15 Bsport Aston is placed joint second on 94 points and the #59 WR Racing in a possible P6 with only half the points but not let’s say never when it comes to modern GT4 racing and in the GTWCA Series, a season best P4 last time out at Road America elevate the Gannett/Staveley AMR Vantage GT3 crew to a very credible mid table position.
As usual, all six races of the weekend will be steamed live via their respective social media channels.
Photo credits – GT America / GT4 America / GT World Challenge America / CSJ Motorsport / Teams / F Lagunas