Fifteen Aston Martins compete at the SRO's visit to Watkins Glen this weekend

Thursday, July 21, 2022


With ten of Aston Martin Racings finest Vantage GT4’s competing this weekend on this side of ‘the pond’ in Europe with the start of the SRO’s Speed Week from Spa Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, the American SRO runners have a further fourteen cars running (plus a GT3) as they have all headed out to Watkins Glen in upstate New York for their latest rounds of the GT America, GT4 America and GT World Challenge America Series.

Differing to their European based SRO series, the American SRO sanctioned GT America Series allows the bronze rated Gentleman driver to race solo over two forty-minute races of the weekend before being able to double up within the sister GT4 America Series for two, one-hour Pro-Am based GT racing with a few silver crews thrown in for good measure and added competition.


The GT3 based GT World Challenge America Series then headlines the race weekend with a collection of Pro, Pro-Am and Am classes with a sole AMR Vantage GT3 racing amongst them.

For GT America, this is their fourth round of the season having raced already at St Petersburg, Sonoma and most recently at VIR where three AMR drivers head the GT4 Drivers Championship going into this weekend. Last years GT4 Champion Jason Bell still heads the pack with his #2 GMG Racing prepared car with the latest AMR convertee in Moisey Uretsky now just a point behind with his #55 Accelerating Performance prepared car and with Ross Chouest eighteen point behind the leader in third with his #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing car. Similar points also prevail for these three drivers within the GT4 Teams Championship.


Last time out, the #15 Bsport Racing car of Bryan Putt skipped the series after a ‘trying’ couple of opening races but he is back for Watkins Glen as are the other six full season entrants including the #8 Flying Lizard car of Elias Sabo, the #888 Zelus Racing car of Sean Whalen and the #25 Heart of Racing car of Gray Newell in addition to those already listed.

Whilst Championship leader Bell secured a further two P3 finishes over the VIR weekend, Uretsky went some better by gaining pole position in each race, a P2 finish in race one and his first race win in race two.


This event will again be another totally open affair.


Then in GT4 America, all the above AMR runners are back again but with their respective Pro drivers for the two-hour long races that make up this series. Unlike GT America, the last time these guys raced wasn’t as successful with the #55 ending up severely damaged after contact with the tyre wall with the best finishes on offer from the #24 Heart of Racing duo of Newell and Ian James in P2 and the #08 Flying Lizard crew of Sabo and Andy Lee third in race 2.

Championship wise, the #15 Bsport Racing crew of Putt and Kenton Koch are the highest placed in P4 with the #24 Heart of Racing behind in P5, the #8 Flying Lizard crew behind them in P6 and the #2 GMG Racing crew of Bell and Andrew Davis holding P7 but a whopping 54 point behind the Porsche powered leaders.


Again, this weekend’s racing will be their fourth round but after previous rounds at Sonoma, Nola Motorsport Park and most recently at VIR in mid-June.

Finally, we get to the larger and faster GT3 cars and crews that compete within the GTWCA Series with the #12 Ian Lacey prepared AMR Vantage GT3 car of Frank Gannett and Drew Staveley.


The second season in their Aston for this Pro-Am duo and hard work and determination from all involved has been showing some results with their best result ever at the opening race of the VIR meeting with a P6 in class finish.

Competing within another field of twenty cars, the #12 crew will again have to compete with against the stronger Pro-Am line ups a well as the full Pro entries that obviously dominate the Championship standing.


Like most SRO based series around the world, all six races from the sweeping circuit of Watkins Glen will again be streamed live via their respective social media channels with live track action being available as early as 08:00hrs local with the first of the Qualifying sessions before the first of Saturdays races at 12:15hrs local and again from 09:00hrs local on Sunday.

It’s another busy SRO weekend!!

Photo credits – Teams / Series
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