Bronze Cup success for two AMR runners in VP Fuels Sportscar Challenge from VIR

Three runners within the IMSA VP Racing Sportscar Challenge have kept the flag of race success flying high for the Aston Martin Racing customer racing fraternity this weekend as two enjoy podium success within that series Bronze Cup class.

Competing alongside the Weathertech Sportscar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge Series, the bronze ranked solo driver series proved itself to be a rewarding step up and across for both Brady Behrman and Scott Blind as both raced within the series at the Virginia International Raceway for the first time this weekend.

Two forty-five-minute races saw these two Aston Martins, and that of Todd Coleman join the thirteen strong GSX class (GT4) and seven strong LMP3 class for this weekend of events.

For Coleman, he was sadly having a weekend to forget as he struggled with his dual programme Michelin Pilot Challenge commitments, but at least he was able to circulate midfield within class during both Free Practice sessions.

For both Behrman and Blind, this was still very much a learning curve for the former having departed from his dual driver programme within GT4 America in his Van Der Steur prepared #82 car and the later still only in his second topflight event having stepped up from the club like WRL Series.

Qualifying saw Blind take best placed AMR honours in P6 with Behrman just behind whilst Coleman would start from P11 and whilst he would eventually stop with technical issues just after halfway, Behrman passed Blind for position before going onto secure his first Bronze Cup podium position, P2 in that and an impressive P5 overall in GSX. Blind would not finish his opening IMSA having had to stop due to a technical issue whilst challenging for fifth in class.

Sunday’s finale saw Coleman’s weekend go from bad to worse as having gained early places from his qualifying position to run line astern to the other two Aston Martins, contact with the #96 BMW say the #69 car rotate backwards into a tyre protected barrier before flipping onto its roof.

It was a few minutes before circuit officials had righted the now obviously heavily damaged car (with Colemans still inside) before Coleman was seen exiting the vehicle unaided and without any obvious injury which is always the main thing.

Losing a quarter of the race time to that incident, it became a fifteen-minute run to flag for the rest. Despite Blind having ran as high as P2 in Bronze Cup, it was Behrman again who stole top AMR honours, finishing P5 overall/P2 in Bronze cup with Blind this time just one place behind.

So, despite the AMR powered race weekend so far, there has finally been AMR success to cheer!

Photo credits – Teams / social media