End of the line for both the WRL Series and CSJ Motorsport this weekend
Friday, December 01, 2023
Over in North America, sees the World Racing League run their final double endurance round of the season from the Circuit of the America’s near Austin, Texas where another eight plus eight-hour event rounds of their 2023 season with another diverse and multi-classed grid.
Eighty-three listed entries amongst the five available classes again sees the David Tuaty led TLM Racing team prepare two current variants of the Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 whilst the Automatic Racing team again field their older version for their respective gentleman clients.
With no car running the entire season, non are in any Championship contention with their participation bracketed within the ‘more for the sheer hell of it’ category of participation.
Jim Hamman returns with his distinctly familiar liveried #172 TLM Racing entry alongside that of Jody Miller and Stephen Hamman whilst their stablemate #888 also sees a subtle change in driver line up from last time around at Sebring as father, Brian O’Shaunessy this times partners Troy Ermish and Pippa Mann in lieu of son Zang.
The #909 Automatic Racing AMR is also listed as again running but they did have something of a torrid time at their home event in Sebring and couple of weeks ago as a fuel pressure/pump issue kept them side-lined for much of the weekend. We are still awaiting confirmation that they are again in attendance and with which drivers behind the wheel.
Whilst this race is also the final race of the season for the series, it is also (and very sadly) the final race in which those at CSJ Motorsport will be in attendance, functioning within the role as appointed Partners to Aston Martin Racing within the North America race theatre for the supply and race cars, parts and service to their clients.
Built up from virtually nothing by husband-and-wife duo Cy and Susan Jary back in early 2019, CSJ Motorsport command a large degree of the responsibility in building the American AMR GT racing scene into what it is today and like many Team Managers have already said to us – their absence in the paddock from the start of next season will be sorely noted. Whilst we still await confirmation of the organisation who will be taking over that role in 2024, hopefully Cy and Susan can just sit back and enjoy this ‘local’ race weekend and savour all that they have achieved as they seek out business opportunities elsewhere within the racing industry.
Photo credits – CSJ Motorsport / Tom Beer Photo
