Six AMR Vantage GT4s at Michelin Pilot Challenges visit to Sebring
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
With that, three such teams endure a busy double header weekend with taking part in both race weekends as the Rebel Rock Racing, Van Der Steur and Archangel teams join those from the Team TGM and Automatic Racing teams for this weekend’s action.
Last time out for the series at the IMSA season opener around Daytona in Late January when that four hour race became a typical ‘first day at school’ for many but that gave the #46 TGM car of Owen Trinkler and Matt Plumb the opportunity to overcome pain and injury (from Trinkler’s point of view) to grab third overall by the end with the sister #64 car of team boss Ted Giovanis, Hugh Plumb and Kris Wilson to take a Bronze Cup win for a team double podium celebration too.
The entry list, however, shows Paul Holton aboard the #46 car in lieu of Trinkler, so there is a story to be told there.
The entry list, however, shows Paul Holton aboard the #46 car in lieu of Trinkler, so there is a story to be told there.
The #71Rebel Rock Racing team with drivers Frank DePew and Robin Liddell again return as sole runners of the new 2024 AMR Vantage GT4 after the opening round presented the team with the expected new race car gremlins to start to come home with the next AMR best finish in P9 although DePew did suffer more issues around the streets of St Petersburg last weekend for a disappointed debut within that series (having had to sit out round one at Daytona due to the lack of spares).
The #88 Archangel car of Todd Coleman and Aaron Telitz return after Coleman finally got in some decent lap times last weekend at St Pete’s after their disastrous start to the season after contact lead to time penalties and repeated visits to pit lane to make repairs and serve their penance for track and pit lane violations. This race cannot go any worse that that so the only way for these guys is up!
The #19 Van Der Steur car of Rory Van Der Steur and Valentin Hasse Clot is now down to a two-driver entry after a third driver (Dominic Starkweather) was present at Daytona where the trio finished just outside of the top ten in P11, so both remaining drivers will be looking for something more around the bumpy track of Sebring.
That leaves the #09 Automatic Racing entry for the Stoner Car Care crew of Rob Ecklin and Ramin Abdolvahabi as they too ran out at Daytona for a P16 overall finish – that this time within the Bronze Cup sub class as they were running with Brandon Kidd at the time. For Sebring, they are back within the Bronze Cup runners.
Sebring’s race, this Friday afternoon will be back to the series usual two-hour race length around the 3.74-mile circuit. The entry list shows twenty-six GS (GT4 based cars) running with another fourteen TCR based entries.
The race is waved off at 15:15hrs local.
Photo credits – Teams / social media / H Pittman
