Seven Aston Martins running at Long Beach in both IMSA and GT America
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Obviously, the IMSA event takes precedence as a scaled down grid lines up just the faster GTP class alongside the slower GTD class for this weekend’s one-hundred-minute sprint.
That means it’s just the #27 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GTD car this time but that car will also see a revised driver line up alongside regular driver Roman De Angelis as a team three-way obligation this weekend sees his regular co-driver of Marco Sorensen back in Europe on World Endurance Championship duty with the Japanese D’Station Racing team, so the team have ‘borrowed’ fellow AMR driver Spencer Pumpelly from the Magnus Racing team for this event.
Joining them this time will be the Flying Lizard team entry for Elias Sabo and Andy Lee who participate at this event as a one off due to them also taking part within the event supporting GT America Series with their Vantage GT4.
Having stepped up to GT3 within the GT World Challenge America Series this season, that season opener from Sonoma didn’t go as they had hoped so this IMSA event will give Sabo both seat time around the tight street circuit layout and the taste for further race programs moving forward.
Then in GT America itself, five Aston Martin Racing crews are listed although only the fellow Flying Lizard entry of Jason Bell within the SRO3 (GT3) class with the others running GT4.
Having also stepped up to GT3 this season, reigning GT4 champion Bell is their because Long Beach is the second round of that series having ran at Sonoma a couple of weeks ago. He too didn’t run as high as he might have hoped within the opening round so again, Long Beach is more seat time – more potential to learn and improve.
Joining them both in GT4 is Flying Lizard teammate Todd Parriott in the #13 car, alongside Todd Coleman in his #69 Archangel car and Gray Newell in his #25 Heart of Racing entry.
Within GT4, the Sonoma was a profitable exercise as both Newell and Coleman secured podium finishes with Coleman getting the boast that he deserved (after recent IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge misfortune) with a third and second in class in California last time out.
This round will again feature two forty-minute races.
Photo credits – Teams / series / social media
