Penultimate rounds of the SRO America series from Barber with a new AMR finally on offer
Tuesday, September 03, 2024
Having lost the sole AMR Vantage GT3 runner within the GT World Challenge Series last time out with a late season chassis change for Elias Sabo and Andy Lee from the Flying Lizard AMR team, all eyes will be upon the two other series and with a new car making its debut within one of the SRO America series.
That news comes in the form of the Heart of Racing team swapping over to a new 2024 AMR Vantage GT4 Evo for their #24 Pro-Am pairing of Gary Newell and Roman De Angelis within the GT4 America Series for the first time. With them (and all other AMR Vantage GT4 runners this season for that matter) continuing to run the still completely successful and competitive 2019 17A variant of the car, it will be interesting to see just how that performances transposes between chassis after the pairing secured both a P3 and P1 class finish at the end of the last round from Road America.
The new Vantage GT4 has of course ran a full season so far within the IMSA sanctioned Michelin Pilot Challenge and VP Racing Sportscar Challenge Series with the Rebel Rock Racing team but Aston Martin Racing was keen to (at first) restrict the availability of the new car in North America until such time as suitable spares and technical assistance was also on offer for their customers.
Within the GT4 America Series, the #26 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GT4 entry for Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier continue to pedal their 17A version within the silver class as so the Todd Parriott/Tom Dyer Flying Lizard Pro-Am pairing within their #13 car.
Championship wise, the #24 Newell/De Angelis pairing maintain a P2 championship position but would require a significant low/no scoring trait from the championship leaders over the remaining races to have any chance – something that appears unlikely at present having never finish off the class podium so far this season.
Within the GT3/GT2/GT4 based GT America Series, the GT3 class is again supported by the #2 Flying Lizard AMR Vantage GT3 of Jason Bell and the older 16A Prosport Competition AMR Vantage GT3 of Tim Savage aboard his #007 car. Joining them will be the #25 Heart of Racing Vantage GT4 of Newell as well as the #31 Flying Lizard AMR Vantage GT4 of Parriott (both 17A variants).
Championship wise for these guys is that none of them are in any class championship challenging position but Newell does have the potential of securing the GT4 runners up position as well as Parriott moving up to P4 should results from the last two rounds go their way.
As usual, the bronze rated only GT America Series will run two forty-minute solo driver races over the course of the weekend with the GT4 America Series running two one hour, pit stop punctuated races.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
