Hard graft for the Vantage GT4 runners in GT4 America from VIR at the weekend

After earlier form this season, hopes would have been high within the AMR powered camp after the JMF Motorsport, Van Der Stuer Racing and Skip Barber Racing teams had already enjoyed podium winning success with the Heart of Racing looking to get back on track again themselves.

Like the other two series, significant storms around the Virginia International Raceway put paid to some of the available track time before the two, hour long races over the weekend with both the #4 JMF car of Mike David Ortmann and Braydon Arthur and the #39 VDS car of Max Hewitt and Luca Mars again looking strong in qualifying.

However, an error with driver designation in qualifying saw both JMF Aston Martins pushed to the rear of the grid for the weekend leaving the blue and white VDS car the lead AMR in P9 overall/P5 in silver.

That was, however, all thrown up into the air on the warm up lap as first light rain quickly turned in torrential rain and with all the cars starting on slicks, the prospect of all darting for pit lane was too much for Race Control who wisely threw a first lap Full Course Yellow before the red flag as lightning was again reported in close proximity to the circuit.

With the race clock continuing to count down throughout the delay, all that was left at the end was a just under seventeen-minute dash to the flag for the pack but even that would include the mandatory driver change.

On something of a miraculous recovery run, the #4 JMF car had already elevated itself up from P26 on the grid to P16 as the #39 suffered a mishap on track that would drop them down to P19, giving the #26 car of Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeir the lead role for Aston Martin in P13 overall but even they were to befall issues of their own in the final laps.

The nett result of all of that was a best placed finish of P10 overall/P6 in silver for the #4 JMF entry, P22 overall/ P5 in Am for the #07 Skip Barber Racing AMR of Michael and Alex Garcia plus a series debut result of P22 overall/P9 in Pro-Am for the #09 89X Motorsport entry for Micheal Fitzpatrick and John Dean.

Race two on Sunday at least started without the possibility of rain but the other (racing) excitement wasn’t too far away though as Luca Mars front row start saw him quickly bumped down to fifth on the opening lap.

As the race ‘settled’, the mid-pack was again where all the action was happening with cars being nerfed off track and others being (#26 HoRT Aston Martin) being stripped of ‘unessential’ body parts like their hood for example as the pit stop window finally opened.

Not long into the car, Hewitt would have his first off at the old Oak Tree corner before a more sustainable and race ending off into the tyre wall a few laps later for his first DNF of the season. Further contact for Grisham within the #26 would also see them retire with damage along with the #3 JMF car of Jesse Webb and Jonathon Neudorf.

By the chequered flag, there were just three of the six Aston Martins still circulating – none in any class contending positions with the #4 JMF crew again the highest AMR finishes in P7 overall/P5 in class.

Next stop Road America in three weeks’ time.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media