Five Aston Martins raring to go at this Fridays Michelin Pilot Challenge opener from Daytona

Five Aston Martin Racing powered crews tested at last weekend’s IMSA Roar before the 24-official test from Daytona International Speedway and those five will go onto make up part of the fifty-one GS and TCR based entry ahead of Fridays Michelin Pilot Challenge four-hour opener.

Still leaving their AMR Vantage GT3 aside for just a bit longer saw the #71 Rebel Rock Racing crew of Frank DePew, Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis return with their easily identifiable green with red accents Vantage GT4 for just another run around the iconic banked and infield circuit as do husband and wife Ben and Christine Sloss aboard their #10 Van Der Steur AMR entry alongside that of Mike Fitzpatrick and his#8 89X Motorsport with his new co-driver Johan Schwartz.

 

We of course welcome the timely arrival of the #26 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GT4 that Hannah’s Grisham and Greenemeier will peddle this full season for the first time in IMSA with multiple ADAC GT4 Germany Champion Mike David Ortmann alongside for the longer races this season.

Then we have the new #14 Circle H Racing effort competing for the first time under the watchful eye of the Archangel Motorsport team where drivers David Hampton, Thomas Merrill and Martin Sarukhanyan will race together for the first time.

 

 

Last weekend saw the Michelin Pilot Challenge runners run five sessions around the 3.56-mile road course with both the #71 and #14 crews taking it in turns to be the lead Aston Martin, with the #14 car being fastest overall at the end of session 4 on Sunday.

Obviously, that was only testing and posturing before the opening four-hour race on Friday where the grid will hit the track again (this time in anger) for the first time on Wednesday with Free Practice 1. Another Free Practice ahead of Qualifying later on Thursday sees the green flag to the race being waved at 13:45hrs local on Friday afternoon.

 

 

As with any season within Michelin Pilot Challenge – 2026 will never disappoint!

Photo credits – Teams / social media