Back to podium winning ways for the Heart of Racing team in IMSA

 

 

It was back to podium winning ways last night for the Heart of Racing team as their Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTD powered crew came through to claim the second step of the podium at the end of the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship round at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Skipping that little hic-cup in their 2026 season proceeding lasts time out at Long Beach California, it was another long-haul trip to the west of the country for the first of the more usual two hours and forty-minute races for the GTP and GTD only classes again.

 

The Heart of Racing of course also featured their #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie GTP that drivers Ross Gunn and Roman de Angelis would power to their best qualifying position of the season so far in sixth whilst the #27 AMR Vantage GTD crew of Eduardo Barrichello and Tom Gamble would be back to together again (after Gamble was race tied to the FIA WEC for Long Beach) as the Brazilian secured a second row start in P3 for the race.

The Van Der Steur Racing team would also be in attendance with their #19 AMR Vantage GTD, but Rory Van Der Steur would this time be joined by Scott Andrews as regular co-driver Valentin Hasse-Clot was also race tied back in the European Le Mans Series. They would claim a third row start in P6 for the race.

 

The start to the race, however, didn’t go well for the #19 of Van Der Steur as heavy rear end contact damaged the defuser and popped the rear windshield forcing them to pit after receiving a mechanical black and orange flag soon after the contact. Whilst the car was able to be repaired as best they could and sent, they would soon be back along pit lane after they were adjudged to have had people over the wall before the car had stopped.

For the two HoRT cars, the race started well as Gunn soon found himself circulating in a credible fourth whilst Barrichello was chasing hard in third for much of his stint.

At the first rounds of stops though, the #23 Valkyrie lost ground to the GTP pack as the driver changed was hampered by concerns to the car over damage sustained in the opening laps. As those stops cycled through the pack, Gamble quickly found himself at the head of the pack as the leading Ferrari faltered on track, but De Angelis had dropped down to seventh. The #19 car was still chasing hard from the rear.

 

A FCY just before the start of the final hour obviously made teams push the fuel window with De Angelis back up to sixth and Gamble P1 in class but the Brits final stop would see them passed on track by the #45 Lamborghini for position and a long chase to the flag.

The Van Der Steur car with Andrews now behind the wheel briefly saw them rise up the ranks to hold P2 in class but that would sadly be adjusted as they were forced to pit for fuel just ten minutes before the chequered flag. At the end, the #27 HoRT GTD crtew secured another podium finish in second whilst their stablemate #23 car finished P8 in GTP with the #19 VDS GTD tenth.

 

For some of those involved, there is just the minor feat of another long haul flight from California to Europe for next weekend’s second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship for Spa Francorchamps.

Photo Credits - Team / AMR / social media