TRG-AMR Wins 2016 Pirelli World Challenge SprintX Championship
With a massive operation of five Aston Martin V8 Vantages and ten drivers, TRG-AMR was victorious at the Pirelli World Challenge season finale at Laguna Seca. The team has seen decades of success at this track, and the drivers have stood on the top step of PWC podiums all around the country this year. Last weekend, Max Riddle and Kris Wilson took 2nd place in both SprintX GTS races, securing the 2016 Team Championship title for TRG-AMR. Max Riddle won the GTS Driver Championship, followed closely by Kris Wilson, Derek DeBoer, and Jason Alexandridis.
On both Saturday and Sunday, SprintX GTS championship points leaders Riddle and Wilson (in the No. 07 RingCentral/Adobe Road Winery Aston Martin V8 Vantage) went head to head with runners-up Derek DeBoer and Jason Alexandridis (No. 09 LaSalle Solutions/BRM Chronographes/Rebounderz Rohnert Park/Racing for Cancer/Pirata Della Strada/Simon Ward car). The driver pairs often battled against each other in a total of 24 cars, which included TRG-AMR drivers George Kurtz/Kenton Koch, Craig Lyons/Thomas Merrill, and Brandon Davis/Greg Milzcik. The latter pair, in the No. 77 Wolfwood Refuge/That Newfoundland Place car, earned the fastest times in practice and took 5th in both GTS races.
Two of the team’s race cars were involved in unfortunate crashes over the weekend. The No. 7 Stor-It Self Storage/Mobettah Collectible Cars V8 Vantage, raced by Lyons and Merrill, was caught in a Days of Thunder-style wreck in the promoter practice day after colliding into a competitor who was stationary on track, obscured by a cloud of dust. Fortunately, TRG-AMR was prepared with a backup car and was quickly able to prep it for the following day’s sessions and compete in the final two SprintX rounds. The capable driver pair finished 7th in both races.
The hardworking crew deserves extra special recognition for their work on the No. 04 Crowdstrike Vantage. George Kurtz got spun around during Saturday’s SprintX race and was hit hard by the car that followed. The Aston sustained very heavy damage and It looked like his and co-driver Koch’s race weekend was completely over. However, the TRG crew worked late into the night to make the car safe to race for Kurtz’ GTS and SprintX races on Sunday. They pulled it off, and the No. 04 was able to make it to the next morning’s GTS race. However, a few gremlins popped up in the first lap, and the car was returned to the paddock for repairs in advance of the afternoon’s SprintX race. There, Koch took the opening stint and pushed the car to the maximum, achieving the Hard Charger award for surpassing eight competitors.
With four races and several upscale events planned during this season finale weekend, the team invited nearly 100 guests and partners to share the TRG-AMR paddock experience. Team partners RingCentral, LaSalle Solutions, Crowdstrike, and Marchese Investments enjoyed unrestricted access to the hospitality area and pit wall during each race and had unlimited access to this beautiful Monterey track. On Saturday evening, the hospitality crew planned and executed a VIP Adobe Road wine dinner right in the team’s paddock, giving guests a chance to relax and mingle after the day’s races. Greg Gill, President and CEO of the Pirelli World Challenge, addressed TRG-AMR guests and welcomed them to the Laguna Seca race just before the team celebrated George Kurtz’ birthday. LaSalle Solutions’ president Steven Robb wasn’t able to be in California, so his doppelganger, “Little Stevie,” was with the team for the entire race weekend. The finale was a great success for all components of TRG.
“What a truly amazing event, and to cap it off with the championship was fantastic,” said Kevin Buckler, CEO. “This was our last race of the year and it was at one of our favorite locations, Laguna Seca. We had several of our primary partners in attendance entertaining many of their guests and clients, and all of it came off with class and style. My hat really goes off to our amazing team, on both the hospitality and competition side, to be able to pull off what they did – especially with having to repair two complete race cars overnight and still make the grid! The hospitality team took care of nearly 100 guests and VIPs for the weekend. It was awesome watching the dynamic of these important partners, business leaders and influencers all working together to share an enjoyable event, but also discussing ways to grow their businesses through motorsports. Doing business like this in the sportscar paddock is the new model in corporate networking, and we are helping our partners to fulfill their goals. I love it!
Source material - The Racers Group
Photo credits - PWC / TRG
Thursday, October 13, 2016 |
Read more...
TRG-Aston Martin Racing Earns Three Wins, Six Podiums Over PWC Race Weekend
TRG-AMR’s reputation for success at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park hit a high point after the team’s four drivers secured a win, two 1-2 finishes, and a 3rd place podium during the Pirelli World Challenge race weekend. Max Riddle, Kris Wilson, Jason Alexandridis and Derek DeBoer took home ten Champagne-soaked trophies in total from Saturday and Sunday’s events. All drivers raced Aston Martin V8 Vantages in the first two rounds of the new SprintX series; Riddle competed in two GTS races.
An exceptionally high point of the weekend was when Vancouver native Max Riddle won his first-ever GTS race on Sunday, at what is considered his “home track” in the PWC series. Riddle, along with his teammate Wilson, returned to Canada to defend their pole position from last year. The field of skilled drivers and extremely competitive cars showed no mercy while attempting to pursue the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, and at times the gap between Riddle and the following car was less than a tenth of a second. After taking 3rd place on Saturday, Riddle’s determination to taste victory was sated with a triumphant win on Sunday. Wilson, who acts as both coach and teammate to Riddle, was a winning co-driver in their No. 07 TRG-AMR Adobe Road Winery/LaSalle Solutions Aston Martin Vantage GT4, sharing wins with Max in both SprintX races.
The Alexandridis/DeBoer driver pair enjoyed consistent 2nd-place success after taking their No 09 BRM Chronographes/Rebounderz/Rohnert Park/Racing for Cancer/Pirata Della Strada/Simon Ward car to the podium for both inaugural SprintX races. Along with the Riddle/Wilson duo, TRG-AMR took a 1-2 finish in both of these new race formats, which involves a pit stop with a driver change. Neither DeBoer nor Alexandridis had ever raced at CTMP before, making their podium success all the sweeter. Consistently successful racing from all four drivers resulted in heavy media coverage throughout the race weekend.
“I couldn’t be happier about this weekend at CTMP. 4 out of 4 podiums with 3 wins! At my home track, in my home country, in front of all the home fans. It’s an amazing feeling. I also couldn’t be more proud of the team. Everyone at TRG-AMR did a fantastic job and put together an amazing car for me and Kris to go out and race with. Another thing that was awesome about the races at CTMP was doing the new SprintX races with my longtime endurance racing teammate and coach, Kris Wilson. Kris and I share a lot of our successes together and we added some more to that list with the two inaugural SprintX wins. A huge thanks goes out to everyone at TRG, Kevin Buckler, Kris Wilson, my dad Dave and also a congratulation is in order for my teammates Derek DeBoer and Jason Alexandridis for finishing 2nd in both SprintX races!” — Max Riddle, No 07
“What a great weekend! Outstanding results finishing 2nd in each of the first rounds of Pirelli World Challenge SprintX. You never know what to expect showing up at a new track but I definitely have a new favorite to add to the list. As always, the entire TRG team gave us the car and support to get the job done. I also want to thank BRM Chronographes, Pirata Della Strada, Racing For Cancer, Simon Ward Artist, my co-driver Jason and my wife and girls cheering from home. With 3 podiums out of my last 3 races, I’m feeling like we're on a roll. Time for that top step!” — Derek DeBoer, No 09
“CTMP was one of the most fun, high-speed tracks I’ve ever been on. It demands quite a bit of respect and based on our experience level and who Derek and I were racing against, I feel good about our performance! I want to thank the TRG-AMR crew because the car has never felt better. The stability of the Aston Martin boosted my confidence on this demanding track. I also want to thank my family for cheering me on from home and then flying out to meet me after the race – I appreciate the time they took to support me while I raced in Canada!” — Jason Alexandridis, No 09
“Canada is awesome. Maybe I'll move here to live with my teammate Max. I love this place. Awesome weekend!” — Kris Wilson, No 07
Final results:
Race 1: GTS: Max Riddle, 3rd
Race 2: GTS: Max Riddle, 1st
Race 1: SprintX: Riddle/Wilson* 1st, Alexandridis/DeBoer 2nd
Race 2: SprintX: Riddle/Wilson* 1st, Alexandridis/DeBoer 2nd.
*Wilson awarded with fastest lap for both SprintX races.
Source material TRG-AMR
Tuesday, May 24, 2016 |
Read more...
TRG Aston Martin Racing Returns to Canada to Defend Pole Position
TRGAMR is racing with two favorite driver duos in Canada this weekend: Max Riddle and Kris Wilson return to defend their 2015 pole position at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), and Jason Alexandridis and Derek DeBoer promise to offer stout competition at this highspeed track. On May 2022, all four drivers will compete with their Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 cars in the inaugural SprintX series; Riddle/Wilson will also race in the GTS class.
The Bowmanville, Ontario track is the sole Canadian race track in the PWC series and is a home course for Riddle, who lives in Vancouver. Last year, the Riddle/Wilson pair resulted in fantastic results, taking pole for both Saturday and Sunday’s race and earning a proud 2nd place position. This continued a historic string of success for TRG at this track, including a podium in 2013, a win in 2012, a 12 finish in 2011. Team CEO Kevin Buckler also won here as an independent driver against the Porsche factory team in an astounding upset victory in 2002. Alexandridis and DeBoer are new to CTMP, though have had plenty of experience sharing the V8 Vantage in this season’s PWC races across the country.
New for this season is PWC’s SprintX series, which offers two additional races per weekend in an entirely new format for the series. Each race is 60 minutes long, with a pitstop and driver change halfway through the session. There will be one race on Saturday and Sunday in addition to the two GTS races in which all four TRGAMR drivers will compete. For all races, Riddle/Wilson will drive the No 07 Adobe Road Winery, LaSalle Solutions car, and Alexandridis/DeBoer will take the No 09 BRM Chronographes/Rebounderz/Rohnert Park/Racing for Cancer/Pirata Della Strada/Simon Ward car. The weekend will be a true motorsports celebration, paired with the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series as part of the famed Victoria Day Speedfest.
Also new for the season is TRGAMR’s partnership with RingCentral Inc., a leading provider of cloudbased business communication and collaboration solutions. RingCentral’s cloud solutions are easier to manage, and more flexible and costefficient than legacy onpremise communications systems. Key company executives will be a part of TRG’s hospitality guestlist at events in primary markets throughout the PWC race season. Learn more about the company at ringcentral.com.
“It’s great to be back racing at Canada’s ‘pride and joy’ track,” said Kevin Buckler, TRGAMR CEO. “We have seen the transformation over the years from the old Mosport to the new Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and all the hard work that the team here has put in. One thing is for sure, though: it has not lost its soul! And this is for sure a “Big Boy” track. It’s great to have Max and Kris back on their home turf and of course to have Jason and Derek visiting this iconic location for the first time. We are happy to support Pirelli World Challenge in their new SprintX format with a twocar entry and look forward to results. TRG has an extremely strong history here, and we’re looking forward to adding to that this weekend.”
Source material - TRG
Thursday, May 19, 2016 |
Read more...
Learning curve for TRG at PWC opener
TRG-Aston Martin Racing is bringing home three awards of achievement after the Pirelli World Challenge season opener at the Circuit of the Americas last weekend, rounding out a week of racing and wine dinners in the Lone Star state. All of the drivers brought members of their family to cheer them on while they raced at the Nissan Grand Prix of Texas. The team is celebrating their success and is already looking forward to the PWC Grand Prix of St. Petersburg in Florida this weekend.
The week began in true TRG fashion, with a private wine dinner at a home overlooking the Austin skyline. Guests were treated to the full spectrum of Adobe Road Wines, including the highly rated new Red Apex and Cabernet Sauvignon Bavarian Lion Vineyard selections. The team was so pleased to bring together both wine and racing enthusiasts in advance of their big opening weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.
Under an innovative model of racing in the GTS class, drivers Derek DeBoer and Jason Alexandridis competed in one of each of the two rounds in Austin, allowing both of them to experience the highly competitive lineup of PWC racing in the No. 09 BRM/Rebounderz/Racing for Cancer Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4. In Saturday’s Round 1 race, DeBoer won both the Optima Batteries Best Start award for gaining an impressive seven positions on the opening lap, followed by the VP Racing Fuels Hard Charger award for improving eight positions during the race. Both Max Riddle and DeBoer finished in the top ten. In Sunday’s Round 2 GTS race, Riddle bolted out of the gate for an impressive start in his No. 07 TRG-AMR Vantage GT4. With the crowd cheering him on, his skillful maneuvers took him from ninth to third place in the opening corners of the race, earning the team another Optima Batteries Best Standing Start award. Jason Alexandridis made notable moves as he weaved his way up through the pack, making the TRG-AMR squad a formidable pair.
In the highly competitive GT Class, Duncan Ende drove the TRG-AMR/Merchant Services LTD/Linospresso USA Aston Martin Vantage GT3 on Saturday and Sunday. As expected, Ende drove the powerful V12 with skill and calm determination through an aggressive grid of cars. After his car fell victim to unavoidable contact in Round 1 and was forced to retire to undergo repairs, Duncan drove a fantastic race on Sunday’s Round 2, advancing the Aston Martin multiple positions and finishing with key points heading into St. Petersburg. Ende is determined to come away from the Florida rounds with an even better result, and is pleased to return to racing with TRG-AMR after a long off season.
Next up for TRG-AMR is the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, where Alexandridis, DeBoer, Ende, and TRG-AMR driver Sean Gibbons will be competing in both the GT and GTS classes.
Source material & photo credits - TRG-AMR
Tuesday, March 08, 2016 |
Read more...
TRG-AMR confirm three full season PWC entries starting at CoTA
The TRG-Aston Martin Racing team is set to launch the Pirelli World Challenge season with one of its strongest lineups to date. With three powerful Aston Martin Vantage cars competing in two classes, the team is prepared to surpass their nine podiums and six wins from the 2015 PWC season. TRG-AMR welcomes the return of drivers Derek DeBoer, Jason Alexandridis, Duncan Ende, and Max Riddle to the 2016 season opener in Austin, Texas on March 4-6th.
A full season in PWC means that guests and team supporters can expect an exciting calendar of race-weekend entertainment provided by the TRG-AMR business and hospitality crew. From private race seating and cocktails at The Dalí Museum during this month’s Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to Adobe Road wine dinners at Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta, this experienced team truly knows how to throw a party! After the incredible sponsor and guest turnout at Daytona, the group’s track record for both racing and entertainment is stellar.
The family environment at TRG-AMR continues to grow as drivers and sponsors alike return for another adrenaline-filled race season. Derek DeBoer continues to race with the TRG squad, this time with teammate Jason Alexandridis. The two drivers will share the car on PWC weekends — one will drive Saturdays and the other takes the wheel on Sundays — in this innovative competition model. Alexandridis plans to compete for Rookie of the Year while DeBoer will campaign for a long streak of podiums and wins. Their No. 09 Aston Martin V8 Vantage displays logos from unique partnerships with BRM Chronographes, Racing for Cancer, Pirata Della Strada, Simon Ward, MyRacePass and Rebounderz.
TRG welcomes the return of Duncan Ende, who will be driving the incredibly powerful No. 67 V12 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the GT class. Ende has raced both Aston Martins and Porsches with TRG since 2008. After years of strong results with IMSA Lites, ALMS, and the inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, he’ll start his third season in PWC along with his sponsors Merchant Services, LTD and Lino’spresso USA.
Max Riddle will drive his stunning, custom-designed No. 07 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the GTS class. The Canadian is excited to start his third season of racing with TRG-AMR after earning a top qualifying time and a podium at Mosport and driving with the team in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Tudor United SportsCar Championship last year.
The team’s sponsors, including longtime TRG-AMR supporters LaSalle Solutions, are making more than a financial investment in their drivers. A partnership between DeBoer and motorsports artist Simon Ward has resulted in a fine art piece of the team’s No. 09 Aston Martin racing at the 2015 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The original painting will be revealed at this year’s race in Florida, with 50% of its silent auction proceeds to benefit the charity Racing for Cancer.
TRG-AMR continues its working relationship with MaintenanceSupplies.com, which provides many of the nuts, bolts, and crew supplies to keep these high performance cars running at their best. The team thanks MaintenanceSupplies.com founder, Mitch Branson, for his work with the TRG-AMR crew day and night during their 24-hour race at Daytona.
DeBoer
All of the drivers are ecstatic about the upcoming race season. “The way that this season has come together is unexplainable,” said Derek DeBoer. “Every part of it has so much meaning and depth behind it. I’m so excited to build on what we started last year, and am honored to have such a wonderful team, family, co-driver and partners behind this effort."
Jason Alexandridis added, “I’m really looking forward to starting off a full season of PWC with Derek and TRG-AMR. The car is looking strong and the livery will be a great platform for the Rebounderz partnership all across North America.”
Alexandridis
"I can't wait to be back with my racing family at TRG Aston Martin Racing,” said Max Riddle. “The best times I've had in racing have come in the past couple of years running with TRG so I can't wait to make some more good memories with the team. Over the years everyone at TRG has become more than teammates, I call them my racing family because we're truly more than just a team. A huge thanks to everyone at TRG, The Bucklers, Kris Wilson and my dad Dave for getting me back behind the wheel of the Aston. Being forced to take time off gave me the opportunity to really understand how privileged I am to run with a team as accomplished as TRG so words can't fully explain how stoked I am to be back behind the wheel of the TRG Aston Martin."
Duncan Ende said, “I'm very excited to have this opportunity in the Aston and to reunite with TRG after several years. We have had a lot of success together and I know they have a car and program in place to compete every weekend.”
Duncan Ende said, “I'm very excited to have this opportunity in the Aston and to reunite with TRG after several years. We have had a lot of success together and I know they have a car and program in place to compete every weekend.”
Duncan Ende (LHS)
TRG-AMR CEO Kevin Buckler said of this 2016 full season entry, “It is fantastic to have a powerful three car team heading into our first big event at Austin. Jason and Derek are going to make a formidable duo and will be following the new model of a shared car throughout the season. They are both terrific drivers and close friends which makes it even more awesome! Having Max back is a major bonus. He is a talented driver and a terrific young man with so much potential — we are so pleased to have him in the car and look forward to winning some races together. And, Duncan is amazing! We have such a strong history together including several big GT class wins and several solid seasons, we’re looking forward to a long term racing partnership. Probably the most important thing to me is that these are also my friends and our “racing family.” We have close relationships with all of the drivers and their families — moms, dads, spouses and kids — and this makes the weekends just that much more special to look forward to. Debra and my daughter KT (who’s taking a little break from her busy DC college schedule and internship at the White House) will even be joining us this weekend.”
The team pleased to have LaSalle Solutions as a team partner for the second year in a row. The company is a leading provider of IT life-cycle asset and maintenance contract management services, and the partnership with TRG-AMR focuses on strong business-to-business, co-branding and high-end corporate hospitality events, including showcar appearances, media events and more. “After an incredible race season in 2015, we couldn’t pass up the chance to do it all again,” said Steven Robb, president of the solutions group at LaSalle Solutions. “We continue to see value in being a part of the sportscar world and the opportunities that exist within the elite paddocks of these competitions, both for us and our customers. We are proud to once again be a part of the TRG-AMR team and look forward to winning together in 2016.”
After the season opener in Austin, TRG-AMR will head to the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. A weekend of racing and upscale, opulent hospitality, including Adobe Road wine dinners, intimate access to the Dalí Museum, and up-close access to the race team. Details and booking information can be found at trg-astonmartinracing.com/events.
The Pirelli World Challenge will air on the PWC website and on CBS Sports Network. Times and dates are at world-challenge.com.
Source Material - TRG-AMR
Thursday, March 03, 2016 |
Read more...
