After a GTD only event last time out about a month ago from the picturesque Virginia International Raceway, it’s all back to happy IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship families next weekend as the full suite of classes visits Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Round ten of another eleven round season, we have all seen just how these championship battles have been heating up upon track recently where both the GTD Pro and GTD class battles have remained spirited by competitive, the battles within the headlining GTP class has almost become personal to a point of almost being dangerous.

 

That was reflected upon track the last time all the classes raced at Road America but there were still traces of some of that overzealous driver going on within the GTD ranks last time out at VIR where the then GTD class leading #27 Heart of Racing was penalised for contact which dropped them down both the race order and within the championship standing itself. Hopefully, Race Control has now made its mark, and the race next weekend from IMS will remain competitive but thoroughly respectful.

Forty-four cars are being listed across GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro and the GTD classes with one Aston Martin/Aston Martin Racing powered crew being listed within each class other than the LMP2 class (obviously). The #23 Heart of Racing AM Valkyrie of both Roman de Angelis and Ross Gunn will be back after their very encouraging P5 finish at Road America at the start of August as well as the #68 Car Blanche entry within GTD Pro (for the remainder of the season) and the #27 HoRT car in GTD.

 

Valentin Hasse-Clot again pairs with fellow AMR factory driver Marco Sorensen as he did at VIR where the new combination finished fourth in class after their P5 start whilst the #27 is again being piloted by Eduardo Barrichello and Tom Gamble for this two hours forty-minute race on Sunday.

Photo credits – Teams / social media

 

 

 

It’s all been a bit quiet so far as far as social media posts go but the Heart of Racing team are presently out in Spain halfway through a two-day test at the Circuit de Catalunya ahead of the rescheduled penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the circuit in mid-October.

Whilst the teams two Aston Martin Valkyries and two Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3’s are presently still on their way out to Austin, Texas in time for next weekend’s Lone Star Le Mans fifth round of the season event from the Circuit of the America’s, the team have had to borrow an equally familiar steed (after a suitable conversion of course) in time for this two-day test.

 

We understand that the #23 Vantage LMGT3 crew of Gray Newell, Eduardo Barrichello and Jonny Adam are all in attendance this week – all under the watchful eye of team boss Ian James as they concentrate in giving both Newell and Barrichello in particular that little bit more experience of the circuit that simulators could otherwise offer after the series was forced into moving their last two rounds of the season back into Europe.

They join a number of other LMGT3 and Hypercar runners at the test but once done, it will be another quick dash back to the UK to refettle their car back into its usual guise in time for its own penultimate round of the British GT Championship from Donington Park the weekend after.

 

The IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship’s visit to the Virginia International Raceway this weekend provided perhaps one of the best GTD only races so far although things certainly didn’t go the way of one of the two Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTD entries as late contact on one came with a significant cost.

Racing as the nineth round of the season, this weekend’s programme was just for the GTD Pro and GTD classes but that still provided twenty-three cars onto Sunday’s grid for the two hours and forty-minute race.

 

Like the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series before it, some of the earlier practice sessions were affected by torrential rain and passing storms but the race was able to run under full sunshine and a dry track. Yesterday’s qualifying had seen the #68 Car Blanche AMR Vantage GTD Pro car of Valentin Hasse-Clot and Marco Sorensen secure a fifth place start whilst the #27 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GTD of Eduardo Barrichello and Tom Gamble had seen their two best laps deleted for exceeding their permitted power output during that session (as measured instantaneously via the car’s torque sensors) to find themselves demoted to P12 in class as a consequence.

Having built up an early class lead during the longer opening rounds of the season, recent results for the Barrichello lead car had seen that lead gradually reduce after they got repeatedly outscored by those chasing, so a decent result at VIR was vital for their championship efforts. The Car Blanche team, meanwhile, were running within only their second Pro class race since their buyout from Van Der Steur Racing earlier in the year but their hopes were raised this time with this full factory driver line up.

 

Unfortunately, the race got underway to all familiar incidents and accidents that saw three cars effectively eliminated from the race halfway around the opening laps but that certainly appeared to be more out of circumstance than anything else as Race Control was expected to take a firm hand to anything else after incidents at recent races.

Getting back to green after the twenty-minute clean up, the race certainly settled within both classes as everyone was looking to ‘steady their ships’ around the tight and twisting 3.27-mile VIR circuit as that lap one incident had again proven, that the outfield grass was extremely wet and any retardation attempt once upon it, was slight to nil.

 

For the #68 car of Hasse-Clot, it was steady as she goes as the Frenchman held his P5 starting position into what would become a near two-hour stint. The #27 GTD of Barrichello was however make quick progress through the ranks from P12, through to P8 and incredibly up to third in class by the forty-five-minute mark of the race (minimum drive time).

Whilst Barrichello would pit for service and a driver change to Gamble just after that race milestone, the #68 would only pit for fuel and tyres before being sent upon their way again as at the halfway point of the race, both Aston Martins held a podium winning position within their classes as the racing action around the circuit began to pick up in intensity but thankfully remained clean.

 

At the top of the final hour, Hasse-Clot would eventually stop from third in class to allow Sorensen his first racing laps whilst Gamble would follow him in next time around for what would be his final service and the dash to the flag having just overtaken the then class leading Lamborghini after they ran wide.

As the race clock went down to the final thirty minutes, the #27 car would have a race upon their hands as the #57 Mercedes AMG car had now caught them in what would become very significant within the championship stakes as it was the #57 crew immediately behind Barrichello in class. A lead of just 0.621 seconds was never going to boke well at this level of motorsport!

 

As the time counted down, the racing intensified between the two cars as neither driver would give ground to the other until a mistake from Gamble with only six minutes remaining allowed the #57 passed only for the British driver to force his way through (and push the Mercedes off track) at the next corner. Fearing a penalty, the #27 would soon allow the #57 back past but that wasn’t enough for the new world Race Control after weeks of criticism going their way for driver standards.

That Drive through penalty for incident responsibility was quickly given to the #27 and that would have a disastrous consequence of dropping them down to P5 in the order with only minutes remaining. At the chequered flag, the #68 crew would cross the line a very worthy fourth in class and whilst the #27 would recover to finish P4, that effectively meant that the points lost to the #57 crew within the championship had now doubled as the series moves onto Indianapolis in a month’s time.

 

A few races ago, the move by Gamble would have been tolerated and they may have still won the class – just sadly not today!

Photo credits – Teams

 

 

 

The seventh round of the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship proved itself to be another struggle for the two Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTD powered teams after another gruelling two hours and forty-minute race from Canadian Tires Motorsport Park at the weekend.

The #27 Heart of Racing AMR of Eduardo Barrichello and a deputising Roman De Angelis (thanks to another diary clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship down in Brazil) had earlier claimed pole position within the GTD class whilst the #68 Car Blanche AMR of Valentin Hasse-Clot and (this time) Scott Andrews saw the ex Van Der Steur team step up to GTD Pro in only their second race under their new format.

 

With the race being run under fine dry conditions, the #27 car of Barrichello maintained his lead position in class whilst Andrews had lost one place from his qualifying position in P6 during those opening laps but front offside contact from another car would suggest that issues were then being experienced as they the Aussie soon dropped positions.

Barrichello was looking comfortable first in class as the team then called him in for a strategic service call after just forty minutes of racing for what turned out to be a disastrous service as wheel guns and tyres were seemingly not ready in time. They then got pinged for having too many people over the wall at the time – that would be a drive through penalty for them to compound the issue.

 

A lengthy Safety Car period at the top of the hour wasted fifteen minutes off the race clock but even with just under two hours remaining, both Aston Martins have suffered sufficiently on track for them not to be able to recover within the time permitting.

With just an hour remaining, De Angelis took over the reins of the #27 car whilst Hasse-Clot had done similar within the #68 car which in GTD Pro, was something of an impossible task as they eventually came home still a very credible P10 in class (considering what has been happening within the team of late) whilst the #27 did manage to elevate themselves up to P6 in GTD to rescue some vital championship points.

 

For the #68 Car Blanche crew – they achieve their first championship points within GTD Pro whilst Barrichello maintains his solo championship lead within the class as IMSA moves onto Road America next time around.

Photo credits – Teams / social media

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another incredible round of the FIA World Endurance Championship came our way yesterday from Spa Francorchamps, Belgium as the four Heart of Racing Aston Martin powered crews went about their usual competitive game plan which this time earned one crew podium success but at the cost of broken hearts for another.

 

Unlike the preceding two days of track preparation, the early afternoon start to yesterday’s six-hour race came under glorious blue skies and warming sunshine as the thirty-five cars within the Hypercar and LMGT3 gathered on the grid in front of another sizeable crowd.

 

Qualifying the day before had seen both Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercars reach the Hyperpole session for the first time as good pace during Free Practice had put decent qualifying positions very much on the cards with the #009 car of Marco Sorenson/Alex Riberas just out doing the #007 car of Harry Tincknell/Tom Gamble in P6 and P7 respectively.

Within LMGT3, the experience within the #27 AMR Vantage car of Ian James/Zacharie Robichon/Mattia Drudi again proved pivotable as they secured a P2 start after their class Hyperpole session whilst Gray Newell still did well in his first WEC visit to the circuit to qualify P13 in a car that he shares with Jonny Adam and Eduardo Barrichello.

 

The race final got underway after two warm up laps behind the Safety Car with all the entries surviving the initial bumping around the opening laps as race pace was quickly determined by those cars at the front in class but whilst initially losing a small number of places each, all four cars were looking good.

An early Safety Car for a car off in the gravel reset the pack after just twenty minutes but once the race got back underway, the next biggest challenge for those on track was when the hypercar recaught and made their way through the LMGTs tail enders which saw a car from each class make through the gravel for an untidy show of driving skills from those concerned.

 

Whilst Newell had kept his copybook clean as far as track limits were concerned in Qualifying, he was unfortunately racking them in during his first two hours aboard the #23 car, something that would cost him and his team-mates two additional visit to the pit lane in penalties.

At the halfway point, all bronze and silver ranked drivers had now had at least one stint apiece within their respective GT car whilst all four hypercar drivers were still holding a mid-table position whilst not favouring still the medium tyre. Further Full Course Yellow calls for debris and later a collision between a leading hypercar and an LMGT3 at Les Combes – something which lead to something of another prolonged delay to the race.

 

Two hours still remained as there seemed to be a distinct downturn in ambient temperature at the top of the circuit, but the #27 Vantage crew had come back through the field to third in class, but the two green hypercars were still importantly where they both started in sixth and seventh.

Disaster would however strike down the #009 car of Riberas as, at another Safety Car restart and whilst attempting to overtake the Alpine onto the Kemmel Straight, that wheels left the track surface and for the Valkyrie to spin, crossing the track before hitting the outside wall with sufficient force to smash the front quarter of the car putting the #009 into immediate retirement.

 

Another Safety Car clean-up operation left just twenty-five minutes with Gamble getting the final stint to the flag aboard the #007. Drudi was still aboard his #27 car, and he was still pushing for an improved class podium position – then in third but a time penalty for then leader would move them up one at the end.

As the chequered flag fell, the race pace of the #007 had just fallen away towards the end despite being on the ‘better for them’ softs as they finished their season best in fourth with the #27 Vantage LMGT3 crew also getting their first podium of the year – second in class. The #23 Vantage LMGT3 would complete their first WEC race together as a driving trio in P13 as eyes now move to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June.

 

 

It’s back to the west coast of America for the latest sprint round of the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship as they embark upon two-hours-forty-minute sprint races of recent weeks – this time from the Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Last time out from the improvised road circuit of Long Beach California we had not just the two full season Aston Martin GTP and Aston Martin Racing GTD entries from the Heart of Racing team but also a second GTD from the Van Der Steur AMR team as they took a look at what lies beyond the Endurance Cup rounds in the IMSA series.

 

Luckily for us, this weekend coming is no different as the #23 Valkyrie GTP and #27 AMR Vantage GTD entries from the HoRT are again bolstered by the presence of the #19 Van Der Steur AMR Vantage GTD, although there will be a differing driver line within that car this time around.

Having raced at Long Beach two weeks ago before darting back to for the opening round of the British GT Championship last weekend, Ross Gunn will be back upon another trans-Atlantic flight this week just so that he can again pair up with his #23 co-driver, Roman De Angelis for something more rewarding to them than Long Beach was.

 

Getting nerfed off track after a Safety Car intervention put them a lap down and for a quick sprint race, there is no recovery from that in terms of race position.

The #27 HoRT Vantage GTD of then Eduardo Barrichello and Spencer Pumpelly also suffered to the strict IMSA ruleset after a great opening stint from ‘super-sub’ Pumpelly dropped them right back into the pack after they were given a drive through penalty for a pitstop transgression. They did however secure enough points to retain a now reduced lead within their Championship standing at this still early stage in the season.

The #27 car also reverts back to a more definable partnership of Barrichello and Tom Gamble who was otherwise engaged with the team within the World Endurance Championship last time out.

 

The #19 Van Der Steur entry of Rory Van Der Steur and Valentin Hasse-Clot was the highest finishing Aston last time out at Long Beach after their ‘toe in the water’ exercise landing the GT3 street racing novices a P8 in class finish.

This time around, however, Hasse-Clot is otherwise previously engaged with his European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup Series duties back in Europe so his place will be taken by the Australian racer Scott Andrews amongst a thirty-four car entry list of GTP’s, GTD Pro’s and GTD entries.

Photo credit – Teams / social media

 

 

 

 

With the exception of the COVID affected 2020 season, this years the lowest Aston Martin Racing powered entry within the GT4 European Series to date as just the Racing Spirit of Leman remain loyal to the brand for the forthcoming season that starts this weekend coming from the Paul Ricard Circuit in southern France.

Last year we welcomed both the Racing Spirit of Leman and Mirage Racing AMR powered teams along with their three silver and one Pro-Am classed Vantage GT4 Evo’s but in 2026 we will welcome both some familiar names as well as some new ones for the teams silver and Pro-Am entry.

 

Despite this, the series itself remains healthy ahead of its tenth year as thirty-eight cars form ten manufacturers are expected to compete at this first of six double header rounds.

Brazilian racer Pedro Garcia makes the large step across from his Stock Car Jr series back home to GT4 racing in Europe for the first time having taken a literal lead from fellow countryman Eduardo Barrichello. He will be joined by the accomplished and knowledgeable racer Clement Seyler who has raced within the series for many years between teams, taking the Am Championship title with Pascal Bachmann and the Street Art Racing team back in 2019.

 

 

They will compete within the team’s #72 car within the silver class, whilst another new pairing of Louka Desgranges and Florent Grizaud will race togther for the first time within the Pro-Am class.

Grizaud won fared well within the FFSA GT4 AM Class Championship alongside his then regular teammate Kevin Jimenez where they finished second overall twice as well as second in class at the end of the 2024 GT4 European Series – but for 2026, it will be all different.

 

Grizaud will this time be joined by fellow countryman Louka Desgranges who also steps up to GT4 racing for the first time from the similar graded Ultimate Cup Alpine Endurance Cup Series.

This weekend’s timetable will see the series share the timetable with the headlining GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Series for their two opening one-hour races.

Photo credits – Team / GT Winter Series / social media

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Racing team continued their fine start within the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship after a consecutive podium finish in class at the end of last night’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

Coming off the back of a their class pole position and P3 finish at the end of the opening round to the season at the Rolex 24 at the beginning of February, the Zacharie Robichon, Eduardo Barrichello and Tom Gamble driven #27 GTD car went one better this time after converting the Brazilian pole position into a P2 finish to take an early lead in the GTD Drivers Championship.

 

 

There was also an improvement in racing fortunes (albeit just) compared to last season efforts for the #19 Van Der Steur Racing Vantage GTD entry for Rory Van Der Steur, Valentin Hasse-Clot and (this time) Sebastian Baud after they converted their P8 qualifying position into a P13 class finish. Their finishing position upon the timing and scoring board was however, despite the #19 coming to a halt upon track with apparent gearbox failure just before the ten hour mark with the #19 car being placed 79 laps down to the GTD class winner.

For the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie GTP entry of Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis and Alex Riberas, however, there were further trackside issues for the V12 normally aspirated powerhouse that again (like Daytona) that took the car behind the wall for repairs.

 

Determination both on and off track eventually aw them again take the flag ninth in class but an overall twelve laps down to the eventual winners which co-incidentally equals their debut event into the series with the all-new platform last season.

 

 

The next round for the ISMA Series for the GTP and GTD’s at least will be around the streets of Long Beach California in just over three weeks’ time – a venue where both Heart of Racing entries have struggled before.

Photo credits – Teams / AMR / social media

 

 

 

 

Within the distinctly organised manner in which they work, the Heart of Racing team today confirmed their remaining driver line up for this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship.

Having already confirmed a full driver line up within both of their #007 and #009 Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar entries, only the ‘lead’ driver of both Ian James and Gray Newell had so far been confirmed within their #23 and #27 Aston Martin Racing Vantage LMGT3 entries – until today.