Round off the AMR powered teams results from last weekend within SROs global programmes
Down under, last weekend was the third round of the GT World Challenge Australia Series which saw the Sydney based Volante Rosso team field their third driver line up the year as GT3 debutant Cameron Rees was welcomed into their #14 AMR Vantage GT3.
Again, there were no changes within either line up as Frank DePew and Robin Liddell raced within their #71 Rebel Rock Racing Vantage GT3 within Sundays three-hour Gt World Challenge race whilst Jason Bell would again run solo within his #2 Racers Edge Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 within the two forty-minute GT America Series races.
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Monday, June 15, 2026 |
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Former Champion Jason Bell back in familiar territory this weekend at Sebring
Just as we were about to give up all hope of another Aston Martin Racing team (beyond that of the Rebel Rock Racing team who are racing within the GT World Challenge America Series) of competing within the SRO America trilogy of series that year – the Racers Edge team have today come to the rescue.
Having been obviously been trying to secure an appropriately funded driver(s) to race their new AMR Vantage GT4 Evo within either of the eligible GT America or GT4 America series for some months now, a very familiar face has finally taken them up upon their offer.
The team have just confirmed that former GT America GT4 Champion Jason Bell will make a return to the marque, series and team for this weekend’s series visit to Sebring after he stepped away from everything at the end of last year.
Having struggled with the AMR Vantage GT3 within the series over the last two years, the Vantage GT4 platform will be a more comfortable return to the track for the former double champion.
Photo credit - Team
Tuesday, May 05, 2026 |
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Aston Martin Vantage GT3 crews lose out at Barber Motorsport Park
The GT America Series races was unfortunately another short and (not so) sweet affair for the #2 car of Jason Bell as he looked to bounce back in the series after some literal damaging rounds prior to this penultimate round at Barber.
This time qualifying in P8 within a total entry list of just nine cars saw the #2 car make up early ground as the race got underway amid a rain shower leaving the grid split over tyre selection. Electing to start on wets, Bell quickly moved up to third in the opening laps but was penalised for having crew members working upon the car whilst on the grid for which they received a drive through penalty.
Initially returning to the track in sixth, the now drying track lead to the cars who started on slicks to finally come through leading to another disappointing P8 finish. For race two on Sunday, the #2 car failed to take the start for (as yet) unknown reasons.
Then, within the longer GT World Challenge America Series, the #24 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GT3 of Gray Newell continued his GT3 development under the watchful eye of AMR factory driver Darren Turner who was racing at the circuit for the first time.
A change in strategy within the #24 car saw Newell ran longer in his opening stint in race one for the car to eventually return home fourth in class after Turner lost out to contact from another car whilst challenging for a podium position.
Their chances in race two a thwarted at an early stage on Sunday after the car found itself being boxed in during the opening corners where Turner lost momentum to then become baulked by slow cars on track up until the pit stop window. Again pitting differently to the pack, it was hoped that Newell could achieve the undercut but eventually lost out after himself being punted off track before returning for a lowly P7 finish.
The season will now conclude at Indianapolis for their eight-hour finale next month.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Monday, September 08, 2025 |
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Another GT America weekend to forget for the sole AMR Vantage GT3 runner at Road America
Last time out at VIR had been something of an unwelcome eventful one as he hoped his return to his old hunting grounds of the series would bolster his GT3 car craft to see out his intended 2025 endeavours within the GT World Challenge America Series.
Whilst the preliminary sessions had been undertaken within dry conditions, a P5 starting position ahead of Saturdays forty-minute opener was looking promising – at least until the torrential rain arrived ahead of their assembly upon the grid.
Starting from behind the Safety Car, visibility was atrocious even at those low speeds as the race clock had already begun for at least the first couple of laps before going green but even before the grid got that far, Bell would be seen spinning off into the grass outfield to nudge the tyre wall. Getting going again and catching the rear of the pack before the end of the next lap, there didn’t appear to be too much damage done to the car.
With just twenty-eight minutes remaining, the race finally went to green further but more substantial rear end contact with the circuit barriers saw the #2 car stranded across the track with significant damage before that first racing lap was complete.
Later reported as being otherwise OK for that impact, Bell and his car were also done from Sundays second race due to the extent and nature of the damage that could not be repaired in time at the circuit to end yet another miserable race weekend for them all.
Next stop for the series will be from Barber Motorsport Park in early September.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Sunday, August 17, 2025 |
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Just one AMR Vantage GT3 apiece for the GT World Challenge America and GT America Series this weekend
This weekend will really be the lull before the storm of the weekend after as we see just the three race series of the SRO America organisation compete this weekend as they run their GT World Challenge America, GT America and GT4 America series from Road America.
Within the topflight GT World Challenge America Series, it will again be just the #24 Heart of Racing Vantage GT3 of Gray Newell and Darren Turner representing the Aston Martin Racing brand as the Racers Edge AMR of Jason Bell again figures solely within the GT America Series entry.
Last time out at VIR little under a month ago saw the Heart of Racing take monumental steps forward within their SRO3 class after positive Balance of Performance changes to their car saw the Pro-Am pairing secure a double class podium finish with a P2 in race one and a P3 at the end of the second ninety-minute race.
Those results lifted the #24 crew up to fifth within the Pro-Am Drivers Championship with a pair of races left at both Road America and Barber Motorsport Park before the final race of the season at the joint GT World Challenge America / Intercontinental GT Challenge round from Indianapolis in mid-October.
Within the GT America Series however, we will witness one of their smallest grid entries for some time as just seven GT3 based (SRO3) classed cars will compete within their two forty-minute rounds of the weekend.
Jason Bell, like at VIR last time out, has again elected to race solo under the tutelage of Michael Cooper and the Racers Edge Motorsport team as he continues in his development within his #2 AMR Vantage GT3 Evo.
Despite qualifying third in class last time out at VIR, an off for him at the old Oak Tree Bend saw his car nosedive into the tyre wall and have his internal fire extinguisher go off for his first DNF of the weekend before having to pit early during race two with similar internal car issues. Hopefully, those issues have now been long since sorted with the more open layout of the Road America circuit hopefully playing into the hands of a more powerful Aston Martin.
Having seen a variety of GT4 teams and drivers compete within the series over the previous five rounds and with two 89X Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 cars running at VIR last time out, none have returned for this fifth round of the season and that must be worrying for the series officials.
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Tuesday, August 12, 2025 |
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Success and bizarre failures within the AMR runners in latest GT America races from VIR
Returning to the picturesque Virginia International Raceway saw Mike Fitzpatrick return to the SRO Series with his #89 AMR Vantage GT4 as that in turn, turned out to be two AMR Vantage GT4’s as both he and co-driver John Dean took out a car each for the weekends two GT America races as well as two GT4 America races.
Unfortunately for the series, the three Aston Martins helped bolster a meagre eight strong GT3, GT2 and GT4 grid for these two races as Bell struggled for pace within his #2 AMR Vantage GT3 (despite the earlier Balance of Performance gains allowed by the SRO earlier in the weekend) whilst the two Vantage GT4 crews obviously did what they could against the faster cars in the pack.
Trouble soon struck two of those three cars as first Dean entered pit lane reporting both tyre and overheating issues that would quickly negate his GT4 debut with both the car and series whilst Bell suffered from both an off and having his in-car fire extinguisher go off after that understeering issue at the Old Oak tree that resulted in the dark livered car nestled within the tyre wall.
Whilst both of those cars would be out of the race, Fitzpatrick did what he needed to do to end his opening race with an effective lights to flag class win for his efforts.
Race two on Sunday would follow a similar route as Dean would quickly sacrifice his racing efforts in that event to save the car for the following GT4 America race whilst Bell would also have his fire extinguisher go off again that resulted in him quickly coming into pit lane, with the door wide open to again jump quickly out slightly worse for wear (again) for that experience.
Although Dean had been leading the two GT4’s at the point of his retirement, that obviously allowed team boss Fitzpatrick to secure the double at the end of that forty-minute race.
Depending upon just who we get (if any) within the Aston Martin Racing powered contingent to enter the next round of the series, that will be from Road America in mid-August.
Photo credits – Teams / Series
Sunday, July 20, 2025 |
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Heart of Racing and the Racers Edge chase that illusive GTWC America podium at Sebring this weekend
As part of a fifteen-car entry for their two races this weekend will be the #2 Racers Edge AMR Vantage GT3 Evo of Jason Bell and Michael Cooper as well as the #24 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GT3 Evo of Gray Newell and Darren Turner.
It’s been something of a busy few weeks for the AMR factory driver as Turner went from the previous round of this season from the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas to help out the team within their IMSA and FIA WEC diary clashes to race last weekend at the latest round of the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship from Laguna Seca in California to fly back across the country again for this weekend’s business in Florida.
Last time out at CoTA, race one proved itself to be the best one so far for both crews as the #24 crew got the edge with a P4 in class finish with the #2 car just behind before dropping back to P7 and P9 finishes in class respectively to round off that meeting.
With three cars fewer than last time out, there should at least be more real estate available to the runners around the circuit, and we are sure that both crews will be looking for at least one visit to the podium between them this weekend.
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Thursday, May 15, 2025 |
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Win some - lose some for the two ad-hoc AMR runners in GT Americas visit to Long Beach
Speaking with Max Hewitt, he confirmed that Long Beach was never upon his agenda with that venue being a street-based circuit in his first full season of GT4 racing and much was probably the case for Prosport Competition GT4 runner Tim Savage as well.
That left both AMR Vantage GT3 (SRO3) entries from both the Heart of Racing and Racers Edge stables for their bronze rated side of their GTWCAm side of things for drivers Gray Newell and Jason Bell respectively, as both drivers looked for more credible seat time within the cars ahead of their next round from CoTA.
Well, at least that was the plan as an early banker qualifying lap for race one from Newell ended up being the pole position time within a red flag affected fifteen-minute qualifying session. That saw the young man gain his first ever GT3 based pole position within his #24 car whilst Bell was scored P13 within his #2 car.
However, Bell would not start the opening forty-minute race with a clutch issue leaving Newell to fend for himself around the streets of Los Angeles as the lights went green for the first time. Losing early ground to race veteran Sofronas within his Audi. Defending hard after that, Newell maintained his P2 position for much of the race before being passed by the #29 BMW at the halfway point.
After that, Newell was able to keep hold of the final podium position despite having to deal with GT4 traffic and chasing Porsches for what we thought to be the final uneventful minutes of the race, but racing is never over till its over. Despite losing P3 to the chasing Porsche, an issue with the race leading Audi saw that car stop on track just yards away from the finish line for Newell to recover a P3 finishing position after all.
Race 2 would start according to fastest laps posted within race one which would mean a P6 start for Newell and P14 for Bell who would this time take the start but a mistake from Newell at the water fountain for the first time saw his car mount the kerb, hit the side of the Corvette to spin around to nose into the shrubbery of the water feature.
Whilst he got going again, he was still only one GT3 car place behind the #2 car of Bell who was running P12 at the time but both Astons would be forced to visit pit lane for damage at the end of the opening lap and whilst both would come back out, they had already dropped a lap to the leaders.
A further visit to pit lane for Bell would compound a sour return to the series where he won two GT4 driver championships as he would eventually bale from the race with seven minutes still remaining. Despite pushing hard since his visit to pit lane, Newell was unable to recover any ground lost to finish the day P11 overall.
Photo credits – Teams / Series
Photo credits – Teams / Series
Monday, April 14, 2025 |
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A change in entry for the AMR powered GT America Series for the visit to Long Beach this weekend
Having just started the 2025 campaign at what was a rain swept race weekend from just up the road in Sonoma a couple of weeks ago, a twenty-one strong mixed GT4, GT2 and GT3 entry is something to look forward to as the solo bronze rated driver races always brings along a certain degree of excitement.
For this round, there has been a change to the entry list of Sonoma with just the #39 Van Der Steur Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 of Max Hewitt remaining the constant after his P2 and P1 finish in class at his series debut. Whilst having practised for the likes of Sonoma within his earlier GT4 Winter Series races, the demands of a street circuit will take the young American back to his karting and single seaters days as reference.
We do not see the #007 Prosport Competition AMR Vantage GT4 of Tim Savage (he tends to stay away from events that do not interest him) but we do this time welcome two AMR Vantage GT3 entries from both the Heart of Racing and Racers Edge Motorsport teams.
Both drivers, Gray Newell and Jason Bell respectively take a step back to their GT racing routes within the GT America Series as they continue to develop and build up racing seat time within the early parts of their 2025 GT World Challenge America Series commitments that continues from the Circuit of the Americas in two weeks’ time.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Tuesday, April 08, 2025 |
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Two decent banker races from Sonoma for the two Aston Martins in GT World Challenge America
With two crews stepping up to the topflight of SRO America racing for the first time, you wouldn’t ever expect much more than perhaps consistency and a decent learning curve as both crews amateur drivers looked for guidance and inspiration first time out from their respective pro drivers.
Again, it would be too easy to sit back and perhaps criticise the apparent inconsistencies within the series Balance of Performance criteria between the competing chassis in class that apparently allowed amateur drivers in one or two platforms to simple drive away from the pro drivers in another, but we have learned that there are simply too many variables for that to actually happen.
This time around Jason Bell would be joining his driver coach Michael Cooper for the season aboard his #2 Racers Edge prepared AMR whilst Gray Newell would be stepping to full time GT3 racing in America alongside AMR factory driver Darren Turner and their #26 Heart of Racing entry.
Racing two, ninety minute and compulsory pit stop punctuated races, the qualifying positions were determined earlier on Saturday but with Q2 being red flagged curtailed that stopped several cars (including the #2) from posting no time at all and with the #26 car being listed with a time equivalent to determine what turned out to be their lowly race two starting positions.
For race one, both Ams started the two Aston Martins with Newell starting from P9 and Bell from P14, but Newell lost most of that early advantage going wide on the opening lap before being mugged for positions as he recovered. The two Astons would then interchange positions as their opening stint passed by but within their Pro-Am class, their lead competitors were already making an escape way up front to them.
Pitting from P13 and P14, the Racers Edge went according to plan as Cooper made for a quick exit on new rubber but for the Heart of Racing team, something went wrong with their wheel gun air system that only allowed them to change one tyre before being forced to send to Turner back out on otherwise used rubber.
Whilst others would struggle double stinting tyres, Turner would be outwardly nonplussed about the situation losing and then gaining back places as the race unfolded. Despite everything, the #2 Racers Edge would finish race one P10 overall/P6 in Pro-Am with the HoRT finishing just behind P12 overall/P8 in class.
Race two was a different affair as they still picked up the remnants of the earlier rain but with the pro drivers starting most of the cars this time around there was at least a little more control of the situation on track with all the cars on slicks for the start.
For Turner, his second time around the Sonoma racetrack was certainly a bumpy one as nobody gave him any room with many encouraging him to move on or move out the way but pushing his car in that direction. Cooper meanwhile was having none of that as he did the encouragement as he moved up to P11 overall with Turner down to P14 before Turner eventually settled in and retook position from Cooper.
Pitting from P8 overall at the time, this time there were no errors from the Heart of Racing team, but Cooper left it to nearly the very last second before entering pit lane to allow Bell to coming out P10 overall whilst Newell was further back in P15.
Despite a brief Safety Car intervention for a Ferrari stranded in the tyre wall belt at the final hairpin corner, the natural positions of both Aston Martin Am drivers would pan out across their forty-five-minute stint with Bell eventually dropping back and getting passed by Newell to earn them P11 and P12 finishing positions in class at the end.
Next time out for the series with be from CoTA in a months’ time.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Monday, March 31, 2025 |
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SRO America kicks off its 2025 campaign in Sonoma this weekend
Amongst that healthy entry will again be a mix of Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 and GT4 machinery but not necessarily in the format that we will have become to seeing over previous seasons.
Within the headlining GT World Challenge Series, we have two such examples as both the Heart of Racing and Racers Edge AMR teams step up to this series for their first full season commitment together as former GT America GT4 champion Jason Bell pairs up with long standing driver coach Michael Cooper within their familiar liveried Vantage GT3 Evo. Last season Bell was getting to grips with his new Vantage GT3 within the GT3 class of the GT America Series with the help of the Flying Lizard Motorsport team.
The second car is also another step up the SRO America racing ladder for the Heart of Racing’s Gray Newell who this time pairs up with AMR factory driver Darren Turner for the young American’s first domestic full season GT3 campaign. Not his first GT3 race by a long way after he and fellow HoRT drivers secured P2 overall in last weekends 24H Series twelve hour in Mugello, Italy.
This Friday will see the grid hitting the 2.5 mile circuit for the first time in Free Practice before individual Qualifying sessions Saturday morning before the first of two ninety minute, pit stop punctuated races later on Saturday and Sunday.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Tuesday, March 25, 2025 |
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The return of Jason Bell to SRO America but with some significant changes over the winter months
This time confirming a step up the ladder from the GT America and GT4 America Series of old and into the headline GT World Challenge America Series for the #2 AMR Vantage GT3 that Bell will share alongside that of Micheal Cooper within the seven round season that starts in Sonoma again in little over six weeks’ time.
Since reclaiming the GT America GT4 Drivers Championship back in 2023 with his Flying Lizard Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4, Bell stepped up to the GT3 class of that single driver series to learn his craft within the then brand-new Vantage GT3 Evo.
With that solo year of learning now under his belt, the property developer has again turned to periodic GT4 co-driver and mainstream driver coach in Cooper to partner his fresh challenge within the GT World Challenge Series but with also a new name above the team door.
With that solo year of learning now under his belt, the property developer has again turned to periodic GT4 co-driver and mainstream driver coach in Cooper to partner his fresh challenge within the GT World Challenge Series but with also a new name above the team door.
Whilst we said hello to Racers Edge Motorsport a few months ago as declaring themselves to be another new Aston Martin Racing powered team within the North America racing arena, we today welcome them into the #TeamAMR family complete as they will be supporting both Bell and Cooper within their #2 car over the two ninety-minute races per event.
The opening round of the season will be from Sonoma in California at the end of March and join the Heart Of Racing AMR Vantage GT3 Evo of Gray Newell and Darren Turner that is already confirmed.
Photo credits – Team / series / social media
Friday, February 07, 2025 |
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Penultimate rounds of the SRO America series from Barber with a new AMR finally on offer
Having lost the sole AMR Vantage GT3 runner within the GT World Challenge Series last time out with a late season chassis change for Elias Sabo and Andy Lee from the Flying Lizard AMR team, all eyes will be upon the two other series and with a new car making its debut within one of the SRO America series.
That news comes in the form of the Heart of Racing team swapping over to a new 2024 AMR Vantage GT4 Evo for their #24 Pro-Am pairing of Gary Newell and Roman De Angelis within the GT4 America Series for the first time. With them (and all other AMR Vantage GT4 runners this season for that matter) continuing to run the still completely successful and competitive 2019 17A variant of the car, it will be interesting to see just how that performances transposes between chassis after the pairing secured both a P3 and P1 class finish at the end of the last round from Road America.
The new Vantage GT4 has of course ran a full season so far within the IMSA sanctioned Michelin Pilot Challenge and VP Racing Sportscar Challenge Series with the Rebel Rock Racing team but Aston Martin Racing was keen to (at first) restrict the availability of the new car in North America until such time as suitable spares and technical assistance was also on offer for their customers.
Within the GT4 America Series, the #26 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GT4 entry for Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier continue to pedal their 17A version within the silver class as so the Todd Parriott/Tom Dyer Flying Lizard Pro-Am pairing within their #13 car.
Championship wise, the #24 Newell/De Angelis pairing maintain a P2 championship position but would require a significant low/no scoring trait from the championship leaders over the remaining races to have any chance – something that appears unlikely at present having never finish off the class podium so far this season.
Within the GT3/GT2/GT4 based GT America Series, the GT3 class is again supported by the #2 Flying Lizard AMR Vantage GT3 of Jason Bell and the older 16A Prosport Competition AMR Vantage GT3 of Tim Savage aboard his #007 car. Joining them will be the #25 Heart of Racing Vantage GT4 of Newell as well as the #31 Flying Lizard AMR Vantage GT4 of Parriott (both 17A variants).
Championship wise for these guys is that none of them are in any class championship challenging position but Newell does have the potential of securing the GT4 runners up position as well as Parriott moving up to P4 should results from the last two rounds go their way.
As usual, the bronze rated only GT America Series will run two forty-minute solo driver races over the course of the weekend with the GT4 America Series running two one hour, pit stop punctuated races.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media
Tuesday, September 03, 2024 |
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