Reduced AMR numbers in both WRL and GT4 Winter Series this weekend (Updated)
Stateside of the Atlantic, we will have the next round of the World Racing League Series visit to Barber Motorsport Parkway in Alabama for another of their 8 plus 7-hour races for the multi-classed entry.
Unlike the previous round Eagles Canyon two weeks ago, only the #68 Team Speed Syndicate AMR Vantage GT4 will be taking part as for as the local AMR powered contingent are concerned. Having taken two overall P3 podiums last time out and the absence of the 89X Motorsport team, hopes of higher finishes will be there.
Out of interest, the 89X Motorsport team were out racing last weekend with the TransAm Series where their #89 Vantage GT4 of Mike Fitzpatrick finished second in class at the Sebring opener.
Then back upon the European side we have the halfway point of the GT4 Winter Series from Motorland Aragon in southern Spain.
Unlike the previous round at Valencia, there will be no AMR Vantage GT3’s from the Comtoyou Racing team for reasons unknown. Originally sporting the series to help two of their younger GT3 crews, a potential destroyed chassis and another damaged during the three GT Winter Series may have put paid to their return or Valencia might have been a one-off entry.
On the plus side however, we do still have the two AMR Vantage GT4’s from the Mucke Motorsport and Racing Spirit of Lemans teams with their constant Club and Pro-Am classed drivers.
Thilo Goos presently leads the Club class with his orange coloured #700 car whilst Baudouin Detout and Max Hewitt stand P6 in class after a disastrous visit to Valencia that saw the American get spun out of a podium winning position in race 1 before the Luxembourger suffered race ending contact within both race 2 and the longer race 3 on Sunday.
Update
There is however better news ahead of the next round of the series in Barcelona as we expect an AMR Vantage GT4 from the German Prosport Racing team for two of their new recruits as Anton Abee and Roman Fellner-Feldegg sample GT4 racing for the first time.
Photo credits – Team / D Burgin / Series / social media
Photo credits – Team / D Burgin / Series / social media
Monday, February 24, 2025 |
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Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin GT3 crew earn themselves another LMC podium finish at Aragon
After a full day of testing and then three Free Practice sessions coming into today’s earlier Qualifying session, the #10 Racing Spirit of Leman Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 of Arnold Robin and Valentin Hasse-Clot was sadly unable to replicate its earlier event pace as the French crew had to settle for a P3 start ahead of this afternoons 110-minute race.
With ambient temperatures still pushing into the forties and track temperatures well into the fifty-degree margins, the forty-five minute minimum drive time for either Am or Pro driver would be a challenge as endurance came into differing meanings.
For the spectacle of the race event itself, that would sadly be tarnished with the on-track frivolities of some within the LMP3 ranks as multiple car contact into turn 1 on the opening lap quickly brought out the Safety Car but at least the chasing GT3 pack missed the many cars facing the wrong way.
Two Porsches lead the GT3 field and made off into the distance as Robin ran at his own pace third in class before a further Full Course Yellow again neutralised the track activity for another stranded P3 car before on the restart, two more P3 cars tangled and brought out the Safety Car again as one was now stuck in the gravel.
With all the cars back together again, the second placed #86 Porsche first survived a strong challenge from the #10 Aston Martin for position before finding themselves passing the #64 Porsche for the lead just as the pit window opened with minimum time already served for the starting drivers.
Pitting immediately from third, Robin passed the reins to Hasse-Clot who quickly found himself being caught by the #51 and #83 Ferrari’s from his inherited P2 position on track. Ten minutes in, Hasse-Clot was forced to yield that place to the #51 car but was able to keep the other at bay, forcing them to push the boundaries of track limits and that would come back to hinder the #83 car later in the race.
Another stopped P3 car and another Safety Car to clean up the spilt fluid, that gave the second drivers a final twenty-two-minute dash to the flag and whilst the #10 Aston Martin lost contact with the two GT3 cars ahead, it kept the #83 car behind him until Race Control finally awarded that car with a drive through penalty for constant abuse of track limits.
That gave Hasse-Clot the required space to conserve what energy he had left within himself and the car (after the #83 Ferrari had taken an earlier bite out of the side) to see the Racing Spirit of Leman car to eventually come home P3 in class.
Whilst the front two cars were swapped positions by virtue of a post-race 5 second time penalty, the provisional results allowed the #10 crew to retain their Championship lead going into the penultimate round of the season at Spa Francorchamps next month.
Next stop however for these guys will be the European Le Mans Series race from Aragon tomorrow evening!!
Photo credits – Team / Series
Photo credits – Team / Series
Friday, August 25, 2023 |
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It takes two! And don't forget about Friday!!
We heard last week that the two Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GTE Pro cars entered into the 2018 FIA World Endurance Championship were in a state of build at the Prodrive factory and these photos show that they have now been built.
Last week we watched the GTE development car VANTAGEGT15A-001-1 complete a further two day systems/set up test at Snetterton in the capable hands of both Darren Turner and Jonny Adam.
The two new platforms have today been showdown ahead of the team taking them testing at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain in the next few days as well as their customer Am class cars who are awaiting confirmation of their entry into the 'super-season'. We understand that this test will be the first time all six factory drivers will be testing together ahead of the season that starts in early May.
Confirmation of those entries as well as for the 24 Hours of Le Mans itself will of course be broadcasted live this Friday from 14:00Hrs GMT and will be available on any of the WEC's social media/broadcast networks.
Monday, February 05, 2018 |
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Dunlop tyre test concludes in Aragon - next stop Monza
Dunlop invited teams to participate in a pre-season tyre test at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain this week. The five day test concludes this afternoon, with 21 cars from 16 teams across four championships taking part. The teams will have collectively driven more than the equivalent distance of four Le Mans 24 Hour races – over 20,000 kilometres.
The teams and Dunlop engineers have been working together during the five days to optimise the all-new 2017 tyre range and various chassis set-ups in preparation for the season ahead, in particular the official tests for the VLN, European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) taking place in two weeks.
The all-dry event enabled all slick specifications across all classes to be tested, with the emphasis being on optimising set-up for specific chassis. The LMP2 teams have a big challenge with all-new tyres and all-new cars for the season and progress was made with each team. With Aston Martin, time was spent adapting the tyre and car set-up for the change in regulations which restricts tyre use for the GTE class this year.
Next stop for the teams will be their respective Prologue Tests happening this year at the Autodromo di Monza at the end of March for the ELMS and on the first weekend in April for the WEC.
Source material - Dunlop
Friday, March 10, 2017 |
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More AMR drivers arrive at Dunlop tyre test as new season looms
At least two more Aston Martin Racing drivers have arrived for the final days of track action at the Dunlop collective test that is currently underway at the Spanish Motorland Aragon circuit.
Joining drivers Darren Turner and Jonny Adam, who have been there since the start alongside Dunlop Development driver Daniel Serra appear to be both Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen who took a day out of their schedule to soak up the atmosphere at the F1 test in Barcelona yesterday on the way through from their Geneva Motorshow duties on Tuesday.
Dunlop report that over 20 cars have participated in its collective test with cars spread across both LMP2 and GTE classes as well others in GT3 and SPX guise (running in non ACO rules championships of course) as all teams cram final private testing regimes in before the official 'test' for the World Endurance Championship at Monza in just over three weeks time.
As mentioned before, photos from this test have confirmed the existence of a 2016 specification #98 GTE Am car for Dalla-Lana,Lamy and Lauda but it has not been confirmed whether any of these drivers have been running in the test. We do know that Lauda, who lives in Barcelona has been out at the F1 test with his father, Nicki but it would be bizarre for the squad to arrive at Monza inexperienced in the characteristics of the much improved 2016 Dunlop tyre although the FIA WEC entry list still lits the car using Michelins!
Photo credits - AMR driver social media
Wednesday, March 08, 2017 |
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