With the 2018 Pirelli World Challenge Series now two races in, many will have noticed the omission of the very distinctive De La Torre Motorsport Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3 from its grids.

Last seen out at his 'local' Circuit of the Americas race track in Texas during the inaugeral Creventic 24H Series event in America last year, Jorge De La Torre has recently posted a piece upon his social media channels explaining what is going on.


Having just achieved his business degree, the young Mexican has been busy at work having also just opened his first Mexican themed restaurant in Texas having patiently taken the last two years to put everything into place.

As competing in any level of motorsport is extremely expensive these days, the young Mexican goes onto explain that his small 'career break' from motor racing he "also wanted to reflect over the past few years about my racing career, see where can I improve and how to obtain better results. Reflecting on everything"

"I have realised that my learning curve for racing was steep and I was not happy with my ending results in track. This is the time to practice more, get better and give a maximum result always" he posted on Instagram last week.


Quite what De La Torre's timetable is for all of this we don't quite know but he has said that the team will certainly be looking to return to the track in 2018 at least for the return of the Creventic 24 hours race at the end of November.

Photo credits - De La Torre

De La Torre Racing is set to take on the 1st Creventic 24H Championship at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas.

“We can’t say enough, we are honored to present a talented group of drivers that come from diverse regions,” said Jorge De La Torre, DLT Racing CEO and Owner. Upcoming November 10-12th at the Circuit of the Americas, the drivers will proudly represent De La Torre Racing as well as their home countries Mexico, USA, England and South Korea. “As for the De La Torre racing family, selecting the correct drivers for the Aston Martin GT3 racing program is just as important as building and preparing the car. We believe we have the best car, crew and now we have the best drivers to match this amazing car”, stated CEO/Owner Jorge De La Torre.

Its great to see the return of The Racer Group return to the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship (as another one off entry again) this weekend as the California based team dust down their V12 Vantage GTD for their first competitive entry into their national headline sportscar series this year.

Drivers Brandon Davis and James Davison are certainly no strangers to either the car nor the team having already raced the blue #007 in both previous years of the IMSA series as well as this year in the Pirelli World Challenge.


This crew will join at the event the TRG's full season IMSA Continental Tyre Sportscar Challenge V8 Vantage GT4 entry of Kris Wilson and Craig Lyons, a crew who presently lie mid table in the GS class after a mixed bag of results so far this season.

TRG welcomes the return of drivers Drew Regitz and Kris Wilson to the team’s Aston Martin squad for the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge competition schedule. Both drivers will race the beautiful No. 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 in PWC’s GTA SprintX races, with plans to continue TRG’s previous season success in the SprintX series, winning GTS Team and Driver championships. Their first race will be at Virginia International Raceway, April 28-30.

Regitz raced with TRG in 2013 for seven Pirelli World Challenge GTS events. In 2014 Drew returned for his first pro season recording five top 10 finishes and two third place podiums with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. In 2016 he achieved a first place finish in SprintX and both a 2nd and 3rd place finish in the Sprint GTA category of which he competed in 18 events.

As expected, Texas based De la Torre Racing finally confirmed last night their full season re-entry into the 2017 Pirelli World Challenge series with their Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3.

This is what they said…...

"De La Torre Racing is ready to fire up once more. With fresh new colors, their beloved Aston Martin and driver Jorge De La Torre will be back this next St Pete round proudly representing their home country, México.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to be back on this track which I haven´t race since 2014. Getting there with this new livery representing my home country and all the fellow Latinos in the US empowers both my team and me to give the best out there.

We had a successful test in Houston where We come up with a good setting for St Pete and had really good seat time to get comfortable with the Aston.” Said the Mexican born driver and CEO of the team.
With Their Loyal sponsor DELGAC Petroleum Engineering consultants, De La Torre Racing will participate in the whole PWC Sprint Championship battling to become one of the contenders in the GTA class, making sure that V12 roars all over the tracks in the US"

Source material - DLT Racing

In a bid to continue their success in the Pirelli World Challenge series, TRG will open the season with their Aston Martin program in St. Petersburg, Florida with an old name but a new twist.

The team will be reunited with Aussie standout and former TRG professional driver James Davison behind the wheel of the LaSalle Solutions 007 V12 Vantage competing for the overall win in the GT Class. This will be the season opener for Pirelli World Challenge and for TRG; after finishing on a high note winning the 2016 Team and Drivers’ Sprint-X GTS Championship with their Aston Martin V8 Vantage team and their Team Driver Max Riddle.

Davison, the Australian pro driver who delivered a remarkable 5 pole positions in a row in 2014/2015 in the GT3 is once again reunited with the team and the fierce V12 Vantage GT3 he drove so well.

"I am excited to be rejoining TRG and the Aston Martin brand after much success together the past 3 years. The Vantage GT3 promises to be strong on the St. Petersburg streets and we look to go one spot better than my 2nd place finish last year,” said Davison. “It will be an exciting weekend for the team and all of its partners and sponsors.

“This is going to be a really exciting weekend for the opening round here at the streets of St. Petersburg. We have put together a formidable team and we are coming here to run up front and put on a terrific show for our friends, partners, and fans at this wonderful venue”, stated TRG Team Owner, Kevin Buckler. “We have brought out the big guns with both, the powerful Aston Martin Vantage 007 V-12 GT3 and of course our former team driver and Australian star, James Davison.

The Racers Group are having a post season clear out of their California garage but its not necessarily what it first appears - so finds out Racer Mag's Marshall Pruett writes HERE

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.

Its great to see young Mexican Jorge De La Torre back in a race seat again for the finale of the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge series at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca this weekend following his massive accident at Lime Rock back in May.

Recouperating from multiple fractures and other injuries he sustained at Lime Rock De La Torre has been confirmed as driver for his team's own #4 Aston Martin Racing V12 Vantage GT3 entry for the PWC finale in the GTA class. He will not however compete in the finale Sprint X event with the two available seats in that event being filled by Lars Viljoen and Caesar Bacarella in the teams #24 Vantage GT3.


Whilst De La Torre has shown massive personal determination to recuperate and recover from his own injuries which is great news in itself, our thoughts remain with Bentley Team Absolute's driver Andrew Palmer who sustained life threatening injuries in the same accident at Lime Rock and who's long term prognosis remains less clear.

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. 

TRG-Aston Martin Racing is heading North this weekend, towards the infamous Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the next round of Pirelli World Challenge competition. This marks the only Pirelli World Challenge event in Canada this year, on a track well-known for its high-speed sections of long sweepers and tight, technical corners. TRG-AMR Team Drivers Christina Nielsen and Max Riddle will be driving the team’s two Aston Martins this weekend, Christina continuing her full season GTA campaign and Riddle returning to the car for the first time this season. Christina will be piloting her No. 7 Royal Purple/ORION/LaSalle Solutions/PassTime USA Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 alongside the 90+ other competitors entered this weekend across the multiple classes in Pirelli World Challenge, one of the largest car counts in the history of the growing series. Canadian Tire Motorsports Park has played host to everything from motorcycles to Formula 1 and everything in between during the course of its 50+ year existence. This weekend should be full of great racing and exciting action for Nielsen along with the No. 07 Royal Purple/ORION/LaSalle Solutions/PassTime USA V8 Vantage GT4 of Max Riddle. Max, a Canadian himself, has always loved coming to this circuit competing here a number of times over the years during his sportscar career. The flowing corners and high-speed sections favor the characteristics of the Aston Martin racecars, both having been developed on the circuits of Europe.

TRG has an impressive history here at Mosport with multiple wins and podiums throughout the years including a 1-2 finish in ALMS and Team Owner Kevin Buckler having won here in 2002, as well. Max Riddle, TRG-AMR Team Driver: “I love being able to stay in Canada for a race weekend - though this is the wrong side of the country! I’m really excited to be back in the car, on Canadian soil, to show what we can do. Kris and the team did a great job during my time away, but I am back at 100% and ready to race!" Christina Nielsen, TRG-AMR Team Driver: “I’ve been to Mosport in the past and I have to agree that it is a very challenging track - I am ready for the challenge! I’ve been training a lot with video, the simulator, and keeping my fitness regimen going. I am really looking forward to building on our momentum and bringing home a win or a podium for the team this weekend - it’s been a long time coming. I am really positive and focused on the race this weekend and winning with the team!” Kevin Buckler, TRG-AMR CEO: “TRG has a strong history here with several big wins and one of my first in GT. This is really a BIG boy (and girl!) track. Everybody is really excited for this weekend and the team is ready. It’s great having Max back in the car and I know he is eager. The team has been running so strong so far this year with three wins already and hopefully this will be another good weekend. We are all thinking hard about our upcoming logistics as just a few weeks after this race myself and the whole team are headed to Le Mans! Aston Martin is the featured marque in the Festival Race this year, with more than 60 cars expected to enter the race.” Source material and photo credits - TRG

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Aston

The Racer’s Group (TRG) and Aston Martin Racing announced today the formation of a partnership to bring a factory-supported, multi-faceted Aston Martin Racing program to North America starting in 2013. The move encompasses the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón and the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge as well as plans to launch a single-make support series featuring Aston Martin Vantage GT4 race cars.

The new, multi-level partnership – TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America, LLC – commenced with TRG-AMR North America’s acquisition of 10 brand new race cars to compete in varying North American sports car series. The Aston Martin Vantage GTE will be unveiled at the American Le Mans Series’ annual Winter Test on Feb. 7-8 in preparation for the March 16 running of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida. In the GRAND-AM Rolex Series and Pirelli World Challenge, the highly competitive Vantage GT3 is in its final homologation stages and will be ready to race for new customers after the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The new Vantage GT4, running in the Continental Tire Challenge, will debut at the January test days and will be ready to race in support of and alongside the highly successful Multimatic team already running in the championship.

Julian Jenkins, Vice President of Aston Martin the Americas added:  “There has long been a strong appetite from owners, enthusiasts and race fans alike to see Aston Martin in regular motorsport competition in North America, so this partnership with TRG is an excellent opportunity to further realize that ambition as we approach our centenary year.”

Leaders of GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series welcomed the news.

“We’ve believed from the beginning that the merger of GRAND-AM and ALMS would be a game-changer on the North American motorsport landscape,” said GRAND-AM President and CEO Ed Bennett. “This announcement by TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America is concrete evidence that our belief is bearing fruit – and quickly.”

American Le Mans Series President and CEO Scott Atherton added: “We enthusiastically welcome the return of Aston Martin and the expansion of effort by TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America. Over many seasons, TRG has been a benchmark competitor in both ALMS and GRAND-AM, scoring many victories and championships. Today, we’re marking a point in North American motorsport that speaks to the confidence of the world’s premier automotive brands in our unified vision. This announcement underscores the fact that our sport is now in an unprecedented position to grow and provide value for manufacturers, for teams like TRG-Aston Martin, for our sponsors and most importantly for fans and TV audiences.”

Buckler said that much of the immediate emphasis will be on securing customer teams to compete in all the North American racing series as well.

“We will be responsible for race car sales, race parts, at-track engineering and technical support, rebuilds and repairs and will be there with the full support and backing of TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America for any of our customer teams,” he said. “We want to welcome and assist these teams at the highest level of support and professionalism in any of the sports car series in North America.” 

John Gaw, Managing Director of Aston Martin Racing said: “We are delighted to form this innovative new partnership with TRG which presents great potential across a variety of racing competitions. In TRG we have a proven race partner who clearly knows how to be competitive and win races, helping us achieve new levels of success in North American motorsport for Aston Martin.”

In addition to managing its own race program and customer programs, TRG-AMR North America also has started the development of a one-make series with the Aston Martin GT4 Vantage. This series will race identically prepared Aston Martin GT4s against one another in a sprint race format at select venues throughout North America beginning as early as the fall of 2013. 

An integral part of the new company and relationship with Aston Martin is its North American dealership network that will work together with the new TRG-AMR North American group to explore partnership and marketing opportunities together. There are 35 Aston Martin dealerships in the US with five additional in Canada.

The new company will also create opportunities for corporate partners to participate in sponsorship and marketing programs with Aston Martin’s new North American entity. In addition to creating unique corporate partnership packages, including business-to-business opportunities, internal and external promotional campaigns, branding awareness and unique at-track experiences with guest hospitality reflective of the Aston Martin brand, TRG-AMR North America, LLC will create a specific “Arrive and Drive” program as well.  The “Arrive and Drive” element will feature Aston Martin race cars at tracks throughout North America where corporate clients, team sponsors and customers can become fully immersed in a track event, with data and instruction from the team and drivers. It will be a full-service, roving driving school throughout North America centered on an amazing driving and lifestyle experience.

California-based The Racers Group (TRG) has a legacy of motorsport success that dates back to the 1990s with extraordinary wins and championships that include the Rolex 24 At Daytona (four times, once overall), the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Petit Le Mans, four championships and more than 50 major racing victories.

Equally, Aston Martin Racing is rich in heritage. It began racing in 1949 and by 1951 the DB2 had swept the podium in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The DB3S debuted in 1952 and won class at Le Mans from 1955-57. In 1959, the DBR1 finished one-two overall at the Circuit de la Sarthe as legendary driver Sir Stirling Moss joined the race team.

Aston Martin returned to GT racing as a factory team in 2005 with the DBR9 GT1, which went on to record back-to-back victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2007 and 2008, as well as winning the 2011 FIA GT1 World Championship.

Most recently the formidable new race cars achieved a string of successes, capturing three of the last four pole positions in the FIA World Endurance Championship, a win at the final round in Shanghai, China and finishing second in the World Championship with the GTE machine. The new GT3 had an incredible run in its debut year with 11 major victories, and the GT4 is the car of choice in multiple series worldwide.

In 2013, Aston Martin Racing continues its tradition with the advent of TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America, proudly taking the reins of its North American operation.