Despite some racing hardships for some of the other Aston Martin Racing powered entries within various series around the world last weekend, there was something to cheer about for the two Vantage GT4 crews racing in last weekend’s Campeonato de Portugal de Velocidade visit to Vila Real.

As bespoke event around the improvised street circuit layout saw twenty-five entries being ran for the two fifty-minute races including the #28 Racar Motorsport AMR entry of Vasco Oliviera/Manuel Giao within GT4 bronze and the #777 RV7 Am class entry for Ruben Vaquinhas.

 

Race one on Saturday proved the perfect end to the days proceedings as the #28 car finished P4 overall and P1 in class with the #777 car P13 overall and P1 in class as well. That was nearly replicated in Sundays finale as the #777 car this time finished P9 overall/ P1 in class but for the #28 car – a mistake over a high kerb launching the bright orange Aston Martin around nose on to into the armco barrier.

 

Eyes now look towards the next round of the mainstay Iberian Supercars Series from Valencia towards the end of September.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

 

 

 

 

Our last round of weekend previews comes in the form of GT4 powered racing as both the Iberian Racing Festival and Britcar Series deliver us some more Aston Martin Racing powered entries to go alongside those already mentioned.

Running this time as a solo, bespoke event for the Campeonato De Portugal de Velocidade Series at the street circuit of Vila Real this time sees just two AMR Vantage GT4 powered crews as listed within the twenty-five strong entry. More used to seeing these names and teams running within the Iberian Supercars Series, this weekend will see just #28 Racar Motorsport AMR of Vasco Oliveira with Manuel Giao compete alongside stablemate Rubens Vaquinhas within his #777 RV7 Team Aston Martin.

 

Last year saw double that AMR powered entry within a smaller overall entry and also proved productive for Vaquinhas who secured two Am class race wins over the weekend to help him on his way to an overall Am Class championship win.

Back within the UK, the Britcar Endurance Series will be running their fourth round of their six-round season with another ninety-minute race at Snetterton on Saturday.

 

Father and son pairing Bill and Martin Addison compete again together within their 17A variant of the Vantage GT4 platform. The pair did also compete together last time out at Spa Francorchamps where one of them did survive a multi-rotation spin at the bottom of Eau Rouge during the heavy rain of Free Practice.

Photo credits – Teams / Series

 

 

Making up for lost ground regarding last weekend’s racing results, especially around the Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 powered arena – it was unfortunately a disappointing weekend for those AMR powered competitors within both the Iberian Supercars Espana Series and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Series.

The former competing down in Jarama for the second round of that series after the opening round roan concurrently with the races then of the Iberian Supercars Series but with a reduced AMR powered entry list of just three cars amongst the twenty-three strong GT4 entry.

 

Race one couldn’t have gone a lot worse really as both the #28 Racar Motorsport entry for Vasco Oliveira and Ivan Velasco and the #52 Monterios Competicoes AMR of Henrique Oliveira and Louis Leveau each failed to finish with the remaining #77 Racar Motorsport of Mathieu Martins and Anton Morsing having to make do with a distant P17 result overall, P9 in class.

Race two did get slightly better for at least one AMR runner as the #28 car turned their earlier misfortune around to secure a P12 overall / P2 in the GT4 Bronze class finish whilst the #77 car was this time a non-finisher with the #52 car down in P17 overall/P7 in GT4 Pro.

 

It was a similar story within last weekend’s four-hour round of the Michelin Pilot Challenge which ran at Mid-Ohio as the fourth round of that IMSA series and as the second elongated round to that of the usual two-hour race.

Hopes were high going into this round for the four AMR Vantage GT4 powered runners with the #66 Van Der Steur crew of Trenton Estep and Allen Patten securing a second row start in third after the rain affected preceding track sessions.

 

As the race got underway, an unsighted spin by a Porsche up front sadly claimed the #4 Medusa Motorsport AMR of Hunter Yeaney/Athan Sterling and Jacob Loomis as the #4 car slammed heavily into the Porsche as that faced the racing traffic on only the opening lap. Despite being able to limp back to pit lane, the loss of a front wheel and suspension linkages sadly put paid to their efforts for the day.

There were also early issues for the #14 Circle H Racing AMR of David Hampton/Thomas Merril and Martin Sarukhanyan as they also disappeared behind the pit wall during this opening caution – to return some fifteen minutes later but to run off the pace before finally coming to a halt on track thirty minutes before the end.

 

The #26 Heart of Racing AMR of Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeir were also looking racey as they quickly elevated themselves from their P18 overall starting position to run strongly within the top ten for much of the race. Unfortunately for them, late braking issues within the car would eventually drop them down to P12 overall whilst the #66 Van Der Steur had to make do with a P9 result for their efforts.

 

Overall, they were many disappointed people within the AMR powered camps at the end of last weekend.

Photo credits – Teams / social media

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  A smaller entourage of twenty-three GT4 powered crews of the Supercars Espana Series will make their way to Jarama in time for this weekend’s second round of the 2026 season having started at Portimao three weeks ago.
  
  Not the overarching Iberian Supercars Series this time around will be the primary cause for the reduced numbers from the and that has also been reflected with the number of Aston Martin Racing powered entries from the six at Portimao to just three this time around.

  
  

  

   

  At Portimao, the #722 Gianfranco Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 entry of Roberto Faria and Joel Bergstrom had a total disaster after a fire aboard their car during an earlier session saw them not take any further part in the season’s two opening races. We understand that the team also lease the car from the Racing Spirit of Leman team and seeing that one of their cars was all but written off in the opening race of the GT4 European Series last weekend at Monza, the team and crew have this time elected to run in a Toyota.
  
  That leaves both the #28 and #77 Racar Motorsport entries for drivers Vasco Oliveira/Ivan Velasco in GT4 Bronze as well as Mathieu Martins/Anton Morsing within their #77 GT4 Pro class entry.

  
  

  

   

  The #52 Monteiros Competicoes AMR of Henrique Oliveira/Louis Leveau who will also be competing in GT4 Pro.
  
  Out of those three AMR powered runners, only the #28 crew enjoyed racing success with a P1 and P2 in class finish within that weekend’s two fifty-minute-long races.
  
  Photo credits – Series / social media

   

   

 

 

There was a more than a healthy haul of class podiums won at the weekend by the many Aston Martin Racing powered teams and crews after they completed the opening round to the Iberian Supercars Series from Portimao.

With six such AMR Vantage GT4 crews competing amongst the twenty-eight runners within last weekends Iberian Racing Festival, there was however not all cheer for some of those six as technical issues bit hard for some.

 

One of those crews who only saw the private testing sessions was the new #722 Pro classed Gianfranco Motorsport crew of Roberto Faria and Joel Bergstrom who unfortunately had to sit out the entire Qualifying and race double header after issues within their former Racing Spirit of Leman AMR Vantage GT4 Evo could not be fixed trackside.

Another casualty within the racing was the Pro classed entered AMR from the #77 Racar Motorsport for reigning champion Mathieu Martins with Anton Morsing after they failed to finish within the opening hour-long race, but they did recover to a P8 overall/P5 in class finish as both Pro class entered Astons got off to a poor start to this six-round season.

 

Success did come the way of the #777 RV7 team Am class entry of reigning champion Ruben Vaquinhas alongside his new co-driver, Mico Mineiro as they secured both a P1 and P2 finishes in class for their efforts.

The #28 Bronze class entered Racar Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 Evo of Vasco Oliveira and new co-driver Ivan Velasco also scored a class double after they secured a similar great start to the new season with their P1 and P2 finishes respectively.

The #700 NGT crew of Fernando Soares and Miguel Ferreira also enjoyed early success within their new 17A variant of the Vantage GT4 after securing a race win P3 finish in Am before dropping back to P5 in class for race two. The #52 Monterios Competicoes AMR of Henrique Oliveira and Louis Leveau suffered a difficult introduction to the Pro class with their P7 and P9 finishes.

The next round of the season will be from Jarama in three weeks’ time.

Photo credits – Teams/ Series / social media

 

 

 

 

Another diverse and undoubtedly colourful grid of nearly thirty cars will take the start to the opening round of the Iberian Supercars Series this weekend from Portimao as the series again features another healthy input of entries from the Aston Martin Racing powered family.

In another mixture of consistency but with a dousing of new, this weekend’s powered entry list sees six AMR Vantage GT4 powered crews enter this weekend’s two one-hour races with the reigning Pro class champion Mathieu Martins back for some more with the Racar Motorsport team.

 

For this season, however, he will be joined by Anton Morsing with their #28 Racar Pro class entry alongside that of his former teammate last season (Roberto Faria) now pairing up with Joel Bergstrom within the #722 Gianfranco Motorsport prepared car.

They, in turn will be joined in class by the new for 2026 AMR powered entry of Henrique Oliveria and Louis Leveau within the #52 Monterios Competicoes AMR entry.

 

The NGT team make the switch this season to GT4 having secured one of the former Araujo Competicao Aston Martins for drivers Fernando Soares and Miguel Ferrareira whilst Am class champion Ruben Vaquinhas also returns with both a new team and co-driver in the RV7 Team with Mico Mineiro respectively. Another new pairing of Vasco Oliveira and Ivan Velasco complete the AMR powered line up with their #28 Racar Motorsport Bronze entry.

Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media

In other Aston Martin Racing powered news this week sees the opening to applications today for this years intake of ‘pupil’s for AMR’s Driver Academy programme.

Open again to anyone between sixteen and twenty-six years old and racing an AMR Vantage GT or GT4 within any recognised mainstream series this year is eligible to apply to receive a multitude of on and off-track guidance along the way before being in chance of winning a significant financial contribution towards their 2027 racing programme.

Last year’s title was of course won by the young Belgian racer Kobe Pauwels after he (and the previous AMR Academy winner) Jamie Day secured the Silver Class championship win within the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup with Comtoyou Racing in their Vantage GT3.

 

Next, we have seen a post come out on social media from the GBR Stratton Motorsport team for potential racers within their British GT Championship AMR Vantage GT4 programme have announced a two-car entry into the 2026 season last year.

Just how many drivers they are after is yet to be seen but they did confirm potential test dates for any interested parties at Donington, Snetterton and Silverstone.

The necessary contact details for both the Academy and GBR Stratton requests can be seen within each respective image.

 

 

We have seen the Portuguese based Racar Motorsport team confirm their acquisition of at least one new Vantage GT4 for this season’s racing activities (yet to be confirmed) having secured both the Iberian and CPV drivers titles within the Iberian Supercars Series with their 17A variant.

 

 

Lastly, we (sadly)see the offering for sale of the former 2 Seas Motorsport/Verstappen.com AMR Vantage GT3 that was used by Thierry Vermuelin, Harry King and Chris Lulham to win the Gold Class within last season’s GT World Challenge Endurance Cup Championship seeing their recent move back to the AMG platform.

Photo credits – Teams / Racer Direct / social media

 

 

 

 

As we first thought, a suggestive entry list featuring up to six Aston Martin Racing powered entries into last weekend’s final round of the Iberian Supercars Series from Estoril saw in the end just three such cars take part.

Featuring two final fifty minute races within the series season concluding Estoril Endurance Festival saw both the #77 Racar Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 of Mathieu Martins and the #777 Gianfranco AMR Vantage GT4 of Rubens Vaquinhas and Pedro Bastos Rezende chase the Iberian and Espana Series double within their respective GT4 Pro and GT4 Am classes.

 

The Estoril Endurance Festival has attracted another twenty-five strong GT4 grid for the final races of the Iberian Supercars Series at the Portuguese circuit.

Getting ourselves confused with the series inter Supercars Espana Series which concluded at Jerez a few weeks ago with a number of Aston Martin Racing powered crews taking the top accolades throughout the multiple classes, this weekend’s final races of the Iberian based series sees similar AMR possibilities.

 

There were more podium finishes and indeed championship wins for a couple of Aston Martin Racing powered crews at the end of last weekend’s final round of the Iberian Supercar Series from Jerez in southern Spain.

Originally listed a showing six such Vantage GT4 crews as participating within these two races, it appears that only four may have showed up and with one significant pairing this time not running as how they previously have.

 

The Iberian Supercars Championship host their penultimate round of their season this weekend from the southern Spanish city of Jerez where another sizeable collection of GT4, GTC and TCR based cars will compete over these two races.

Within the provisional entry list, we would expect to see six Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 powered crews compete – mainly within the GT4 classed entry but with an older generation also competing amongst the GTC and TCR entry.

 

Some of the six Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 crews entered into last weekend’s fourth round of the Iberian Supercars Series saw their championship ambitions stutter slightly as their respective class competition found their form.

This time racing at Valencia, the six AMR’s from the Araujo Competicao, Racar Motorsport and Gianfranco Motorsport teams could only manage a pair of class podium finishes between them after the two fifty-minute races.

 

After something of a two-month interlude since their last round at Vila Real at the beginning of July, the Iberian Super Cars Series returns to the track of Valencia for its fourth round of the season with another sizeable entry of forty-five GT4 based entries.

Within their midst will also be another sizeable presence of Aston Martin Racing powered entries as the Araujo Competicao, Racar Motorsport and Gianfranco Motorsport teams return with their GT4 Pro, GT4 Pro-Bronze, GT4 Bronze and GT4 Am classes crews for this weekend’s two fifty-minute races.

 

An overall successful return to the Iberian Supercars Series for several of the Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 crews as they battled two challenging street circuit races at Vila Real at the weekend.

Originally listed as having up to seven AMR powered crews within the twenty-three strong entry, the Racar Motorsport team was still able to field four crews whilst the Gianfranco Motorsport team entered one of their own.