On what has quickly become a 'dark day' for motorsport worldwide, at least there may be some motor racing taking place this coming weekend as the GT4 America Series continues to support the Indy-car Firestone Grand Prix of St Petersburg event - but with restrictions and with a revised schedule.

In the wake of the growing public exposure issues with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, todays loss of the FIA WEC event and postponement of the IMSA race from just up the coastline in Sebring as well as the now cancelled Formula 1 opener from Australia, this event will now be only be run with restricted access for essential personnel only within the confines of the street circuit. The opening round of the Asia GT Festival should also have been this weekend before the cancellation of that event some weeks ago.

All other public access has been cancelled on the order of the city Mayor if the event even runs at all.


Whilst that official confirmation is yet to be received, we already know that despite the four Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4's that competed at the opening round of the SRO Sprint Series from the Circuit of the Americas just last week, this weekend's race will consist of the sole AMR entry from Fred Roberts and his Recstuff Racing prepared car amongst the thirteen car entry.

When we enquired with CSJ Motorsport (AMR's North American strategic partner) as to why there was such a decline in team interest, the answer was simple - the hard concrete walls just off the racing line around the entirety of the temporary street circuit!!


Bronze ranked driver, Roberts ran his first Sprint races in the two fifty minute Sprint Series races of last weekend under the watchful eye of Generation AMR Pro driver Matt George. He has now returned to the UK so (if the event even goes ahead of course) this event will show up just how much he has learned in his return to the racetrack. Whilst the #89 car finished each race over last weekend, his best result came in Sundays Race 2 where he finished P13 overall and P8 in the Am class.

We wish everyone well with this and in more ways than one!

Photo credits - GT4 America / CSJ Motorsport

Not content to rest upon the laurels of their successes on the opening day of the new GT4 America Series from the Circuit of The Americas over the weekend, the five new Aston Martin Racing Customer teams entered into the SRO sanctioned Series pushed on to increase the number of podiums gained after the second day of running yesterday and marked the firm arrival of the new AMR Vantage GT4 in the USA.

The longer, pit stop influenced Sprint X race was the only race on Saturday that an AMR runner wasn't on the podium for but that was soon changed in Sundays race where the #21 Flying Lizards AMR Vantage GT4 of Michael Dinan and Robby Foley went onto claim a well earned second position overall in the multi-class race after the hour of racing.


With the #15 BSport Racing Vantage of Kenton Koch being the lead AMR car on the grid on the front row, a chaotic start was to ensue as the first four rows of cars became detached from the main body of the grid that lead to the usual 'argy-bargy' going into the tight left hander, dropping both the #15 and #21 cars down but also allowed the pack to regain their position just behind.

The first trouble for an AMR runner came on the opening lap for this race as the #33 Rennsport 1 AMR of Pat Gallagher tagged the rear of the KTM X-Bow, spinning that around but causing themselves substantial front end damage that would ultimately see that car retire by lap 6.


After a brief FCY/Safety car to clean up the debris field of the #33 cars accident, a competitive race began between the two Pro drivers aboard the #15 and #21 cars as Koch initially kept Foley behind him before the two traded places on many occasions as the cars headed towards their pit stops just after the halfway mark - which they would take a lap apart from one another.

The #91 Rearden Racing car of Vesko Kozarov had also been having an eventful race, going fast enough to maintain his then P10 position overall from the forceful attentions of the TRG Porsche behind. That all came to a horrible end for the Russian as a side swipe contact from the #23 Porsche lead to an immediate deflation of the right rear tyre going into turn 1 and although the car did eventually make it back to pit lane, too much time had already been lost.


A quick stop from BSport Racing and a slow stop from the Flying Lizard team meant that their cars had again swapped positions on the timing screen as the amateur drivers ventured out and both picked up easy places as two other cars struggled on cold tyres on their out laps. That moved both the #15 and #21 cars up to P2 and P3 respectively with just twenty minutes remaining but for Putt, that was unfortunately fifteen minutes too long!

Struggling for pace, the #15 car dropped down to P8 overall and P5 in class by the time of the chequered flag but Dinan was able to keep pushing to earn himself and co driver Foley a highly warranted P2 overall (and in class) finish for Dinan's second podium of the weekend so far.

Sadly, the #33 Rennsport and the #91 Rearden Astons were the only DNF's of the race.


To complete the opening weekend of the series saw the second fifty minute Sprint race of the weekend with the four AMR's making the grid. Paul Terry's #59 Rearden Racing AMR would again out qualifying the #210 Flying Lizard car in P4 and P5 respectively whilst the #91 Rearden car of Jeff Burton would start from P10 just ahead of the #89 RecStaff Racing car of Fred Roberts in P12.


For the second Sprint race of the weekend, Terry and Dinan went racing together creating some fine sights around the 5.5km circuit amongst those nail biting moments that could have seen both cars spin off into eternity. Also for the second time, transponder issue aboard the #59 car lead to it being placed incorrectly on the timing screen but that mattered not to either Am class Aston as they kept upon the tail of the leading Pro driven cars ahead despite their Am driver credentials.

Just before the halfway mark there was little over half a second between the two Astons as Dinan didn't want to let Terry look to reverse the class finish of race 1 where Dinan took the class honour at the penultimate corner.


A brief FCY for a stranded car followed by then a second FCY soon after for an accident on the restart lap let all the drivers have a breather and let their tyres rest before an eight minute final burst to the finish.

As almost expected of them, the battle to the flag went all the way to the final corner where Terry managed to get passed Dinan into the final corner and keep the power down in long enough to beat the #210 car on the drag up to the finish line. Further issues with timing and the #59 meant that Dinan was at first interviewed as the winner of the Am class but that was soon rectified behind the scenes to allow Terry to take the top step of the podium for the first time.


Last weekends GT4 America ended up producing five podium positions across some of the five AMR Vantage teams together with two P4's and a P5 from the Sprint and Sprint X races - that is a fantastic achievement but also one that will be very difficult to replicate considering the characteristics of some of the circuits the series will now visit.

Next stop for the Sprint cars will be next weekend from St Petersburg in Florida - gloves are off - now the season starts!!!

Photo credits - GT4 America / Flying Lizards / Rearden / CSJ Motorsport

This weekends opening round of the 2020 SRO GT4 America series has already proved itself to be a successful one for the five teams running the new Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4.

Spilt between the hour long Sprint X and the fifty minute Sprint races, both the Flying Lizard and Rearden Racing teams came away with their first racing spoils of the new season with a close 1-2 in yesterdays Sprint race having been running as an AMR 1-2-3 in the opening stages of the race.


With four new Vantages running in each of the Sprint X and Sprint races, all the teams had to make adaptions to their earlier Free Practice running setups due to the lower ambient and track temperatures (and slight rainfall in the morning) that were experienced on Saturday as well as (for some) differing characteristics within the car brought about by an apparent change in Balance of Performance within the chassis since the Series Winter Invitational earlier in the year.

For the fifty minute Sprint race, it was a simple case of letting the Pro cars go and race their own race for the rest of the Pro-Am field that was lead throughout by either the #210 Flying Lizard car of Michael Dinan or the #59 Rearden car of Paul Terry.


Whilst the then third placed #91 Rearden car of Jeff Burton was sucked into the battles of the chasing pack behind, both Terry and Dinan were allowed to race away and squabble between themselves for the right to lead the class, producing some great racing as a result that would go all the away before being decided  at the penultimate corner of the race for Dinan to snatch the Pro-Am win from Terry at the death. That race brought large smiles to both drivers at the podium celebrations.

Burton would eventually finish P4 in class whilst the series returning Fred Roberts brought in the last of the runners with his #89 Vantage as he gets himself back up to speed with the Series and his new AMR with the help of driver coach Matt George.


In the earlier Sprint X race, things were a little harder for the for runners and the Pro-Am line ups with the amateur drivers taking the start on what still a greasy circuit following the earlier rain.

The top running AMR was Jeff Burton who would share his #91 car with co-driver Vesko Kozarov and they were closely followed by Michael Dinan and Robby Foley with his (other) #21 AMR. The other coverts to the AMR marque were the #15 BSport Racing car of Bryan Putt and Kenton Koch who would start from P16 and the #33 Rennsport 1 predared car of Joe Dalton and Pat Gallagher.


At the rolling start, both front running Astons would go side by side into the tight turn 1 and that battle would continue into the opening laps although the simply lead to them being both caught and passed to drop them back from the Qualifying position.

Both cars were fortunate just ten minutes into the race when the #91 Mercedes collected both Astons going into a corner too hot, leading to race ending front ending damage for himself and a delayed return to the race for Dinan.


Running up to the mid way point and compulsory part stop, Burton was still P3 in class whilst Dinan had dropped down to P6 in class. Putt and Dalton hadn't really got going running and were down in P12/13 respectively as all four Aston pitted at the first available opportunity within the ten minute window.

Bizarrely, all the Aston's lost track position over the course of the pit window leaving the top runner the #21 Flying Lizard car of Robby Foley whilst the #91 Rearden car had dropped down to P10 in class.


Despite from flying laps from Kenton Koch aboard the #15 BSport car in the early laps of his stint, no other AMR could really muster any challenge to better the position that they were already. First race of the season and early issues with bad tyre management were some of the reasons why so that should change as the season progresses.


Second Sprint and Sprint X races take place this afternoon.

Photo credits - Rearden / Flying Lizards / CSJ Motorsport / GT4 America

After a day of private testing around the 5.5km long Circuit of The America's track yesterday, all thirty nine GT4 race cars have hit the track again today for the opening Free Practice sessions for the 2020 GT4 America Series.

The opening round's entry list confirms four new Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4's to compete in both the Series Sprint and Sprint X races this weekend with these new cars spread across five race teams, all of whom are new converts to the British marque for this season.


With FP1 already under their belts, it has been the #15 BSport Racing Vantage of Kenton Koch who has stolen the early march on their fellow Sprint X runners being fastest in this mornings session just ahead of the #21 Flying Lizards AMR of Robby Foley just 0.162 seconds behind whilst Michael Dinan and his #210 Flying Lizards AMR car was the front runner in the Sprint class in P5, just 1.4 seconds behind that class's pace setting Ford Mustang.

With cars and drivers doubling up to race in both the Sprint and Sprint X races, you will need to keep your wits open to avoid on any confusion into who's in what and racing with whom!


A bright, warm sunny day at the circuit today has also shown these cars new racing liveries off in fine detail for the first time with other entries from Rearden Racing, Recstuff Racing and Rennsport.

Indeed, the two Rearden entries of both Jeff Burton and Paul Terry come to Texas fresh off the back of some winter competition racing in the Series Winter Invitational from the Thermal Club in California where Burton cashed in on a couple of class podiums over the three event series in the process.


The final driver not so far mentioned is Fred Roberts who swaps to the AMR marque having raced a Maserati in what was then the Pirelli World Challenge in 2017. His car is already a successful one should someone want to take a stab as to what/where and with whom???

Roberts also has the extremely talented young driver coach of Matt George by his side for this double race weekend - George has long been associated with the AMR brand having taught fashion designer and former SuperDry co-owner James Holder all he knows for them to compete together in both iterations of AMR Vantage GT4 in series such as the British GT Championship, GT4 European Series and the French FFSA GT4 Championships.


With most of these new AMR's having been procured through AMR's North American strategic partner CSJ Motorsport, it is only fitting that they also display a beautifully liveried Vantage GT4 to mark the start of the GT4 America season after what was a very successful audition at Daytona earlier this year. This car is also for sale with immediate delivery should you care to sign upon the dotted line.


Racing starts tomorrow!

Photo credits - GT4 America / CSJ Motorsport / AMR

Eight brand new Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4's will converge at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas next weekend for the first rounds of the SRO sanctioned GT4 America Sprint and Sprint X Series of races.

Previously run under the Pirelli World Challenge banner, these Sprint and Sprint X races follow the same pathway as before, allowing both amateur and Pro-Am driver line ups to race competitively under the SRO Balance of Performance system whether as individuals or as part of a driver pairing.


The Sprint Series is a 50 minute race for an individual driver whilst the Sprint X Series is an hour long race with a compulsory pit stop and driver change in the middle with the race diary allowing for cars to participate in both series per race event.

In Sprint X we see four such cars enter, the #15 BSport Racing entry for Bryan Putt and Kenton Koch, the #33 Rennsport One entry for Joe Dalton and Patrick Gallagher, #91 Reardon Racing with Jeff Burton and Vesko Kozarov and the #21 Flying Lizard entry for Michael Dinan and Robby Foley.


These four cars are in turn matched by another four cars that will run in the Sprint Series with lone races for both Jeff Burton and Michael Dinan abroad their respective Reardon and Flying Lizard cars but are this time joined by Paul Terry with his #59 Rearden Racing car and Fred Roberts with his #89 Notland Racing Vantage GT4.

Test sessions are available for all on both Thursday and Friday ahead of Qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday.


These eight cars are mainly down to the hard work of Aston Martin Racing North America strategic partner CSJ Motorsport and one of these cars has already enjoyed Championship success with a former owner elsewhere in the world - can you guess which one, who with and where??



Photo credits - GT4 America / social media