Multimatic Motorsports rose to a host of challenges in a weekend that saw one car withdrawn before practice even started and its Daytona podium finisher suffer electronic problems that took it out of contention during the first few laps of the race.

A technical non-compliance caused by an error during the car build in England resulted in the #16 Aston Martin Vantage of Nick Mancusso and Frankie Montecalvo being permanently parked by Grand-Am on Thursday morning. This car had been flown to Florida from England the day before the Daytona race practice in January and the non-performance related issue had been missed by both Multimatic and Grand-Am in the run up to its excellent fourth place finish in its debut event. Aston Martin Racing has pledged to have the car sorted for Multimatic well in advance of the next event at Barber Motorsports Park which was of no conciliation to the nascent driver pairing of Mancuso and Montecalvo who frustratingly watched the Austin event from the sidelines.

Despite this major setback the team persevered and the remaining three entries were always near the top of the timesheets through to qualifying where Jade Buford made it two poles in a row for the Multimatic #55 Vantage. Although out dragged at the green by the mighty power of the #01 Camaro, Buford slotted in behind the Chevy and the two leaders proceeded to pull away from the field through the first phase of the race. Michael Marsal in the #71 and John Farano in the #15 immediately started a climb through the field, ultimately running nose to tail until the latter reported that he had lost power and was having to dive for the pits only a handful of laps into the race. The ensuing sequence of events resulted in his driving partner David Empringham falling off of the lead lap and finishing the race a distant 22nd in class. Marsal put in a stellar shift handing off to Tonis Kasemets at the first caution period, who then proceeded to drive an inspired race to finish 5th, the team's best placing on a day when the competition was fierce and the #96 BMW of Bill Auberlen was untouchable, turning a race best lap a full second faster than the rest of the field. Scott Maxwell took the #55 from Buford at the first caution and battled in the top group throughout the remainder of the race, always in contention for the podium even as alternative strategies mixed-up the order in the middle hour. However, it all went wrong just a few laps from the end when the #9 Camaro of Matt Bell got sideways at the front of the tight 3rd through 7th group and Maxwell dove to the inside to take advantage only to meet with contact in the scrum. Grand-Am deemed the ensuing mayhem to be the Multimatic driver's fault and a 60 second stop and go penalty dropped the #15 to a lowly 18th at the end. Highlights of the weekend were as follows:

With Montecalvo/Mancuso only able to watch from the sideline, qualifying transpired to be a fraught fifteen minutes as Grand-Am race control surprisingly initiated a stringent new standard for course cutting that resulted in no less than 20 top five lap times being excluded, including Buford's first two fliers and all but one of Farano's qualifying efforts. As there was no warning of the new criteria and no detailed explanation of the resulting infractions it was a testament to Buford that he drove the most conservative lap that he could and grabbed his second pole in a row for the #55 car just as the session ended. Marsal and Farano ended a frustrated 11th and 17th respectively with none of the Multimatic drivers really understanding what Grand-Am was penalizing them for.

The race started well with all three Multimatic Aston's showing good pace and Buford in the #55 stuck to the bumper of the leading CKS Camaro as they pulled away from the field to a comfortable eight second margin. However, it was only a half a dozen laps in that Farano reported that his engine had gone flat and was heading for the pit box. The team quickly reset the ECU and sent the #15 back into the fray but it was forced to run through the lane again due to a speeding infraction on the first visit at which point Farano fell back to just 15 seconds ahead of the two leaders. In anticipation of a yellow flag period the team chose to stop the car again just after the 30 minute mark for a full service and driver change to Empringham, counting on the wave-by when the leaders stopped under caution. The caution ultimately did come 20 minutes later but not all the leaders stopped and Empringham was caught a lap down, never able to recover; an illustration of how competitive the series has become, that even a small problem cannot be salvaged.

Both the #55 and #71 took the first yellow with the majority of the field and changed drivers and fuel with the former also opting for four tires while the #71 did not. With the balance of the pack stopping under a second caution at lap 25, Maxwell and Kasemets cycled up the order to compete in the leading pack. With the race heading towards 55+ laps with most cars capable of 25 on a full fuel load it appeared that everybody would still need to take on fuel and the Multimatic engineers chose to stop the #55 and #71 just as they entered their finishing fuel window, under green with an hour to go. This coincided with the Auberlen BMW and #13 Rum Bum Porsche making identical moves.

As the race wound down Auberlen started to pick-off the guys that had not stopped and ultimately pulled away from the field while a gaggle of six cars fought it out behind him. Maxwell tried every trick in the book to get past the rabid crowd but two more yellows slowed his progress and allowed the gamblers to be able to make it to the finish. Meanwhile the #71 of Kasemets closed in on the same battle having had to make up time after taking tires at the last stop. Just as he got to the battle a few laps from the end Maxwell and the #9 Camaro exited in a cloud of dust and Tonis found himself in fifth while his teammate was called to the sin bin for a full minute.

A totally exciting on track squabble for the fans but not the outcome that the Multimatic team was looking for, although Kasemets' and Marsal's steady drive gave the #71 a solid top five finish.

The third race of the season is at Barber Motorsports Park. It will be held on Saturday, April 6th, 2013 at 4:00 PM ET at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.

Multimatic Motorsports left The World Center of Racing with a solid haul of championship points and a high level of confidence that its 2013, four car Aston assault has all the ingredients required for a successful season. Even though the fourth car only arrived in Orlando, from England, late on Tuesday night, the team was at full strength from first practice on Wednesday, with everything running smoothly and more importantly quickly, out of the box. Despite still carrying the disproportionately high balance of performance ballast, the Multimatic Astons topped the time sheets all the way through to the truncated qualifying session where young gun Jade Buford put the #55 Vantage V8 on the pole.

The opening race of the 2012 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, held on the high banks of the 3.56 mile Daytona road course configuration, was a typically intense affair with plenty of "rubbing" and enough caution periods to challenge the most experienced tactician. Multimatic took full advantage of its four car stable and ran alternative "pairs" strategies which covered all possible outcomes.  The Multimatic Astons led large portions of the race with the #55 of Buford and #71 of Mike Marsal running nose to tail at the front of the field for a period after their two sister cars had made early stops. With the first rounds of pit stops completed it was David Empringham in the #15 Aston that was able to take control of the race up until the #61 Roush Mustang of Billy Johnson went steaming past on the backstretch on lap 34. But despite the straight line speed advantage of the Mustang, Johnson couldn't make it stick in the infield road course section and the two traded the lead up until the second round of stops.  With the race settling into its final 45 minutes, with all pit stops complete, the team suffered two setbacks in quick succession with the #71 of Tonis Kasemets picking up a drive through penalty for a pit lane speeding infraction and the #55 of Scott Maxwell being pushed into the tire wall at the bus stop with half an hour left in the race. Neither driver had a hope of recovering from these delays due to the highly competitive nature of the racing and so finished 11th and 12th respectively despite some outstanding driving from Maxwell that saw him consistently making three passes per lap. In the closing laps the racing got even more intense at the front between Johnson, Empringham and Matt Plumb in the Rum Bum Porsche. Ultimately the ballast weight on the Astons took its toll and superior braking, handling and driving couldn't overcome the speed deficiency on the banking and the #15 crossed the line an excellent third with Nick Mancuso in the #16 right behind in fourth after holding off a late race charge by a couple of aggressive Camaros. Highlights of the weekend were as follows:

The old friendship/rivalry of Empringham and Maxwell saw the #15 and #55 Astons trading times at the top of the sheets throughout all of the practice sessions leading up to qualifying. The #71 of Kasemets and Marsal was never far behind as the former tried different set-ups and the latter spent the time getting to grips with his new Aston ride. Frankie Montecalvo and Mancuso did double duty in practice as they came to terms with driving their Aston in vengeance after getting only a handful of laps in official testing, and then being tasked with working through all of the new car issues.

Qualifying saw Buford in the #55, Marsal in the #71, John Farano in the #15 and Montecalvo in #16 all get caught out to different degrees by a red flag incident that ultimately reduced the session to a single flying lap. It was Buford who ultimately took maximum advantage of the situation and made his very first attempt count at a 1:56.512 which handed him the pole by over 0.3 seconds over the #61 Mustang of Jack Roush Jr. Although the data indicated that the other three Multimatic drivers were all on much faster laps than their first when the track went red these were not to count and Montecalvo ended 10th, Farano 12th and Marsal 14th.

The race saw numerous procedural changes, made by the new for 2013 race director, causing a fair bit of confusion and mayhem; the most significant of which was the old standard of not passing before the start finish line at restarts being replaced by a "you're racing when it goes green" approach. At least two serious wrecks were caused by some overzealous competitors trying to win the race at every green. Through all of this the Aston drivers remained calm, and there was always a white Multimatic Vantage at or near the front. The performance was especially gratifying to the Canadian team as all four cars outperformed the new Aston Martin Racing North America entry of TRG throughout the weekend despite the outstanding European factory driver pairing of Stefan Mücke and Darren Turner being brought in to assure its success.
    
Although not able to hold off the Mustang and Porsche on the banking, the Empringham/Farano entry ended on the podium which was a testament to the two Canadian drivers who were fast and kept out of trouble for the entire race. However, once again it was the #16 that was the story of the weekend as Mancuso held off some really aggressive charges at the final restart, putting in his best laps of the race in the final stages, in a car that had been 30,000 feet in the air just 72 hours earlier.

Multimatic Motorsports Team Principal, Larry Holt, commented: "I am very happy with our performance these last days; more from the standpoint of how the team executed than the outright result. This is the first time Sean Mason has had to deal with four cars in a single class but the engineers, mechanics and drivers just came together in a truly impressive way. The Astons were immaculately prepared, the race strategy was perfectly executed and other than one of the eight pit stops having a small jack problem, the team's performance in the lane was flawless.  John and Dave just did what they always do - drove fast and smart and ended on the podium - which is how they won the 2012 championship. I am really impressed with how Nick and Frankie performed and they totally earned that fourth place. The old boys suffered a couple of setbacks but that is all that kept them from the podium as both Tonis and Scotty displayed great pace. Finally, I can't help but be proud of the fact that it was Multimatic, once again, upholding Aston Martin's reputation at the front as Mücke and Turner were never a factor in the TRG entry."

The second race of the season is the GRAND-AM of The Americas presented by GAINSCO and TOTAL. It will be held on Saturday, March 02, 2013 at 3:00 PM at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX.

Building on the solid foundation of the team’s 2012 Aston Martin Grand-Am campaign, Multimatic Motorsports is doubling its efforts by entering four Vantage V8s in the 2013 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. After running four cars in two classes last season the decision has been taken to consolidate all of the team’s racing activity back into the Grand Sport category where it achieved its greatest successes, including three outright championships.

2012 was a season of highs and lows for the Canadian racing organization. Highlights included a second place at Barber Motorsports Park only two races into the new Aston relationship, and a pair of thirds, at Laguna Seca and Lime Rock Park, in the last two races of the season when the team really started to sort the cars. The middle of the year proved difficult as North American specific performance issues forced unforeseen development during race weekends, which is never a good recipe for success. However, the highly competitive Astons were ultimately sorted for the unique requirements of CTSCC competition and the future looks bright for the attractive British sports car.

In preparation for the 2013 season the team has made a number of changes and already participated in three multi-day tests. With the addition of more drivers to the team’s line-up, three Aston Martin Vantage V8s were taken to Road Atlanta and then Circuit of the Americas, in Austin, which are two new additions to the 2013 CTSCC schedule. The most recent test and official season kick-off was held at Daytona International Speedway at the beginning of January, where the Multimatic Astons consistently posted top three times in almost every session. The #55 car set the fastest time in two of the six sessions and the #71 and #15 cars were never far behind. The major changes to the team for 2013 are:

• Multimatic’s lead driver Scott Maxwell will remain in the #55 Aston but now partners with young gun Jade Buford. Buford joined Multimatic at the Indianapolis test, midway through the 2012 season, after previously driving for both Roush Performance and Rebel Rock Racing. He ran with Kasemets for the final three races of last season, finishing in the top 15 all three times and on the podium at Laguna Seca, where he displayed an outstanding turn of speed towards the end of the race.

• The #71 Aston will remain in the hands of Tonis Kasemets but he will now be paired with Michael Marsal, new to the Multimatic team but highly experienced, with time at Turner Motorsports in both CTSCC GS and Rolex GT as well as in Le Mans prototypes with Dyson Racing in ALMS. Marsal has already proven to be a contender showing great pace at the Daytona test.

• Possibly the most exciting addition to the Multimatic roster for the 2013 season is the 2012 championship winning drivers, David Empringham and John Farano. The famous Multimatic #15 will be used on this new entry and the two ex-Porsche campaigners have already come to terms with the front engined machinery. It was the old friendship and rivalry of Canadian’s Maxwell and Empringham swapping fast times at the Daytona test. Empringham and Farano finished all but one race in the top 10 during their 2012 championship winning run.

• A fourth Vantage V8 has been added to the line-up since the Daytona test, carrying #16 and driven by the young duo of Frank Montecalvo and Nick Mancuso. Montecalvo previously drove a Mustang Boss 302R for Multimatic Motorsports in 2010; partnered with team stalwart Gunnar Jeannette he did an excellent job in his first attempt at large, rear wheel drive street cars. In 2012 he was brought in to drive the #16 Multimatic Ford Focus ST-R on a couple of occasions with Mancuso who led the charge in the ST class car for the full season. The two worked perfectly together and proved their capability to compete in the rough and tumble world of CTSCC racing, having both graduated from successful single seat careers. The two of them showed their stuff at the Daytona test and a last minute deal was put together for them to share a fourth team car for the season. That Aston will arrive in North America on the Tuesday before the race just in time to make Wednesday’s practice sessions.

Multimatic Motorsports Team Principal,Larry Holt, commented: “To have this level of talent in all four cars is unprecedented. We have four potential championship winning pairings with these guys. Maxwell, Empringham and Farano are all previous champions which combined with the experience and pace of Tonis and the four young guns, gives me high expectations for the season. We are still dragging a load of ballast around in the Vantage due to Grand-Am’s balance of performance decisions but were still quick at the test and obviously have some headroom if allowed to take a few pounds out. The #16 car deal came together late and having it land in Miami on the Tuesday before the race puts a little pressure on the team, but it is coming with a few of my top UK based technicians including Rob Taylor who has a wealth of engineering experience.Sean Masonwill once again be overseeing the program but with guys like Rob,Charlie Cadieux,Brian Jones,Jeff Ripleyand Will Kerley running the cars he has some pretty stout help. Last year’s ST and GS teams have been combined and with that level of talent on hand I will be able to watch from the hospitality suites.”

TRG fans will get their first glimpse of an Aston Martin this weekend at the testing session that serves as a prelude to the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona race weekend. During the off-season, team owner Kevin Buckler signed a long term partnership with Aston Martin Racing to become TRG-AMR North America, and the first race car to hit the States is an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 that will compete in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge the weekend of the Daytona 24.

Aston Martin Racing factory driver, Stefan Mücke, will test the car this weekend for its inaugural run. Buckler intends to fill the co-pilot seat shortly with Mücke, who last year saw action in the U.S. driving with Aston Martin veterans Adrian Fernandez and Darren Turner. The trio competed at both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the American Le Mans Series race at Laguna Seca, where it sat on the pole in the GT class.

"We are all very excited about our inaugural run with the new GT4 Vantage this weekend," said Buckler. "We are taking a measured approach with our first event in focusing on sorting the new car. We have several Aston Martin racing engineers coming to Daytona to join our team as well as Stefan driving the car so I'm looking for a very positive result. We will be filling the car with a qualified co-driver in the next few days."

Mücke, an Aston Martin factory driver from Germany, is a veteran sports car driver, having driven not only in the ALMS but the DTM, FIA GT1, FIA GT2, Europe's Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours at Le Mans twice. Last year, with Fernandez and Turner, the Aston Martin trio earned a third-place podium at the world's most famous endurance classic.

"We are really looking forward to competing again in GS in the Conti Series," said Buckler. "We're going to have Astons in three series this year - ALMS, Grand-Am and Conti - but Daytona is the first big test. I know Stefan and our team will do a great job. I look forward to this weekend!!"

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.

TRG-AMR expects to debut the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Rolex series this coming spring. Its ALMS Vantage GTE is expected to debut at Sebring.

Michael Marsal’s 2013 GRAND-AM season got off to an early start as he spent the past two days testing at the new state-of-the-art Circuit of the Americas (COTA)  located in Austin, Texas.

COTA is one of three new venues on the 2013 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge schedule this year and will mark GRAND-AM’s second stop of the year with the series making its race debut February 28-March 2.

The Texas test saw pleasant weather conditions as Marsal joined Multimatic Motorsports for his second outing in the team’s Aston Martin Vantage. Having first tested the new machine at Road Atlanta in November, Marsal utilized the two full days of testing around the 3.427-mile, 20-turn Austin circuit to continue to learn the intricacies of his new ride, which he will co-drive with Tonis Kasemets.

“I’m still getting used to driving the Aston Martin,” said Marsal, who is making the move after three seasons in a Turner Motorsport BMW M3. “The Turner car was really developed by last year, but the Aston is relatively new and has a lot of potential. It takes a different style of driving and I am just getting used to it. It’s also been fun to get to know a new team and pick up on what they do well. I’m really looking forward to racing this car.”

A very technical track with long laps, the circuit outside of the city that likes to “Keep Austin Weird” is unlike any other that the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series visits.

“It’s an incredible track - it is very technical, and there are some corner combinations that are pretty unusual,” said Marsal of the new facility. “It is really wide--enough room to go four wide on the straight, which could get interesting going into the really big braking zones. So I think it is going to make for a good race. It is a wide open track, but there are also a lot of things to hit so it’s not like you can just go off without any consequences. It is different from any other track that we have in the States.”

Ready to take on a new challenge with a new team, Michael Marsal is set to campaign his fourth Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season as he joins Multimatic Motorsports to pilot the Aston Martin Vantage with co-driver Tonis Kasemets.

Since making an impact for Turner Motorsport in his rookie season with co-driver Joey Hand, nearly claiming the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship, the 24-year-old racer has continued to grow his racing resume.

After first moving up to race in the Rolex Series GT ranks in 2011, Marsal continued his upward racing mobility again this year with a move to the American Le Mans Series and the high-capability Prototype machines in ALMS competition with Dyson Racing.

He will now add to that experience in 2013, as Multimatic has offered Marsal the opportunity to carry the flag as part of Aston Martin’s burgeoning racing exploits.

“I’m excited about joining Multimatic to race this Aston Martin,” said Marsal. “I am honored to have the chance to represent a brand with the history that Aston Martin has in the sport. This is going to be a much different kind of car for me to race, but I am looking forward to the challenge of learning how to get as much out of the Vantage and this experience as I can.”

Entering the team’s 21st year of competition, Toronto-based Multimatic Motorsports has established itself as Canada’s premiere motorsports organization and has claimed three Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge GS championships in 10 years. Being surrounded by such a capable team is nothing new to Marsal, who has already had the opportunity to race with some of the biggest names in the sport in his young career.

“Last season, I got to race for Dyson in the Prototypes and of course I’ve raced for Turner Motorsport for several seasons so now I’m looking forward to being a part of this Multimatic effort,” said Marsal. “It’s going to be a bit odd for me to make this change, but hopefully I will have the chance to race for Will (Turner) in Grand-Am again soon.”

In Marsal’s debut Grand-Am season, he finished runner-up in the 2010 GS championship and in 30 race starts has claimed two race wins, nine-top five finishes and 18 top-10 results. With so much experience in the well-developed BMW M3, Marsal is also relishing the chance to be a part of the Aston Martin program, which showed flashes of excellence during the 2012 season.

“Finding the lap times in the Aston I think will be different from the BMW and I know I’m going to have to adjust how I approach driving this car versus the BMW,” said Marsal. “But that is also a big part of the appeal for me because it will help me become a more complete driver, so I’m looking forward to this challenge. I’ve been up to Toronto to visit Multimatic, and the facility is really impressive. I have to say that the depth of what the organization is capable of is really impressive and I look forward to being part of a hopefully strong season for them this year.”

Marsal is also close to firming up his Rolex Series plans for 2013 with an announcement expected in the coming weeks.

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.

 
Multimatic Motorsports hit the sweet spot with the team's two Aston Martin Vantage V8 Grand-Ams in the Monterey hills as Joe Foster and Tonis Kasemets dominated Saturday morning qualifying, trading lap records throughout the session and resulting in an all Aston front row, more than 0.3 seconds clear of the field. The opening stages of the race were totally controlled by the two Astons; the diminutive British sports cars running nose to tail with little to no pressure from the chasing hoard of American and German competition. This made Boris Said's "Hail Mary" passing attempt in the #97 BMW, at the first caution restart, all the more bizarre as he had no hope of beating the Astons under braking into the first corner. Coming from well back of the leading Multimatic cars he went down the inside of Kasemets and hit the race leading #55 Aston so hard that it shot Foster into the gravel trap destroying the back of the car.

Said was immediately penalized for the blatantly banzai move and Foster struggled back on track in P28 but soon retired as a split gearbox cooler resulted in a complete loss of drive. A hugely disappointed Maxwell never got in the car. Kasemets then took up the fight and maintained control of a race that rapidly deteriorated into a total wreckfest where survival became the primary focus. Full course yellows bred full course yellows and the #71 passed into a single stop strategy early in the event. Jade Buford took over at a caution slightly outside of a green flag finishing window which never proved a risk as some of the GS field got to the end having taken even earlier stops. Buford restarted in P13 due to a number of the field opting to stay out but the young American used his fresh tires to great advantage picking off at least one competitor per lap. He passed the white flag in P5 but the unbridled aggression continued in front of him ending the #35 Subaru's day in a huge fire and wounding the #38 BGB Porsche Carrera enough for Buford to slip through on the climb towards the Corkscrew to end the day P3; a podium in only his second race with the team. Highlights of the weekend were as follows:

Despite both Multimatic Astons breaking the lap record, previously held by Maxwell, during qualifying, they did not come off the trailer quick on Thursday. The challenge all season has been that every race is the first visit to the track for Multimatic's new cars. Despite the team having 20 years of experience at most of the venues only occasionally does the knowledge transfer directly to the Aston Martins. Laguna was one place where familiarity bestowed no advantage and the engineering team was forced to start from scratch. But vehicle dynamics is Multimatic's core competency and every session was used to advantage so that by Saturday morning the drivers felt that they had strong contenders for qualifying. And so it was with "Front Row Joe" putting the #55 on the pole a mere .014 of a second ahead of Kasemets in the #71 who had traded the fast time with Foster throughout the entire session. The Astons were the only cars in the 1:34's with a comfortable 0.3 second margin over the always quick third place CKS Camaro.

Foster and Kasemets controlled the typically wild start and comfortably led the field without threat until the first caution period 20 minutes in. Again the Aston duo did everything right at the restart but Said displayed no such discipline which put both he and Foster's cars out of contention on the spot. A relatively simple lapse of judgment ending what was certainly going to be a strong run for the perfectly balanced Aston.

Kasemets then led the charge in the remaining Vantage and did everything needed to keep the #71 in contention including letting the odd overly aggressive competitor into the lead when it became prudent. However, despite his generosity the Aston ended up leading on a number of occasions and was handed off to Buford in perfect condition with a fresh set of Continentals, a full tank of fuel and an hour and ten minutes to go. The final stint was a fraught affair as a new record was set for caution periods and penalties. Buford commented over the radio that those around him were "deranged" but displayed a level of maturity belying his age as he navigated through the carnage making some outstanding passes resulting in a well deserved spot on the podium.

For the second race in a row the Grand-Am Continental Tire Championship visited a “power track” to the detriment of the #55 Multimatic Aston Martin Vantage V8. Although as fast as any of the of the class leaders from corners 5 to 14 at the iconic American road racing circuit, once onto the notoriously long, steep, uphill front straight, the Aston had no chance but to stay in the draft. Despite still being disadvantaged by an immoderate ballast weight, set by Grand-Am early in the season, Scott Maxwell was able to qualify the agile British sportscar on the outside of the second row. The team reversed the normal driving order for the weekend, as Road America is Tonis Kasemets home circuit, and Maxwell was able to run as high as second during his opening stint. Conflicting strategies slotted Kasemets in at P8 after a full service stop, perfectly executed by the Multimatic crew, under a full course caution. However, with literally dozens of crashes occurring in the second half of the race, the longest continuous green period was only five laps and Kasemets was never able to start a rhythm. The continuous restarts left the #55 Aston open to being “out dragged” to the first corner whenever the green flew. At the checkered flag a train of 12 cars crossed the line bumper to bumper with the Multimatic entry finishing P11 having survived aggressive tag teaming by the two Racers Edge Motorsports Boss302R Mustangs. Highlights of the weekend were as follows:

The #55 Aston was never far outside the top five during the two days of free practice leading up to race day, despite still continuing to carry 250 lbs of ballast weight. The diminutive Aston being directed by Grand-Am to run at almost the same weight as the big torque Mustangs and Camaros. Despite this mandated liability, Maxwell was still able to qualify Q4 only 0.4 seconds off the pole towards the front of another extremely close grid.

In a similar calamity to the race at Barber earlier in the season, the field didn’t get through the first corner before a massive crash at the start-finish line brought out a full course yellow and the safety car. The Aston lost a spot in the first corner melee as Maxwell chose survival over track position in the totally banzai ten seconds of green flag racing. The early yellow was an indication of what was to come as ultimately only 47 laps were covered in the two and a half hour event; a mere 23 of them green. The four mile lap of Road America presents a unique problem in that the minimum three lap yellow period of Grand-Am results in between 15 and 20 minutes of caution every time there is an incident. There were four such periods during Maxwell’s stint alone, leaving a total of 12 laps of racing for the Canadian to drive to P2, come in for an early splash-and-go fuel stop and then hand off to Kasemets. A great handling car allowed Maxwell to climb towards the front and some aggressive coverage of the inside of the track, into the corners at the end of the two long straights, helped him maintain the position. Effective but not ultimately a sustainable way to race in the CTSCC.

Kasemet’s stint was also dominated by caution flags, on occasion the safety car only being deployed when more than three simultaneous crashes had occurred. The local driver got a total of eleven green flag laps. It was the numerous restarts that were the downfall of the Aston as Kasemets was “out dragged” to corner one and, ultimately, ran out of innovative ways to block. A rare three lap green flag period at the end of the race set-up a sprint to the finish that saw the Aston in a rabid fight with the Racers Edge team cars. The Multimatic entry held its own and split the two Mustangs to finish eleventh at the tail of the tight lead pack.

Despite a car that was severely down on power, a combination of great driving and good strategy allowed the #55 Multimatic Aston Martin Vantage V8 to hold off competitors and earn a P10 finish in the EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Tonis Kasemets took the first shift, starting P11, in what was to be an extremely entertaining and crash filled race that saw 8 cautions slow the race for 33 of its 75 laps. Kasemets passed the car to Scott Maxwell in a perfect pit-stop by the crew, which was followed by one of the most exciting final hours in series history, seeing the top ten cars finishing bumper to bumper covered by less than eight seconds at the checkered. Highlights of the weekend were as follows:

The #55 team has grown accustomed to consistently running in the top five during practice sessions this season, but a marked lack of off-corner acceleration left the team struggling to set top 15 times. An initial theory was that an ECU upgrade, meant to lower RPM and preempt another engine failure, which had sidelined the car at Homestead, had also greatly hindered the cars performance. In spite of these issues, Kasemets managed to qualify the #55 P11 in the predictably competitive field; a mere second covering the top 12 cars.

Although down on power, the car handled exceptionally well, and could carry more speed through corners than the rest of the field. This advantage allowed Kasemets to hold off opposition and maintain a top 15 position for the duration of his shift. When the leaders first came to pit for fuel, tires and a driver change, the #55 team opted for just a splash of fuel in an attempt to shorten their stop and gain track position. The strategy worked, gaining Kasemets three positions, but was less effective than it could have been due to an accident at the pit exit. When handed off to Maxwell during a second stop, with little over an hour remaining in the race, the #55 was P13.

Maxwell’s stint was dominated by caution flags, which kept the field tight and helped him to maintain position. During green flag racing the top 12 cars were running in a train, jostling for position with no shortage of bumping and side-by-side racing. Despite extreme pressure from quick competitors behind, including the #97 Turner BMW of Boris Said, Maxwell held his own in the train of leaders but struggled to make passes due to the power deficit. When all was said and done he had fought his way to the finish line in P10, in what is sure to be remembered as one of the most entertaining races of the season. Although most of the championship contending cars finished well, Maxwell maintains eighth place in the points and Multimatic Motorsports is focused on solving the engine issue before returning to competition at Road America on June 21-22.


Multimatic Motorsport

A fantastic first shift, saw the #55 Multimatic Aston Martin Vantage V8 Grand Am, at the hands of Tonis Kasemets, start from P3 and lead for a significant portion of the B+ HEROES 200 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. A strategic green flag pit stop, and driver change, as the car entered its finishing window, left Scott Maxwell to battle through the GS field. Despite an incredibly competitive class, Maxwell was in familiar territory and quickly worked his way up the leader board using a mix of great driving and good strategy, as some of the cars ahead made stops for fuel. It looked like a solid finish, as the #55 Multimatic Aston Martin came to the chequered flag in P5, but to the dismay of Maxwell, Grand-Am awarded a 35 second penalty for an incident in the final laps of the race. Due to the extremely tight competition in the series, the seemingly minor penalty resulted in a loss of 14 positions, dropping the #55 Multimatic Aston Martin to P19 in GS. Highlights of the weekend were as follows:   

During practice, the #55 team focused on improving the car’s setup over long, full fuel stints, making good progress thanks to input from both drivers. Kasemets had another great qualifying run, once again earning himself a P3 start for the race, and because of the tight nature of New Jersey Motorsports Park, with few places to pass, his qualifying effort was all the more satisfying.

Despite contact in the first corner that dropped the #55 Multimatic Aston Martin three positions, Kasemets had a solid opening stint. Race Engineer Will Kerley employed an alternative race strategy and opted to keep Kasemets out for as long as possible; instead of following the leaders to the pits at an early yellow. The strategy paid off and the Aston led for a good portion of the race. The Multimatic team finally brought the #55 car to the pits during green flag racing on Lap 45, when calculations showed a full fuel load would make the end. Unfortunately, a problem during the driver change delayed the stop and Maxwell returned to the track near the back of the GS field.

At the beginning of his stint, Maxwell was on a charge, working his way up to P12 before a lengthy full course yellow on Lap 53. As competing cars cycled through the pits during the caution, needing a final fuel stop, the #55 Multimatic Aston Martin position was improved. When a final full course yellow occurred on Lap 78, Maxwell had moved up to P7. With the final restart there was only enough time for two laps, a typical green-white-checkered finish, and Maxwell battled to P5. Unfortunately, in the process, contact was made with another car, earning Maxwell a 35 second driver’s penalty. Despite the disappointing result, the #55 Multimatic team remains upbeat and is looking forward to exploiting the true potential of the Vantage V8 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 8th-9th.

Over the course of last weekend, Aston Martin Racing’s partner teams represented the marque across five separate motor racing series, racking up no fewer than four podium results. Three variations of the Vantage racing car scored two class victories over one weekend of fiercely competitive motorsport action.

The first of the class victories came at the opening round of the Nürburgring-based VLN series as Team Mathol Racing’s Vantage GT4 prevailed in the SP10 category, continuing where it left off last season having dominated the GT4 class in the ten-race VLN endurance series. The V12-engined Vantage GT3, meanwhile, made its competitive debut in the thriving ADAC GT Masters series at Oschersleben, Germany, in the hands of Young Driver AMR with the pairing of Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen scoring victory in the amateur class in the first of two races. Further podium results followed in VLN, with Aston Martin’s own test centre team scoring second and third in the SP8 category with a Vantage GT3 and GT4 respectively. Multimatic Motorsports rounded out a successful weekend for Aston Martin Racing’s partner teams with second overall in the North American Grand-Am series.

In partnership with the Toronto-based outfit, Aston Martin contested the second round of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama, with a pair of Grand Sport class Vantage GT4s. The #55 car of series regulars Joe Foster and Scott Maxwell missed out on its maiden Grand-Am victory by a scant 0.5 seconds after two and a half hours of competition. The result bodes well for the remainder of the 11-round championship, which sees Aston Martin do battle with six- and eight-cylinder GT racers on its return to domestic competition in North America.

The second Multimatic-run Vantage GT4 of Hollywood movie star Patrick Dempsey and open-wheeler veteran Tonis Kasemets was unfortunately sidelined after being involved in an incident on lap three. The third round of the championship will be run at the Homestead Miami Speedway on April 28, with the team targeting the top step of the podium.

Aston Martin’s partnership with Young Driver AMR yielded six race wins in the FIA GT1 World Championship during 2010 and 2011, so its was fitting that the German squad should have the privilege of giving the new Vantage GT3 its competitive debut as the relationship progresses to encompass a full ADAC GT Masters programme. The driver pairing of Ferdinand and Johannes Stuck – sons of celebrated German racer Hans-Joachim Stuck – missed out on a top-ten result after being handed a five second penalty after race two, instead netting 16th in the highly competitive series.

Nygaard and Poulsen, meanwhile, proved the Vantage GT3’s potential with eighth in race one – during which the crew also prevailed in the amateur category – and 11th in race two. Young Driver AMR now looks ahead to round two of the series on May 5/6 at Zandvoort in the Netherlands.

The Nürburgring has become a second home for Aston Martin’s Vantage, the most sporting car in the marque’s model line up. The V8-powered coupe has competed at the punishing German circuit since 2006; its championship glory in the VLN series in the hands of Team Mathol Racing last year proved the car’s enduring competitive qualities. Victory in round one of the 2012 championship for Team Mathol Racing suggests that the outfit will mount a stern title defence this season. Of the top nine SP10 class finishers at the opening VLN race, five were Aston Martin Vantage GT4s.

John Gaw, Managing Director of Aston Martin Racing, said: “I’m delighted at the results this weekend from all our partner teams, including those in Grand-Am, but of particular significance were those of Young Driver AMR on the race debut of the new Vantage GT3. Winning the amateur class first time out was really important to us as one of the design principles of the car was to make it easy to drive for all standards of driver.

“The second main design principle of the new Vantage GT3 was to build a car that does not need expensive upgrades annually to increase performance. We ran this weekend with the most recent version of the FIA Balance Of Performance criteria, which added weight to the car and restricted the engine’s performance. Therefore, the Vantage GT3 clearly has lots more potential and we’ll continue to work with the FIA to achieve the correct Balance Of Performance.”

David King, Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport, added: “To have three different racing versions of Vantage, including the brand new V12 Vantage GT3, performing so strongly at the start of the season is a stunning endorsement of the capabilities of the base road car. Aston Martin's super-stiff and lightweight bonded aluminium platform and ideal weight distribution makes the perfect base for a competitive race car – most clearly demonstrated by the continuing success of the almost standard Vantage GT4."

Aston Martin was also represented in the Japanese Super GT series at Okayama and the European Le Mans Series at the Six Hours of Le Castellet, France. Triple A and Gulf Racing AMR each campaigned a Vantage GT2 – the predecessor to the Vantage GTE that forms the basis of Aston Martin Racing’s factory FIA World Endurance Championship campaign – with the former scoring 11th in class and the latter a fine fourth in the GTE Am category, despite a 25 minute delay following a collision with a prototype racer.

The Vantage GT3 will make its UK debut this Easter weekend in the hands of Beechdean Motorsport at Oulton Park as it tackles round one of the Avon Tyres British GT Championship. The factory Aston Martin Racing team, meanwhile, will compete in the second of its three scheduled American Le Mans Series races at Long Beach, California, on April 14 with the works Vantage GTE.

Aston Martin

Multimatic Motorsports principal Larry Holt talks about the team's transition from Mustang Boss 302R to Aston Martin Vantage in GS as well as running the Ford Focus ST-R in ST in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Grand-Am regulars Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster showed encouraging potential by leading the early phase of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) series opener at the Daytona International Speedway.

Having qualified in third position during Thursday’s qualifying session, the #55 Multimatic Motorsports-run car passed its rivals away from the green flag in treacherous conditions to lead a field of 81 cars on what was Aston Martin’s Grand-Am debut.

The second Vantage GT4 of Hollywood star Patrick Dempsey and Aston Martin’s chief engineer Chris Porritt – making a one-off guest appearance – similarly improved on its qualifying position in the early stages as Dempsey rose from 24th to 14th.

After two and a half hours of action-packed competition – during which the track dried and many yellow flag periods interrupted proceedings – the lead Vantage GT4 of Maxwell/Foster finished in 16th position, while Dempsey and Porritt finished 32nd in the Grand Sport category after both crews suffered punishing delays.

During the first stint on a drying track, a yellow flag period allowed both Multimatic cars to pit for slick tyres without losing ground. The #55 Vantage GT4 of Foster rejoined the action in eighth overall while Dempsey’s #71 car re-entered the fray in 12th.

Foster and Dempsey pitted to make way for Maxwell and Porritt respectively, but not before the #71 Vantage GT4 was hit from behind. The exhaust, which was damaged in the incident, soon began fouling a rear tyre, forcing a long pit stop during which the crew fell down the order as the leading cars completed six full laps. Porritt delivered consistently fast laps in the #71 car for the remainder of the race to climb to 32nd in class.

The lead Aston Martin suffered similar misfortune, meanwhile, when Maxwell was handed a 30 second stop-go penalty for a minor pit stop misdemeanor. Having also dropped down the race standings, Maxwell’s fight back was hampered by several late yellow flag interruptions – his eventual 16th place coming as poor reward for some great racing.

Patrick Dempsey

Having completed the demanding Grand-Am race, Dempsey said: “It was a tremendous pleasure to be in an Aston Martin at Daytona. The Vantage GT4 handles and brakes really well and was awesome in the wet conditions at the start. Chris Porritt was a great partner – it would be nice if Aston Martin could bring him back for another Grand-Am race so we could complete our unfinished business from today.”

David King, Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport

“To be so competitive first time out in Grand-Am Grand Sport is a tribute to the Multimatic team and to the inherent qualities of what is after all an almost standard car. The Vantage GT4s were a great attraction in the paddock with the fans today and with a little more development they will be challenging the podium positions in the remaining nine rounds of the 2012 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.”

Larry Holt, Vice President of Multimatic Engineering

“I’m disappointed with the result, but really pleased with the potential the cars showed. Without the incidents we would have had a top ten car today, but this is aggressive and highly competitive racing as we saw from the many full course yellow flags today, and a couple of little issues can cost many places.”

Aston Martin Racing

 After five successful seasons in Europe and elsewhere around the world, Aston Martin’s Vantage GT4 racer will at last be seen in domestic competition in North America as Multimatic Motorsports is appointed by Aston Martin Racing as its official partner to campaign two cars in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) for 2012.

Toronto-based Multimatic Motorsports has won the championship three times (2002, 2005 and 2008) since the series’ 2000 inauguration, giving the team the requisite experience and expertise to mount a competitive title bid this season. The lead car will be driven by Multimatic regulars and proven race-winners Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster. Hollywood movie star Patrick Dempsey, a talented racer in his own right, will drive the second car, partnered in the opening round of the series by Aston Martin Chief Engineer and vastly experienced Vantage GT4 racer Chris Porritt.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge is run by the Grand American Road Racing Organization. The 2012 calendar takes in some of North America’s most iconic circuits over ten races, which run for two and a half hours with a mandatory driver change. The series kicked off with an official test session at the Daytona International Speedway on January 6-8, ahead of the prestigious opening round at the same circuit on January 27, which will be held as a support race to the legendary Rolex 24 at Daytona. Aston Martin will compete in the headlining Grand Sport category, which is contested by six- and eight-cylinder production-derived sports cars.

The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 was born out of the company’s successful entry of an almost standard V8 Vantage in the 2006 Nürburgring 24 hour race. It is still closely based on the V8 Vantage road car, sharing its bonded aluminium chassis, 4.7-litre V8 engine, manual transmission and suspension design. With numerous 24 Hour class victories, the 2010 European GT4 Cup title, back-to-back championship victories in the Nürburgring-based VLN series in 2010 and 2011, an unsurpassed record for reliability and nearly one hundred examples produced to date, it has established itself as Europe’s most successful GT4 car and will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in the 2012 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. The Vantage GT4 cars for the CTSCC have been modified in key areas from standard FIA GT4 specification by Aston Martin Racing to comply with Grand-Am regulations and to hone the chassis set-up specifically for the North American Series.

Aston Martin has enjoyed a long association with Multimatic. The Canadian outfit produces the carbon fibre chassis for the exclusive One-77 supercar, as well as carbon fibre components for the V12 Vantage Zagato. Furthermore, Multimatic’s UK-based four-post test rig is regularly utilised by both road and racing Aston Martins for suspension development. In addition to campaigning the two official Vantage GT4 entries, Multimatic will take on the further responsibility of supplying Grand-Am specification Vantage GT4s and providing spares and technical support to North American customer teams as Aston Martin Racing’s Grand-Am representative.

David King, Aston Martin’s Head of Motorsport said: “It has long been our desire to see the Vantage GT4 in regular competition in North America. In Multimatic we have a partner we know well who clearly knows how to win races and can help us spread the message that Aston Martins are competitive and exceptionally reliable as well as beautiful to look at. Not only that but Multimatic will provide the necessary customer support on behalf of Aston Martin Racing to allow new customers to choose the Vantage GT4 with confidence.”

Larry Holt, Vice President of Multimatic Engineering added: “I am really excited about this opportunity. Aston Martin is a great brand making great products and Multimatic is proud to be a long-term partner – there is a real buzz about this project around the whole company. It may take us a little while to get the car developed to front-running pace, but for sure we will get there and make a strong challenge for the title.”

Following the season opener at Daytona, the series then takes in a further nine rounds with races at such celebrated circuits as Watkins Glen International, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Laguna Seca, with the season finale on September 28-30 at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

Aston Martin

Multimatic Motorsports have débuted their Aston Martin Vantage this week at the Daytona International Speedway. The team will take part in the traditional January test before contesting the full Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Season.

Aston Martin Racing has developed a Grand Sport (GS) version of its highly successful GT4 Aston Martin Vantage which Multimatic Motorsports will campaign in the 2012 Continental Tire GS championship.  This car will be offered for sale to customers and is available directly from Multimatic.

Testing at Daytona begins today with Scott Maxwell and Joe Foster sharing the driving duties.

The Aston Martin Vantage will make its Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge debut in 2012 with Multimatic Motorsports campaigning a solo V8 Vantage in the GRAND-AM sanctioned series.

Multimatic - a world leader in suspension and composite technology - have previously worked worked with Aston Martin to develop the full carbon fibre monocoque chassis found One-77 Super Car as well as the suspension found on the Vantage based V12 Zagato.

2008 GRAND-AM Continental Sports Car Challenge Grand Sport champions Scott Maxwell  and Joe Foster will debut the GS class racer at the Daytona January test. 

Another Aston Martin SCC team is expected to be announced shortly.