Six Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT4 teams make the trip to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the final two races of the 2021 SRO GT4 America Championship this weekend.

Unfortunately for them all, two arduous rounds at both Sebring and Watkins Glen for them left all the AMR based Pro-Am and Silver Cup Championship hopefuls not in any position to continue their battle into this final round at Indianapolis with most of the Championship titles being decided by the second race at Sebring.

Two difficult races it transpired to be for the seven Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4 crews at this weekend’s penultimate round of the GT4 America Series from the Sebring International Raceway in Florida.

Whereas last time out at Watkins Glen where the collective AMR grid walked away with five class podium finishes between them, this weekend saw them struggle for pace where the best class finish between them was a P4 in the Silver Cup class for the #062 Dexter team – but then, that was a very distant result to those in class ahead of them despite some short-term bouts of pace and determination amongst them but at the long term cost of any decent finishing position.

With the Pro-Am class still undecided going into this weekend, the leading Aston in that class needed nothing short of a class/race win to take the championship any further against the season dominant #47 Nolasport Porsche of Jason Hart and Matt Travis. Despite Bryan Putt and Kenton Kock finishing P9 overall and P5 in class, a P2 overall finish from the #47 car sealed the Pro-Am Championship for the Nolasport crew with three races still in hand.

The fairy tale start to the GT4 America endeavours for the #50 3R Povoledo Racing Aston Martin was also begin to unravel in Florida as drivers Ross Chouest and Aaron Povoledo were to score a distant P10 in class finish during race 1 but where then to suffer damage during the second GT America race meaning that the car could not be repaired in time by their supporting Dexter Racing team for Sundays second Sprint X race.

The #59 WR Racing Aston Martin of Paul Terry and Owen Trinkler had earlier confirmed that Trinkler would be seeing out the 2021 season with the #59 car after their debut success together at Watkins Glen two weeks ago. Sadly for them, there was to be not repeat of that with the crew taking lowly P12 and P11 finishes in class in both races.

The #2 GMG car of Jason Bell and Andrew Davis had better results in these Sprint X series races with solo podium finishes for Bell in GT America races continuing to build confidence with Bell to help them then progress through to P9 and P7 in class results respectively over the weekend.

The mixed bag of results continued for the #24 Heart of Racing car of Gray Newell and Ian James too after another solo podium for Newell in an earlier GT America race only for them to fall back with two very disappointing results in Sprint X, each at the tail of the race finishing line up.

So for these guys, the final round of the 2021 GT4 America Series will be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in two weeks’ time. Sadly for us this year around, we will also not be seeing any AMR drivers/teams confirmed class champions this year but there is still possibility for some to increase upon their present championship position with two good results under their belts.

It has been yet another highly entertaining series so far, showcasing multi class GT4 racing at its very best with the circuits North America has to offer. Once those at CSJ Motorsport are back at the circuit at Indianapolis (get well soon) we MAY start to here of some plans from various teams ahead of any 2022 campaign.

Photo credits – GT4 America / CSJ Motorsport / F Lagunas / Teams

Gray Newell and Ian James, teammates in our #24 Aston Martin Vantage GT4, had their first podium visits of the season at Watkins Glen this past weekend, with a first place Pro-Am finish and third overall in Sunday's SprintX race.

Sunday’s victory comes after a successful Saturday race where James and Newell placed second. Additionally, Newell landed his first solo podium in our #25 car in GT America. The weekend was a breakthrough win for the team in the midst of their first year of SRO GT4 competition and Newell’s first year of racing.

 

Sadly for us but it appears that the Flying Lizard – Michael Dinan – Aston Martin Racing trilogy appears to be at an end already as the Sonoma based team today offers ‘For Sale’ both of the AMR Vantage GT4’s that Michael Dinan and Robby Foley competed in this season.

Having tested and raced an example of the new 2019 specification of AMR GT4 with Optimum Motorsport at the Gulf 12Hrs just short of a year ago now, Dinan quickly secured two new such chassis ahead of his return to the SRO sanctioned GT4 America Series to compete in both the solo raced Sprint class as well as the race partnered Sprint X class (alongside Foley) and all under the stewardship of the Flying Lizard Motorsport team.

Today’s post’s do not disclose just with what or where Dinan will be racing in 2021 but one thing for sure is that he will now not be defending his GT4 America Sprint and Sprint X crowns confirmed earlier this year. 

These two Aston Martin’s – available as a pair or individually come with an extensive spares package and (for the successful bidder) can also expect the unparalleled help of those at CSJ Motorsport should they so choose in either the main SRO or IMSA Championships in 2021.

All enquiries are invited at tommy@lizardms.com

Photo credits - GT4 America

The Racers Group (TRG) returns to Pirelli World Challenge (PWC) SprintX competition this weekend at the challenging Virginia International Raceway (VIR). Drivers Drew Regitz and Kris Wilson are partnering to compete in the #007 LaSalle Solutions, Ring Central Aston Martin Vantage GT3 V12 and Jerry Kaufman and Kyle Tilley will be teaming up in the #09 Exterior Cleaning Professionals , LaSalle Solutions, Ring Central Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4. All four drivers have years of experience in multiple racing series and platforms and the team is excited to support them as TRG begins defense of its 2016 PWC SprintX team championship. VIR is a track where TRG has enjoyed immense success over the years and the team is anxious to return this weekend.

SprintX – GT Class

Joining The Racers Group for a remaining season of the Pirelli world Challenge will be Jerry Kaufman and Kyle Tilley. The pair will race with TRG’s Aston Martin V8 Vantage squad for SprintX GTS races, debuting in April at VIRginia International Raceway.

In 2016, The Racers Group (TRG) won the SprintX GTS Team and Drivers’ championship, a new format for the PWC series. Kaufman, from Mooresville, N.C. raced with his driver coach Tilley, of Bath, England, throughout 2016. The duo’s on-track teamwork is formidable and bodes well for a win. In 2013, Kaufman was the National Champion BMW driver, winning two races overall, six class wins, and the rookie of the year title. The driver has since focused on perfecting his race craft and in 2016 competed in IMSA’s Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge with Tilley. Now, Kaufman looks forward to driving the powerful Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

“Aston Martin has built the car to beat in GT4 worldwide by combining V8 power with great handling you would expect from a european sports car,” says Kaufman. “It’s a terrific venue with one of the best tracks in the country with fast turns and long straights. It should be a great start to the season.”

Kaufman and Tilley met through an SCCA endurance race team in 2015. Kaufman was ready to move to the pro level and his friendship and working relationship with Tilley continues to result in steady strengthening of his driving skills.



Tilley is a second-generation racing driver with elite-level open and closed wheel experience. He’s earned a championship in the British Formula Ford series, taking 11 wins, 9 pole positions and 12 fastest laps in 12 races. Since moving up to the pro racing level five years ago, he’s achieved impressive stats: 40 pole positions, 29 wins, and 2 championships in 70 races. Now, as both a driver coach and co-driver for Kaufman in TRG’s Aston Martin program, his focus is on a strong debut in Virginia. 

“I am thrilled to be joining The Racers Group for 2017,” said Tilley. “Not only is it exciting to make my debut in the Pirelli World Challenge SprintX GTS Championship this season, I get to do it with the most successful sportscar team in history and my close friend Jerry Kaufman.”


Source material - TRG-AMR

With a massive operation of five Aston Martin V8 Vantages and ten drivers, TRG-AMR was victorious at the Pirelli World Challenge season finale at Laguna Seca. The team has seen decades of success at this track, and the drivers have stood on the top step of PWC podiums all around the country this year. Last weekend, Max Riddle and Kris Wilson took 2nd place in both SprintX GTS races, securing the 2016 Team Championship title for TRG-AMR. Max Riddle won the GTS Driver Championship, followed closely by Kris Wilson, Derek DeBoer, and Jason Alexandridis.

On both Saturday and Sunday, SprintX GTS championship points leaders Riddle and Wilson (in the No. 07 RingCentral/Adobe Road Winery Aston Martin V8 Vantage) went head to head with runners-up Derek DeBoer and Jason Alexandridis (No. 09 LaSalle Solutions/BRM Chronographes/Rebounderz Rohnert Park/Racing for Cancer/Pirata Della Strada/Simon Ward car). The driver pairs often battled against each other in a total of 24 cars, which included TRG-AMR drivers George Kurtz/Kenton Koch, Craig Lyons/Thomas Merrill, and Brandon Davis/Greg Milzcik. The latter pair, in the No. 77 Wolfwood Refuge/That Newfoundland Place car, earned the fastest times in practice and took 5th in both GTS races.

Two of the team’s race cars were involved in unfortunate crashes over the weekend. The No. 7 Stor-It Self Storage/Mobettah Collectible Cars V8 Vantage, raced by Lyons and Merrill, was caught in a Days of Thunder-style wreck in the promoter practice day after colliding into a competitor who was stationary on track, obscured by a cloud of dust. Fortunately, TRG-AMR was prepared with a backup car and was quickly able to prep it for the following day’s sessions and compete in the final two SprintX rounds. The capable driver pair finished 7th in both races.