That news comes in the form of the Heart of Racing team swapping over to a new 2024 AMR Vantage GT4 Evo for their #24 Pro-Am pairing of Gary Newell and Roman De Angelis within the GT4 America Series for the first time. With them (and all other AMR Vantage GT4 runners this season for that matter) continuing to run the still completely successful and competitive 2019 17A variant of the car, it will be interesting to see just how that performances transposes between chassis after the pairing secured both a P3 and P1 class finish at the end of the last round from Road America.

The new Vantage GT4 has of course ran a full season so far within the IMSA sanctioned Michelin Pilot Challenge and VP Racing Sportscar Challenge Series with the Rebel Rock Racing team but Aston Martin Racing was keen to (at first) restrict the availability of the new car in North America until such time as suitable spares and technical assistance was also on offer for their customers.

Within the GT4 America Series, the #26 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GT4 entry for Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier continue to pedal their 17A version within the silver class as so the Todd Parriott/Tom Dyer Flying Lizard Pro-Am pairing within their #13 car.

Championship wise, the #24 Newell/De Angelis pairing maintain a P2 championship position but would require a significant low/no scoring trait from the championship leaders over the remaining races to have any chance – something that appears unlikely at present having never finish off the class podium so far this season.

Within the GT3/GT2/GT4 based GT America Series, the GT3 class is again supported by the #2 Flying Lizard AMR Vantage GT3 of Jason Bell and the older 16A Prosport Competition AMR Vantage GT3 of Tim Savage aboard his #007 car. Joining them will be the #25 Heart of Racing Vantage GT4 of Newell as well as the #31 Flying Lizard AMR Vantage GT4 of Parriott (both 17A variants).

Championship wise for these guys is that none of them are in any class championship challenging position but Newell does have the potential of securing the GT4 runners up position as well as Parriott moving up to P4 should results from the last two rounds go their way.

As usual, the bronze rated only GT America Series will run two forty-minute solo driver races over the course of the weekend with the GT4 America Series running two one hour, pit stop punctuated races.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media

Saturday’s opening forty-minute race of the weekend started from behind the Safety Car for the opening ten minutes of the race clock, such were track conditions with the two Vantage GT3’s of #2 Jason Bell and the #007 of Tim Savage at the rear of the pack. Within GT4, the #25 Heart of Racing car of Gray Newell and the #31 Flying Lizard car of Todd Parriott were better placed in P2 and P3 respectively.

Savage’s race was quickly doomed after a DTP was awarded for a pit lane infringement prior to start but Bell had quickly moved up to fifth before spinning the rear tyres coming out of the final corner put the #2 car hard into the tyre wall.

Despite deteriorating conditions, the Aston Martin GT4’s benefit from a puncture for the then race leading Porsche before a last lap lunge from the GT4 Championship leader saw the Porsche pass the Aston Martin to take the class win, Newell second and Pariott claiming his first podium position in the Series.

Sunday’s race was under slightly better conditions in that it wasn’t raining at the time although the threat was always there.

Bell was absent from the proceedings due to ill-health, so the GT3 class was left to Savage to represent from the rear of the grid whilst Newell and Parriott did likewise in the staggered grid but an early spin for the #25 car dropped Newell from second to last in class.

Parriott was having another terrific race holding third as Newell battled for track space on his recovery drive up the order, but Savage would have to settle for the position of tail end Charlie (P7 in class) within his older iteration Vantage GT3 against mainly newer Evo models from other OEM’s.

Just outside the final five minutes, Newell passed stablemate Parriott for the final podium position in class, with Parriott in fourth as the Aston Martin again had to yield to the faster Porsche.

Photo credits – Team / Series / social media