Five V12 Aston Martins to race the opening round of the new SRO led GT3 Revival Series at Paul Ricard
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Wednesday, April 01, 2026 |
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Prosport Competition and Tim Savage move up to GT America GT3 in 2024
More announcements today as the American team, Prosport Competition also confirmed part of their 2024 commitments earlier today together with a step up to the GT3 class for themselves and their driver.
Having assisted The Racers Group for part of last season within the GT America Series, the Prosport team have today confirmed their GT America GT3 entry for Tim Savage which starts at Sonoma, California in just a couple of weeks.
Last season saw Savage cut his teeth within the SRO series within the TRG entered but Prosport Competition prepared #009 car and this season will see the American compete within a 2019 16A variant of the Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 whilst others are expected to compete within the new 2024 38A version – or at least they should be if they can get the cars and parts in time.
So far, the entry lists for any of the three SRO America Series have yet to be confirmed but at least there isn’t too much longer to wait with the first track session of the Sonoma season opener starting on the 5th April.
Photo credit – team / series
Saturday, March 23, 2024 |
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ELMS confirm two Aston Martin Racing GT3 crews for 2024
This week saw equally good news coming from the European Le Mans Series who also confirmed a capacity grid for its 2024 calendar, something that also included a further two Aston Martin Racing powered teams.
With the WEC reducing its available class entry to just the Hypercar and the new LMGT3 class, that placed additional demands onto the entry committee of the ELMS series where Monday saw them confirm a capacity grid of forty-three cars including eleven GT3’s.
Differing slightly from the season just finished, TF Sport do return to the series with an Aston Martin but come rebranded under the entry name of Grid Motorsport by TF with two of the required three drivers already named.
Stepping up from the GT World Challenge European Series with Bullitt Racing sees Australian Martin Berry swap across to what is expected to be an enhanced “evo” AMR Vantage GT3 2024 for the new season with British racer Lorcan Hanafin. Their third driver will be confirmed later.
Joining them on the grid is a very welcome entry from the Racing Spirit of Leman team who again team up with Valentin Hasse-Clot for another year of ACO rules GT racing but this time with American racer Derek DeBoer joining them for what will be his first full season of racing in Europe.
Both the team, Hasse-Clot and Arnold Robin secured the GT3 class of the ELMS supporting Le Mans Cup Series this year whilst DeBoer raced with both Hasse-Clot and Ross Gunn in The Racers Group GT World Challenge America Series Aston Martin entry this year as he stepped up to the GT3 class for the first time.
With that TRG liveried car being placed up for sale soon after season end, changes were always afoot for the American who confirmed that he would be racing somewhere next season with the new iteration of AMR Vantage GT3. That confirmation also came on Monday when the team and two drivers confirmed their new allegiances, just over a week after DeBoer raced with the team for the first time at the final round of the Ultimate Cup Series at Paul Ricard, France.
Like most, their third driver will also be confirmed closer to the start of the season which kicks off in Barcelona in mid-April 2024 before visiting Le Castellet, Imola, Spa, and Mugello before concluding again at Portimao in mid-October.
Photo credits - Teams
Wednesday, December 06, 2023 |
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The Racers Group round off a thrilling return to AMR powered GT3 racing at IMS
Not the Pro-Am Class winning performance that the statistics placed possible going into the eight hours around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway but a coveted third place finish within the GT3 Pro-Am Class for DeBoer for his first full season within the higher GT category.
With just twenty-two cars from both the GT World Challenge America and Intercontinental GT Championship circulating around the 2.4 mile infield circuit of the ancestral home to American motorsport, there were times when the track looked pretty barren in places and that must have been with a similar though from within the cockpit should your car not have quite the same number of ponies underneath the bonnet as some of those around you!
In order to elevate himself up his domestic series leader board, DeBoer needed to beat Samantha Tan and George Kurtz on track with neither securing any championship points by the end of this eight hours but unfortunately for all, both finished above DeBoer on track for the apparently ever smiling DeBoer to remain third in class.
This race also represented Hasse-Clot’s one hundredth race for Aston Martin Racing since becoming a factory driver as well as Tuck’s first endeavours around the iconic circuit so the experienced gained by the crew over the course of the weekend will favour them for any future visits to the Brickyard.
Whilst the race result may not have been quite what was hoped for by those in and out of the team, the best news has come from The Racers Group confirmation of their intention to run the new 2024 iteration of the Vantage GT3 next season. We still wait to see just what that car looks like and how it may perform in comparison with the model it will replace.
Eventually finishing P13 overall having started from one place back in P14, and P7 within their own GTWCAm Series to round off an otherwise great return to AMR powered GT3 racing.
Roll on 2024
Photo credits – Team / Series
Sunday, October 08, 2023 |
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Only a P2 finish in race 1 means for a GT America GT4 winner takes all race at IMS on Sunday
Racing out their ninth and final round of the season from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend, what was a three-horse race for the GT4 Drivers Champiosnhip soon became just a two-horse race as the #50 Chouest Povoledo Racing AMR of Ross Chouest failed to secure enough points during race one today to continue his championship defence this season, despite having led it in the early stages.
With the #25 Heart of Racing AMR Vantage GT4 car of Gray Newell upsetting the script somewhat in Qualifying by taking class pole, Bell completed the front row of the class for Aston Martin whilst the main championship contender Robb Holland in his #99 Porsche was on the second row and Chouest alongside him whilst the #009 TRG AMR of Tim Savage and the #13 Flying Lizard AMR entry of Todd Parriott completing the AMR entry in P5 and P7 on the grid respectively. Whilst the #8 Flying Lizard AMR of Elias Sabo did participate in class Qualifying earlier today – he did not start the penultimate race of the season.
A clean start and some sensible driving by across the board allowed this forty-minute race to get underway and stay green throughout as both the GT3 and GT4 classes still had Championship scores to settle. Despite holding the lead at the start, Newell was quickly passed by Bell who then put some distance between himself and Holland to look comfortable as the race progressed.
Needing more points to keep his own championship chances alive, Holland also moved ahead of Newell who wisely kept out of the way of the 1-2 championship battle whilst Chouest looked unable to do likewise.
With a couple of scares for the AMR field along the way, it was all looking good for Bell as the race entered its final ten minutes but slowly the #99 Porsche of Holland latched onto the rear of Bell’s car to place him under real pressure. Guarding a sixteen-point lead going into the race, a win for Bell would have given him twenty-three-point advantage going into tomorrow’s race and with only twenty-five points available per race – that was looking good for Bell.
However, as the GT3 leaders came through to lap the GT4 leaders again, Holland took his chance to tightly follow a GT3 passed the car of Bell and into the corner to secure the class lead for the first time. Despite the best of efforts, Bell was unable to respond and was forced to be contented with yet another P2 finish in class to see his points lead slashed to just nine points and with Holland having a better championship position by the time that both drop their worst points score from the season.
That means Sundays final race of the season will be a GT4 Drivers Championship winning race for either Bell or Holland but with the Flying Lizard team already having secured the GT4 Teams Champiosnhip, they obviously hope to make it a double winning season.
Photo credits – Series / teams
Friday, October 06, 2023 |
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The Racer Groups last GT World Challenge America dance of the season at Indianapolis this weekend
As usual, all three series are again well populated with thirteen Aston Martin Racing powered crews as many still have championship aspirations to settle before the weekend is out.
Within the headlining GT World Challenge America Series, the closing round to their season is again ran alongside that of the Intercontinental GT Challenge is one eight-hour race format with over twenty-two top quality American and global teams expected to line up for the Saturday start.
The ‘usual’ pairing within the #007 The Racers Group AMR Vantage GT3 of Derek DeBoer and Valentin Hasse-Clot is again restored for the concluding round as they step up to the full eight-hour race with TF Sport European Le Mans Series Vantage GTE racer Ben Tuck.
With we understand as double points being on offer for this single race format (in lieu of the traditional double header of the average race weekend), that gives the #007 a remote possibility of securing the overall Pro-Am Class win come the end of Saturday’s into the night race but only as long as the crew above them fail to score and the #007 take maximum points. DeBoer and the team presently stand third within both the Pro-Am Team and Driver’s Championship table going into the weekend, thirty-six points behind the Crowdstrike by Riley Mercedes AMG GT3 team at the top of the table but only seven points ahead of the ST Racing BMW powered team.
For a season that started for all at Sonoma back in late March with a chassis very new to both the team and driver, the fact that the #007 TRG have done so well is testament to the work put in by various Prodrive supplied engineers and crew as well as the information and guidance passed onto DeBoer by both Ross Gunn and Hasse-Clot having shared the co-driver role between them.
Private testing begins at the circuit on Wednesday before the start of more formally timed sessions starting Thursday with Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying on Friday ahead of a green flag to the race at 12:15pm local on Saturday.
Photo credits – Team / Series / social media / Andrew Lofthouse
Monday, October 02, 2023 |
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A worrying start turned out good for The Racers Group around Road America
The GT World Challenge America Series of course completed the SRO trilogy of series from Road America with the #007 The Racers Group Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 of Derek DeBoer and Valentin Hasse-Clot back in action together.
Like the GT4 America before it, their last action together was around the small but perfectly formed Virginia International raceway back in mid-June when the crew came away with a fourth and seventh in class after the two races there, so it was hoped that the longer, more open circuit in Wisconsin would provide the blue AMR with greater possibilities amongst its seventeen strong grid.
After the pleasantries of a downtown car and drivers parade with the locals, it was supposed to be quickly back down to business for the #007 crew for the two Free Practice sessions, but technical issues (brakes) would restrict the duo to just eleven laps over both sessions putting both onto the back foot going in Qualifying.
Starting Saturday’s ninety-minute opener, DeBoer would start from P14 on the grid and enjoyed something of an apparent BoP adjustment from series as the Aston Martin had 10kg of ballast removed from it going into race 1.
An early place gain for the #007 saw the race going under the Safety Car as a Mercedes AMG GT3 lost it through the Kink. Going back to green the race quickly came back under the Safety Car as the Pro-Am Championship leading Porsche threw itself into the tyre wall and retirement, as well as losing another ten minutes of the race.
Appearing as one of the fastest on track at the time, DeBoer would move up to P11 by the time the pit window opened, and the #007 car pitted, leaving the young Frenchman with a few target cars ahead of him to pass.
Dropping back to P12 overall and P6 in class, an easy pass was made as the #8 car ahead was given a drive through penalty before Hasse-Clot moved up to P9/P3 going into the final fifteen minutes before eventually taken the chequered flag in that position for another much-deserved podium finish.
Sunday obviously saw Hasse-Clot make the start from his P11 overall starting slot which was fortunately maintained during the frantic opening laps but once warmed up, the front six soon moved away from the rest of the pack.
With the Pro drivers all aboard, the racing was very competitive but very respectful as the race clock countered down towards the pit window and Hasse-Clot would pit from a very spirited P10 overall. Going into the final thirty minutes, it appear that DeBoer’s greatest battle would be by defending his then P10 position overall from the charging #120 Porsche after their off in during race 1 but a significant incident on track between two Mercedes (one the overall race leader) saw that come to halt as the Safety Car was again required.
Both involved drivers otherwise OK considering, it became a ten-minute dash to the flag as DeBoer has only a couple of seconds to make up to enjoy another podium finish and to round off what became another good weekend for the team, the #007 would take the flag P8 overall but still just off the Pro-Am podium in P4.
Like both the GT America and GT4 America Series, the next round will be their penultimate round of the season at Sebring in four weeks’ time.
Photo credits – Team / Series
Tuesday, August 22, 2023 |
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The TRG Aston Martin Vantage GT3 still in with a chance as GT World Challenge America returns to action
Joining both but unlike the GT America and GT4 America Series at the Wisconsin circuit, we continue with just the solo Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 from The Racers Group amongst the provisional line up of nineteen cars for this weekend’s two races.
Team drivers Derek DeBoer and the recently married Parisian, Valentin Hasse-Clot return to the blue #007 Pro-Am classed entry like they have done for the past three rounds with the Frenchman now appearing to be the factory driver of choice over the already very busy Ross Gunn who contested the opening round at Sonoma.
Since the teams entry into the series (very much in at the deep end in California), class success has been rewarded for the team’s efforts since then with pole positions and podium finishes at both Nola Motorsport Park and at the Circuit of the Americas to leave the #007 crew (DeBoer only thanks to change in Pro driver) third within their Pro-Am Drivers Championship.
Further down the entry list, we also see the former/current AMR Vantage GT4 TR3 Racing duo of Paul Kiebler and Jon Branam behind the wheel of an Mercedes AMG GT3 at this event too!
Testing kicks off the race weekend on Thursday, ahead of official Practice on Friday with both Qualifying sessions and race 1 on Saturday before rounding off the weekend with race 2 on Sunday afternoon.
Photo credits – Team / Series
Photo credits – Team / Series
Monday, August 14, 2023 |
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Eight Aston Martins line up for next round of GT America from Road America next weekend
Only the full season entries of Jason Bell (#2 Flying Lizards), Gray Newell (#25 Heart of Racing) and Ross Chouest (#50 Chouest Povoledo Racing) braved the street circuit of Nashville last weekend but despite the Porsche of Rob Holland commanding the top step of the GT4 class, both Chouest and Bell enjoyed podium success to maintain their positions within the class championship hunt as the series moves across to the traditional circuit layout of Road America.
Todays provisional entry list sees those three full season entries of course return but with some more both familiar and other non-familiar faces for this SRO sanctioned Series.
The #8 Flying Lizard car of Elias Sabo returns after something of a fraught event last time out at VIR (prior to Nashville) as well as the #428 Van Der Steur prepared car of Brady Behrman who swaps from the pro-am class of the sister GT4 America to that of the solo driving bronze driver within this series.
The #009 The Racers Group entered (and Prosport Competition) prepared AMR of Tim Savage returns for his third round of the series having entered the series late to race at both Sonoma and VIR to stand nineth within the class going into this seventh round.
Then we have the two new entries of the #045 Archangel Motorsport prepared entry of Scott Blind and his Ruckus Racing trade name – more known to us for his exploits so far within the World Racing League with his very brightly coloured AMR Vantage GT4. This time Team TLM will not be preparing his car for this series as he sticks with his service provider from his other Porsche based racing commitments.
Finally, we see the #13 GMG Racing prepared car of Todd Parriott enter the series for the first time, not his first event with his Aston Martin of course as he and Andy Lee entered the Spa round of the GT4 European Series just ahead of the Crowdstrike 24Hours of Spa race. Unfortunately there, an incident during practice caused irreparable damage to the car and we never actually saw them compete.
Hopefully, all will have better fortune next weekend as the series runs out rounds 13 and 14 of the season with two more forty-minute races.
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media / GT4 European
Friday, August 11, 2023 |
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Thirteen strong again as SRO America visits VIR this weekend
Last time out around the expansive racetrack of the Circuit of the America’s in Texas, this weekend sees the crews visit the tighter and more picturesque circuit of Virginia International Raceway with thirteen AMR powered crews listed on the provisional entry sheets.
Starting at the top, the GT World Challenge America will see the return of The Racers Group AMR Vantage GT3 with resident driver Derek DeBoer again being partnered by Frenchman Valentin Hasse-Clot ‘fresh’ from his double duties at last weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans and Le Mans Cup Series as Ross Gunn is again cup-tied within his British GT Championship duties with Beechdean AMR.
Last time out was another podium winning successful one with that Pro-Am pairing securing a P2 finish is class to go alongside their successes before that at Nola Motorsport Park.
Then within the solo driven GT America cars, we will see five AMR Vantage GT4 powered crews as the Flying Lizard, Chouest Povoledo, TR3 and Heart of Racing teams again submit entries as well as the return of the #009 The Racers Group AMR Vantage GT4 for only the second time this season, and this time under the control of the Prosport Competition team.
Results within the series so far have led to a four-way AMR battle at the top of the GT4 Drivers table with reigning Champion Ross Chouest currently level on points with former champion Jason Bell at the top with Gray Newell just twenty-three points behind them and Elias Sabo two points behind him.
Within the ultra-competitive and multi-classed GT4 America Series, there’s a slightly reduced AMR headcount within this one as a repeat of Bell’s and Michael Coopers class success at CoTA is not to be repeated at this round nor do we see the Todd Coleman Archangel car after his withdrawal from the series last time out but at least but again sees another six Aston Martin’s being run.
Having all returned from Le Mans have been there supporting their Vantage GTE entry within that historic event sees Newell again pair up with Roman de Angelis within their #24 car whilst the two young ladies of Hannah Grisham and Rianna O’Meara-Hunt again go looking for their first silverware wear together within their #26 Am classed car.
Elias Sabo and Andy Lee within the #8 Flying Lizard car with Chouest and Aaron Povoledo in their #50 car, Paul Kiebler and Jon Branam aboard the #77 TR3 as well as the #428 Van Der Steur entry of Brady Behrman and Coby Shield complete the AMR rankings ahead of this series two one-hour pit stop punctuated races this weekend.
We also now understand that Rory Van Der Steur was also due to compete at VIR with another AMR Vantage GT4 alongside his GT4 European Series co-driver Jamie Day. That plan has however gone up in smoke after the team determined that his #19 car was written off during that frighteningly spectacular incident within the Michelin Pilot Challenge Series street race in Detroit two weeks ago.
It sounds like CSJ Motorsport are on the case seeking a spare tub for the team with an aim at being at the next round of the IMSA Series at Watkins Glen
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media
Monday, June 12, 2023 |
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