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(⏱ 6 minutes, 12 pictures)
Daytona International Speedway, USA, January 24 – Aston Martinmultiple championship winners Profit start the defense IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class titles this weekend, as three teams (including the IMSA GTD 2022 class champions Racing Heart) field four Vantage GT3s in North America’s most famous endurance race – the season opener The 24 Hour Rolex in Daytona (FL).
As they proved in 2022 when the Vantage took an outstanding second place in the Rolex 24 GTD class thanks to Magnus Race (who are returning for a second season as a partner team with the British ultra-luxury sports car brand), team partner Aston Martin Heart of Racing [HOR]Magnus Racing and TGM Team with TF Sports presenting a significant podium threat for both GT categories in this year’s US classic endurance.
Plus, as Aston Martin celebrates its 110th anniversary, it will start its endurance racing calendar on a high 12 Advantages competed during the Rolex 24 weekend, including no fewer than eight Vantage GT4 fight for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge support the race on Friday. The four-hour season opener also marked a title defense for the Vantage GT4, which won the championship together Volt racing in 2022
Ross Gun
The Seattle-based partner team and class champion IMSA GTD HOR return for its fourth season with the Vantage in 2023, once again running two cars. One of the team’s four-litre turbo-charged V8 engines will spearhead Aston Martin’s hopes at GTD Pro class for homologation car with GT3 specifications. AMR works as a racer and winner of the 2022 class race Ross Gun (GBR, above) and Alex Riberas (ESP) will lead the team’s GTD Pro attack this season, and at Daytona they will be joined by regular Aston Martin David Pittard (GBR, bottom, top photo).
David Pittard
HOR #27
Roman De Angelis
The #27 GTD HOR class title defense machine (above, center photo) will once again be ridden by the IMSA GTD champion Roman De Angelis (CDN, top, photo below), who this season joins reigning FIA World Endurance GT champion and winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans LM GTE Am class Marco Sorensen (DEN, bottom, top photo). Completing the car’s driver line-up is another three-time Le Mans class winner Darren Turner (GBR, below, photo below) and the head of the HOR team Ian James (GBR).
Marco Sorensen
Darren Turner
Again in 2023, the GTD class will be supported by partner Aston Martin Magnus Race entering the Vantage GT3 for all IMSA endurance races (Rolex 24, Sebring 12 Hours, 6 Hours of Watkins Glen and Little Le Man on Atlanta Street). The two-time Rolex 24 class-winning team recorded a brilliant second finish on their Vantage debut at Daytona in 2022, and have the driver and crew line-up taken a step further this time around. Team head John Potter (USA) joined in the car by a Magnus regular Andy Lally (USA) and Spencer Pumpelley (USA) plus AMR’s work star and 2016 FIA WEC GT world champion Nick Thiem (DEN, below).
Nick Thiem
Finally, the fourth Vantage to appear at Rolex 24 this year will be manned and run by new partner Aston Martin TGM Team and supported at Daytona by several TF Sport championship winning teams in the GTD Pro class. This means there will be two Aston Martins in each of the Rolex 24 GT classes this year. TGM team owner Ted Giovanis (USA) will join #64 by Hugh and Matt Plumb (USA), and Owen Trinkler (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA).
#64, Ted Giovanis, Hugh Plumb, Matt Plumb, Owen Trinkler, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 TGM/TF Sport, JKTG FOUNDATION, GT Daytona Pro (GTD Pro)
The Aston Martin Vantage GT4 will also be looking tough in the four-hour opener of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge at Daytona on Friday at 1345 ET (-5 Hours GMT). The British luxury sportscar brand is into the IMPC kick-starter with six teams entering. Long time AMR partner Auto Racing back for another season with #9 pushed by Tom Long (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA), Come on jossin (USA) and Bret Sandberg (USA), which added the team’s regular #09 to Rob Ecklin (USA) and Ramin Abdulvahabi (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA). A new team for Aston Martin, van der Steur racing will run an all-American line-up Rory van der Steur, Austin McCusker and Wyatt Brichacek, while TR3 Racing will enter Jon Branham (USA) and Paul Kiebler (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA). Moisey Uretsky (USA) returns to the series with its Accelerating Performance team and will be joined this weekend by Justin Piscitell (USA) and Michael Cooper (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA). Team TGM also joined the Aston Martin raid with two cars, #64 for Ted Giovanis (USA) and Owen Trinkler (US), and #46 for Hugh and Matt Plumb (UNITED STATES OF AMERICA). Finally, Archangel Motorsports back to the AMR fold to run the Vantage GT4 below Todd Coleman Racing banner. Coleman (USA) will join Conrad Grunewald (US) in bright green #88 Vantage GT4.
HOR Team
Huw Tasker, AMR Head of Partner Racing, said: “The fact that no fewer than 12 Vantages raced on the Rolex 24 weekend is a strong reflection of the continued growth and success of America’s GT racing program. Vantage was champion in GT3 and GT4 last season and we intend to provide our partners with just as competitive cars in 2023. If you see the strength of our work, driver support, and the significant technical support and know-how we provide to all of our teams in America it’s clear how much we value this region as a very important market that produces some of the most exciting racing on the planet. Let’s hope this weekend’s Rolex 24 lives up to those standards.”
Magnus in the pit lane
The 61st Rolex 24 in Daytona will kick off at 1340 ET (-5 Hours GMT), on Saturday, January 27, 2023.
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