Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Eyes First IMSA Championship as Racing Season Begins

This weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship finale, the Petit Le Mans 10-hour race at Road Atlanta, presents an opportunity for the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 as it vies for its first major title.

Having had a remarkable debut season in international motorsport, the Vantage GT3 achieved a historic win in June at the centenary edition of the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa, marking a milestone for the British ultraluxury sports car brand in the modern GT era.

In the same month, the car also secured its first Autobacs Super GT class victory in Japan. Throughout the summer, the Vantage has captured class wins in various competitions, including the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA, the Nürburgring Langstrecken Series, and ADAC GT Masters.

Aston Martin and its partner team, The Heart of Racing (THoR), led by works driver Ross Gunn, enter Saturday’s final round of North America’s premier endurance series targeting top honors in the GTD Pro class championships for manufacturers, teams, and drivers.

The THoR team will field two new Vantage GT3s at Road Atlanta, striving to clinch another IMSA GT class title. A victory would add to the GTD class drivers’ and teams’ crowns earned in 2022 by Roman De Angelis and further enhance Aston Martin’s exceptional success in North America.

For Gunn and the THoR team, the goal for the weekend is clear: they need to accumulate 100 points more than their closest competitors. With a total of 350 points available to the race winner and an additional 35 for securing pole position, Aston Martin aims to earn 123 points more than the series leader based on whichever GTD Pro Vantage finishes highest.

Gunn will team up with Alex Riberas and 2022 IMSA GTD class champion De Angelis in the regular GTD Pro #23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 entry. Meanwhile, the sister #27 Vantage, which typically competes in the GTD class, has been moved up to GTD Pro, similar to its entry for the six-hour race at Indianapolis last month.

This car will be driven by two-time Petit Le Mans class winner Mario Farnbacher, Zach Robichon, and triple FIA GT World Champion Marco Sørensen. As a result of this reallocation, Magnus Racing’s new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will be the only Aston Martin participating in the GTD class.

This Utah-based team, which only competes in long-distance endurance races within IMSA, has made a strong showing at Petit Le Mans since its debut in 2010, having finished on the podium four times. Magnus Racing is aiming for its first class victory with the Vantage, driven by team owner John Potter along with American drivers Andy Lally and Spencer Pumpelly.

This weekend also marks the Road Atlanta debut of the new Vantage GT4, which has already found success in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with the new-for-2024 AMR partner team Rebel Rock Racing. Frank DePew and Robin Liddell drove to victory in the Fox Factory 120 race earlier this weekend.

Aston Martin’s partner, Team TGM, currently leads the GS class teams’ and drivers’ championships by 110 points, with a maximum of 350 points available to the race winner. The brand also tops the manufacturers’ standings by 70 points.

If Team TGM secures the title—requiring only a sixth-place finish or better in Friday’s two-hour race—it will mark the third time the previous generation Aston Martin Vantage GT4 has triumphed in the class since 2020.

The Fox Factory 120 is scheduled to kick off at 12:45 PM EDT (GMT+4) on Friday, October 11. Meanwhile, the official practice sessions for the 2024 MOTUL Petit Le Mans will take place on Thursday, October 10, starting at 10:40 AM EDT. The race itself is set to commence at 12:10 PM EDT on Saturday. For the latest information and updates about the event, fans can check the official IMSA website and app.