TRG to Field Aston Martin V12 Vantage at Detroit’s Belle Isle Street Circuit

For the first time in the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, the No. 007 TRG-AMR North America Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 will take to a temporary street circuit – and do so with high expectations. Co-drivers Al Carter and James Davison, the latter fresh off his first run in the Indianapolis 500, are eager to attack the Raceway at Belle Isle Park for this weekend’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic. The Jetset/B-Positive Foundation No. 007 Aston Martin has previously run this season only on road courses at Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  The 007 car has proved strong in the early going of the TUSCC, working its way into the lead at both Daytona and Sebring and surging into the top 10 at Laguna Seca before a few issues took their toll. This is the first time in 2014 that the GT Daytona class is scheduled to race on a street course, and the TRG-AMR drivers cannot wait for the opportunity. "We are really excited to get back on track here in Detroit,” Carter said. “We continue to make strides with the V12 Vantage GT3 and look forward to our first street fight in Detroit! The team and I know we have a lot to do on Friday. We will attack it from the first session."   Davison is looking to build on the momentum of his 16th-place finish in the Indy 500, where he completed all 200 grueling laps in his first IndyCar event on an oval. Now it’s back to left and right turns in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3. "This is a track I have not raced on but I have driven before,” said Davison. “In my laps in the past, I enjoyed the flow, especially for a street course. I think that as a team we have worked hard to make gains on the overall performance of the Aston Martin. We look forward to taking our program toward a podium result here in Detroit." On-track activities begin Friday with a pair of TUSCC practice sessions and qualifying on the 2.36-mile Belle Isle circuit. The final warm-up is set for Saturday morning, with the 100-minute race scheduled to start at 12:10 p.m. ET “Our guys are primed for this race,” said team owner/CEO Kevin Buckler. “The car keeps getting better and better and both Al and James are extremely capable street racers. This is a huge event with all the major series being a part of this grand prix in America’s motor city. Our crew has worked extremely hard all season long, and I expect to see the results of that hard work this weekend.” It’s a busy weekend for Buckler and the TRG-AMR team. Besides the single entry in the TUDOR GT Daytona class, TRG-AMR is also fielding three Aston Martins in the Pirelli World Challenge doubleheader. Carter and Davison have participated in ride-and-drive events Wednesday and Thursday at Aston Martin of Troy. Wednesday’s event included specially invited members of the NBA Detroit Pistons’ black card corporate group, with current Pistons player Peyton Siva and former Pistons Earl Cureton and John Long also taking part. Pistons executives and members of the Motor City Gumball Rally joined Buckler, Carter and Davison for an evening wine reception at the dealership. On Thursday, representatives from UBS Financial were treated to the same exclusive ride-and-drive opportunity at Aston Martin of Troy. Race Information BROADCAST NOTES: TUDOR Championship qualifying will be streamed live on imsa.com at 5:25 p.m. ET Friday. The race airs live at noon ET Saturday on MRN Radio Network affiliates and Sirius XM Channel 90. A delayed television broadcast starts at 1:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.