TRG-Aston Martin Racing Bringing Six Strong Cars to the PWC Sonoma Weekend

 

SONOMA, CA, August 27, 2015 –TRG-Aston Martin Racing is rolling back into its home track at Sonoma Raceway with a massive undertaking for this weekend’s penultimate round of the Pirelli World Challenge Series.

The team will be fielding six Aston Martin Vantage race cars including IMSA GTD points leader Christina Nielsen driving the #7 Royal Purple V12 Vantage in the GTA class and five exceptional drivers in the GTS class -- including Kris Wilson who is going for his fifth and sixth PWC GTS class wins this season in the #07 LaSalle Solutions V8 Vantage. Joining Kris in GTS class will be Derek DeBoer (#09 Racing for Cancer / BRM), Jeff Huber (#06 Stand Up 2 Cancer / Exploratorium), Peter Ludwig (#13 World Technology Ingredients / OISI) and our newest member to the TRG-AMR team of drivers, Jason Alexandridis (#75 Rebounderz of Rohnert Park). TRG-AMR is excited to welcome Jason and his sponsor, Rebounderz.

The Sonoma Raceway event is always special for TRG-AMR as it is the team’s home track and it offers an incredible setting for companies to discover the benefits of sports car racing as part of an advertising and experiential marketing strategy with clients. The team activities are booked morning, noon and night with several private events being held at the TRG headquarters / Adobe Road Winery private tasting room. The team is also hosting a fun and festive annual Pirelli World Challenge Sonoma Beach Party at TRG-AMR headquarters. In addition, TRG-AMR will have a large paddock set up with all six cars and hospitality for guests, featuring a private chef as well as a spectacular second viewing location perched above turn three with its partners from LaSalle Solutions.

“I can’t wait to jump back in the #07 Vantage this weekend for an opportunity to follow-up my PWC Mid-Ohio win with two more at Sonoma Raceway in front of our home fans and corporate guests,” said Kris Wilson, TRG-AMR Driver. “The team continues to give me a fantastic car to drive and I am ready to show why the V8 Vantage is the car to have in GS class and TRG-AMR is the team to join if you want to win.”

Championship leading driver Christina Nielsen will take the wheel in the GTA class on Saturday. She continues to impress the motorsports media and her racing competitors with podium finishes and clean driving. She turned in another strong performance last week at VIR in the Tudor United SportsCar series finishing second with co-driver Kuno Wittmer. “I’m feeling really good about my performance at this point in the season and I want to deliver a solid performance in front of our home fans at Sonoma Raceway,” said Christina Nielsen, TRG-AMR driver. “Its hard to believe that my debut with TRG-AMR in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage was in this Pirelli World Challenge race at Sonoma just a year ago where we finished on the podium. I am definitely looking to repeat and hopefully move up a step or two.”

“For us, Sonoma Raceway is our home track as our racing headquarters and winery are located just 15 minutes from the track” said Kevin Buckler, Chief Executive Officer at TRG-AMR. We have had an incredible history here starting with our first big win back in 1995 and I always feel like we can claim this track as our own. It is one of the most challenging circuits in racing, especially when you are trying to squeeze out those last few tenths-- this place is crazy. I am looking forward to giving our drivers every possible advantage this weekend and confident that we’ll have strong finishes from the entire team. It is really cool to be having all six of these drivers running under the TRG-AMR banner, working hard on all of their racing initiatives and also having us all be friends off the track…it makes it even that much more special. This will be a big springboard weekend for us for 2016, as we will showcase what we are capable of both on and off the track. We have an incredible group of partners and guests attending and I’m looking forward to a fantastic weekend of racing for all of our folks. We could not be more proud to be representing and racing these amazing cars from Aston Martin.”

The Drivers

Christina Nielsen hails from Denmark and started her racing career in 2007 with karting followed by various European formula car series including the ADAC Formula Masters championship. After that it was on to Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and then onto ADAC GT Masters followed by Porsche GT3 Cup Middle East and Europe. Nielsen raced a partial season in 2014 with NGT/MOMO Racing in the North American Endurance Cup, as well as racing in Pirelli World Challenge and Petit Le Mans with TRG-AMR in the V12 Vantage GT3. The 2015 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona kicks off a full season effort for Christina in both the IMSA TUDOR and Pirelli World Challenge Championships. Easily one of the most experienced female racers in the world, Christina brings a wealth of endurance racing experience to to the team.

Derek DeBoer grew up in a family where racing and the love of cars was very much at the forefront of everyday life. His grandfather raced in the local dirt car circuit and his father followed suit, but in the form of Top Alcohol dragster racing. DeBoer’s family owns an auto group in the Pacific Northwest, with Derek playing a large role in the day-to-day operations. Not a stranger to competition, Derek also spent 12 years as a professional wakeboarder riding for the Liquid Force factory team. His driver development began behind the wheel of a Formula Dodge at what is still his favorite track; Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA. He is a native of Southern Oregon and has traveled extensively for the past fifteen years racing in Formula Renault, multiple efforts at the 25 hour of Thunderhill, and in the GRAND-AM ST and GS Classes. DeBoer first tested in the V8 Vantage GT4 and raced at Sebring in 2013, before moving into multiple Pirelli World Challenge and Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge races in 2014, helping cement his place as part of the TRG-AMR team. DeBoer is running the full Pirelli World Challenge season in 2014 behind the wheel of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4.

Jason Alexandridis began his racing career in early 2011 racing with NASA in the NorCal Spec E30 class. After a few seasons and some top 10 finishes in SpecE30, Jason moved up to a BMW E46 M3 and began competing in the Unites States Touring Car Championship Series. By the end of the 2014 season in USTCC Jason secured 4 podium finishes in 7 races, 2 for 1st place. That same year he also placed 2nd in the NASA Western States Championships in the GTS-3 class. Jason first tested the V8 Vantage GT4 with TRG-AMR at Sonoma Raceway in 2015. He will have his professional debut in the Pirelli World Challenge series at Sonoma Raceway in late August 2015. Jason has a competitive spirit. In his early years he put himself through college by entering the US Navy. While there he was trained as a hospital corpsman, worked in the cardiology clinic, and played on the All-Navy Volleyball team. He went on to college at San Diego State where he continued to play indoor and beach volleyball. These experiences helped shape the determined and broad-skilled person he would become.

Jeff Huber - Jeff’s racing career began growing up on a farm in Illinois, sliding and racing anything with a motor — 125/250cc motocross, 3-wheelers, 4-wheelers, snowmobiles, and farm trucks and tractors. In addition to his day-job as a technology executive and entrepreneur (follow @jhuber on Twitter), his 15 year sportscar racing career has seen him contending for championships and on the podium in most races. Jeff dedicates his racing career to his incredibly amazing wife and love-of-his-life, Laura, and teenage aspiring-racer kids, Max & Grace.

Peter Ludwig returns to TRG for his Pirelli World Challenge debut after several successful seasons of running in both the TUDOR Sports Car Series as well as Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Always a contender in both GT and GS categories, Peter has had tremendous success in sportscars, including 3 combined class wins as well as five more podiums. Fast in anything he drives, Peter has driven everything from Porsches and Ferrari’s to Mazdas, including open wheel cars and prototypes. He is actually coming off a F3 victory just last week here at Sonoma. TRG is happy to see Peter back and look forward to a strong run together.

Kris Wilson has seen and done nearly everything in the realm of sports car racing, from driving and coaching to wrenching on cars. His vast experience and driving talent make him an ideal co-driver for Max Riddle. After pairing with Dave Riddle for four years the partnership has been transferred to Max. Wilson, who calls Littleton, Colorado home, started as a mechanic for BFGoodrich/Jim Busby Racing’s Porsche 962. Not content to stay in the pits, Wilson drove his first race in 1987. During the next six years, he took rookie of the year titles in Formula Mazda, US FF2000 and Firestone Firehawk (the precursor to KONI Challenge). Wilson also had the opportunity to compete in the Rolex Series, World Challenge, World Sports Car and the American Le Mans Series. Teaching others to race may be even more difficult than driving, but Wilson has been an instructor and coach nearly as long as he has been competing himself. He first joined the Skip Barber Racing School in 1989 and has been passing on his knowledge since then. After competing in the Vantage GT4 with Automatic Having raced the entire 2014 Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge with teammate Max Riddle, Kris is looking to fill the role of reserve driver and senior instructor in the TRG-AMR stable.