ASTON MARTIN CELEBRATES GTE AM WIN AT FIA WEC SEASON FINALE

Aston Martin won the GTE Am class and took third in GTE Pro, as the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship reached its climax under Bahraini floodlights.

The #98 V8 Vantage GTE Am, piloted by Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy and Mathias Lauda, started the race from pole. Thanks to a faultless and consistent race, Lauda brought the car to the checkered flag in first, securing the team’s 3rd place finish in the driver’s championship and a 23rd win overall in FIA WEC for Aston Martin Racing; more than any other manufacturer.

“It really is a testament to the hard work of the team and my co-drivers,” said Dalla Lana. “We’ve been fighting very hard for this. To get back to the top step at the end of the year is a great feeling and it’s also a nice way to get ready for next year. I hope that we won’t just be competing for the race win in 2016, but for the overall GTE Am championship.”

After the race, Lamy also dedicated the crew of #98’s victory to his late cousin Pedro, who passed away last week.

With the Balance of Performance returned to levels prior to Le Mans, the GTE Pro cars were once again able to battle competitively in their class throughout the championship finale.
The #97 V8 Vantage GTE of Brits Darren Turner and Jonny Adam closed the season with third in the GTE Pro class, after single stinting throughout the six hours. The pair was closely followed by the #95 Young Driver AMR entry in fourth.

Adam said after his performance, “The car felt really good from the first lap of the race. We made a fantastic start claiming third, and after keeping it consistent we were able to keep that result. The team were fantastic and never missed a beat which really helped. After having a tough year, it was great to take this podium and I hope it will propel us into next season.”

Team Principal John Gaw said, “Today we achieved the maximum that we could and stepping on to the podium in the Pro class and taking the Am win was incredibly satisfying.”

Reflecting on the year, Gaw added, “The season was disappointing overall and has been really tough for Aston Martin Racing. The car was competitive in the first three races and here too, but there were four races where we couldn’t compete for the championship. However, I’m pleased with the result today and look forward to challenging for the title in 2016.

6 Hours of Bahrain GTE race results:

#97 GTE PRO – P21 overall / P3 in class
#95 GTE PRO – P22 overall / P4 in class
#97 GTE PRO – P25 overall / P7 in class
#98 GTE AM – P26 overall / P1 in class
#96 GTE AM – P32 overall / P7 in class

TRG-AMR Announces First 2016 Pirelli World Challenge GTS Class Driver Team

After finishing the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge season with the most wins of any team in GTS class, TRG-Aston Martin Racing has announced its first driver lineup for 2016. TRG-AMR drivers Derek DeBoer and Jason Alexandridis are returning from their 2015 partial season campaign to drive the V8 Vantage in 2016 as a driver team.  

Both drivers showed strong pace in 2015, with Derek winning his class earlier this year in the Aston Martin Le Mans Festival race in support of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Aston Martin V8 Vantage showed its competitiveness in 2015 and everyone expects big results in 2016.  

The driver team will compete for the entire 2016 PWC season in GTS class and will be chasing a newly formatted team championship as a pair.  Both drivers will compete at each race on the schedule, as well as co-drive in the new to-be-announced Sprint X races.

Committed sponsors supporting Jason include Rebounderz Trampoline Arena while Derek will continue to represent BRM Chronographes and Racing for Cancer as a brand ambassador.  

“I'm excited to be returning to the PWC, but this time with a little more experience under my belt and for a full season,” said Derek DeBoer, TRG-AMR team driver.  “TRG-AMR has become family to me and I look forward to returning for another season. The Sprint X format and team championship have created a scenario that not only is giving me this opportunity as a driver, but also opened the doors to a great new friendship with my teammate Jason. I can't wait to drive the beautiful Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 to the front of the field.”

 

“I am extremely excited and grateful to announce my first professional full race season in the Pirelli World Challenge,” said Jason Alexandridis, TRG-AMR team driver. “My gratitude is far reaching as feel I have found a home with an outstanding and experienced team in TRG-AMR and strong partnership and friendship with my co-driver Derek DeBoer.  I am pumped about the new Sprint X race format and new team championship that is really the driving force that is allowing Derek and I to combine for a full season. I want to thank PWC for their insight with this program which helps accelerate the path to pro racing for guys like me. Derek and I are fully committed this season with a focus on winning in GTS class!"

“I couldn’t be happier to be able to announce our first driver team in the Pirelli World Challenge,” said Kevin Buckler, Chief Executive Officer at TRG-AMR. “We showed incredible pace in the 2015 season and look forward to repeating that performance in 2016. Derek and Jason are both super competitive and we’re happy to have them on our team and leading the charge and also in testing out this new multi-driver format.  The chemistry between us all is just fantastic and it will show this year on the track. We’ll be offering a similar “shared season” model to several other drivers so that they can pick and choose their favorite races and we can still field a complete car for the season with multiple drivers. We expect additional driver announcements in the coming weeks and are excited about the direction that Greg Gill and the PWC management team are taking the series. It continues to be unbelievably competitive and we look forward to fighting for a championship in 2016.”

TRG-AMR and Aston Martin Racing launch factory supported race program in North America

To continue the growth of its global customer base, Aston Martin Racing in conjunction with its US partner, TRG-AMR, will offer a complete factory-supported race program beginning in 2016, along with a strong reward program for all qualifying competitor's. Drivers and teams that commit to racing an Aston Martin GT4 or V12 Vantage GT3 in Pirelli World Challenge will receive comprehensive factory support, engineering assistance, spare parts support and other benefits to ensure a strong and competitive program.  

The North American program will support the Pirelli World Challenge in GT, GTA and GTS classes. Services available to all Aston Martin competitors will include the following areas of support: 

• Trackside AMR engineering support, including engine management and chassis support.
• Dedicated customer trackside spare parts service.
• Support for public relations, marketing and social media.
• Performance related bonuses for championships and individual races.

An additional element of the package offered by TRG-AMR and AMR is access for young Aston Martin drivers to enter the works Evolution Academy Program for 2016. This program, successfully launched in 2015, sees the top driver in the Academy qualify for a works contract with AMR for the 2016 season. Any eligible driver racing an Aston Martin in the Pirelli World Challenge Championship would be in line to enter the Evolution Academy program and compete for a works driver contract in 2017.

“With the global racing success of the GT4 and V12 Vantage GT3 platform, we felt the time was right to make a bold move to offer full factory support and continued growth of our successful motorsport programme in North America,” said John Gaw, Managing Director of Aston Martin Racing. “What is on offer here should not only attract more drivers and teams to the Aston Martin programs, but also allow more sponsors and corporate partners to become involved in what we are doing. Beyond factory AMR trackside race support, we are exploring ways to create a global business network to connect our corporate partners to the modern-day racing programs.”

“We applaud this move by Aston Martin Racing in the UK to assure teams and drivers running Aston Martin Vantage race cars that they will have direct access to factory support to be competitive on track,” said Kevin Buckler, CEO of TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America. “Our goal at TRG-AMR is to help drivers successfully purchase and race Aston Martin Vantage models in North America, whether that is with TRG-AMR or another team. For drivers wanting a turnkey program including a V8 or V12 Vantage, race support, driver development, and VIP corporate hospitality, we believe TRG-AMR is a great choice. For teams wanting to purchase Aston Martin race cars and compete as a standalone team, we want them to have the security of knowing they have a level playing field by having access to the same factory parts and engineering expertise that we do. This is the first time I have seen anything like this that has been developed and is a true collaborative effort and good for all competition.”

The performance related support package will benefit competitors racing in the Pirelli World Challenge Championship only with an Aston Martin. The package will feature at its pinnacle a $50,000 championship bonus consisting of cash, contingency bonuses and racing parts in the GT and GTA classes, while the GTS class prize will be set at $25,000 collectively.  Both will additionally include individual race bonuses and contingencies.  In order to qualify, the competitor must run an Aston Martin for the entire championship, and compete in every round of the series.  

“We are pleased to once again partner with Aston Martin and TRG in 2016. Their cars and program were a success in the Pirelli World Challenge in 2015 and the new program they are unveiling looks to build strongly on the success and opportunity created by this potent combination of manufacturer and team”, stated Greg Gill, President of Pirelli World Challenge. “This partnership has the potential to become the new benchmark for motorsport collaboration and promotion.”

“We are committed to running the finest support and contingency program for our teams, of any of the major manufacturers and we believe this is a great start.  We have proven that the cars are competitive in all classes and the ability to attract corporate partners is simply beyond any other program we have been involved with.  Aston Martin is truly a wonderful brand to be building a motorsports program around and we look forward to helping the teams to achieve success at all levels both on and off the track,"stated TRG-AMR CEO Kevin Buckler.