Nielsen, Wittmer Take the Podium at Lime Rock Park, Races into Second Place in TUDOR United SportsCar Championship

 

Petaluma, CA – July 27, 2015...  Following an impressive performance at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen race last month, TRG-Aston Martin Racing drivers, Christina Nielsen and Kuno Wittmer, captivated the crowd in Lakeville, CT this past weekend with another incredible appearance, placing third at the Northeast Grand Prix. This puts Nielson in second place in the TUDOR United SportsCar GTD Drivers Championship and the Royal Purple/Orion/LaSalle Solutions/Passtime USA number 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage now remains only five points from the top spot in the team championship.

Nielsen adds her third podium result of the 2015 season who finished in second place at Detroit and at the 12 Hours of Sebring. This will be her second consecutive podium finish at Lime Rock Park, securing Neilsen as one of the toughest GT competitors on the 1.50-mile course.

“To finish in third place after facing some fierce competition feels incredible,” exclaimed Christina Nielsen, TRG-Aston Martin driver. “The entire team worked tirelessly together to push us through the finish line; we needed a strong run this weekend and we did it. I couldn’t be more proud!”

Nielsen finished as the darling of the race, who knocked on many competitors’ doors throughout her stint and ended her day for the number 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage in second place. Wittmer took over at the halfway mark and put in a strong performance through a series of pit stops and yellow flags, bringing the number 007 home in third.

“Christina and Kuno are a great team in and out of the car and that shined through this past weekend,” said Kevin Buckler, CEO at TRG-Aston Martin Racing. “We pushed through to a very strong finish and I have confidence in our drivers and team for an even better performance at Road America— a track in which we have a long and successful history, and one that favors the strengths of the Aston Martin GT3.”

Coming in to the Northeast Grand Prix as favorites, the TRG-Aston Martin Racing team qualified in fifth place and maintained a competitive advantage throughout the two-hour and forty-minute race. Hitting the podium after only their second race together as co-drivers illustrates the strong team chemistry between the duo.

Wittmer signed with TRG-Aston Martin Racing in early July to oversee the team’s driver development program and will remain an integral part of the team through the remainder of the 2015 season.

The 2014 IMSA TUDOR GTLM champion and 2015 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona winner has become a great mentor for rising star Nielsen in just a short time and both are poised to stun crowds and competition at future races, including the upcoming Road America race at Elkhart Lake taking place from August 6th through August 9th.

Aston Martin Vulcan to run at Spa 24 Hours

           

23 July, Gaydon - The highly-anticipated Aston Martin Vulcan will attend the showpiece of the Blancpain Endurance Series, the TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa, this weekend (25 July) and will demonstrate its abilities as the ultimate track-only machine as it completes two flying laps of the world-famous circuit.

With its 800-plus bhp powertrain developed in conjunction with Aston Martin Racing, the 7.0-litre V12 Aston Martin Vulcan will be driven by works driver Darren Turner (GB), who has been involved in the design and development of the car from its inception. Turner has more than 20 years experience in developing racing cars and relished the opportunity to put this track-knowledge into Aston Martin’s most extreme sportscar.

“It’s been amazing to have been involved in this project from the beginning,” said Turner. “From the conceptual sketches through to working with the designers on driver ergonomics, it is a fascinating process to be part of.

“It was very early days for the car when we first ran it at Goodwood Festival of Speed, but we certainly made a good impression and now we get to show the car in its most natural environment. I’m looking forward to our laps prior to the race and then being able to watch one of the best 24-hour events on the calendar.”

In the 24 Hours of Spa, two of the top Aston Martin Racing customer teams will contest the PRO-AM class with their V12 Vantage GT3s.

Leonard Motorsport AMR will field Stefan Mücke (DE), Stuart Leonard (GB), Michael Meadows (GB) and Tom Onslow-Cole (GB) and Oman Racing by Motorbase will race with its regular Blancpain Endurance Series line-up of Jonny Adam (GB), Ahmad Al Harthy (OM) and Dan Lloyd (GB), as well as welcoming Aston Martin Evolution Academy driver Jonathan Venter (AU) to the team.

“At Leonard Motorsport we have a very strong driver line-up and a good chance of a podium in the PRO-AM class,” commented Mücke. “I’ve had pole with the V12 Vantage GT3 here a couple of years ago and I’ll be aiming for the same again this year to give us the best chance of staying out of trouble at the start - in this event we are wheel-to-wheel racing from start to finish.”

Also returning to the 24 Hours of Spa is Scotsman Adam, who took British GT Championship victory at Spa just a fortnight ago in the Beechdean AMR V12 Vantage GT3. “Although I’ve had pole positions and wins at Spa previously, I’ve never qualified in this event before, so I’m looking forward to that new challenge. The top 20 shoot-out is exciting - it really is a list of the top GT drivers in the world so the competition is fierce. The V12 Vantage GT3 is ‘tried-and-tested’ and that gives you a lot of confidence going into a 24-hour race like this.”

The V12 Vantage GT3 has already had great success in long-distance endurance racing around the world this season, with podiums at Dubai 24 Hours, Bathurst 12 Hours and Daytona 24 Hours, and Team Principal John Gaw is hoping to get a similar result in Europe’s largest event.

“We have some of the top teams in GT racing running V12 Vantage GT3s,” Gaw commented. “And, they are having great success in some of the toughest endurance challenges around the world. Both Leonard Motorsport and Oman Racing by Motorbase are capable of getting a class podium finish at the 24 Hours of Spa and we are looking forward to supporting them.”

The 24 Hours of Spa starts at 1630hrs on Saturday 25 July and fans can watch live on the Blancpain Endurance Series YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/GTworld

The Aston Martin Vulcan laps will take place on Saturday 25 July at 1410hrs.

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Aston Martin Vulcan:

With its 800-plus bhp powertrain developed in conjunction with Aston Martin Racing, this 7.0-litre V12 front mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car draws extensively on the brand’s rich GT motorsport experience. Utilising the techniques of world-class motorsport engineering, the track-only hypercar sees its power-to-weight ratio exceed those of the Vantage GT3 and GTE racecars that compete around the world

Comprising cutting edge engineering including that sourced from the brand’s successful GT racing campaign, the car features a carbon fibre monocoque and body constructed by Aston Martin’s long-term specialist body engineering and manufacturing partner Multimatic, integral limited-slip differential, magnesium torque tube with carbon fibre propeller shaft and Brembo racing calipers acting on carbon ceramic racing disc brakes which measure 380mm in diameter at the front and 360mm at the rear.

Drive is channelled to the 345/30 x 19 rear wheels and Michelin race specification tyres through a race-bred rear mid-mounted Xtrac six-speed sequential shift gearbox.

Track-derived pushrod suspension with anti-dive geometry is complemented by Multimatic’s Dynamic Suspension Spool Valve (DSSV) adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars front and rear, driver-adjustable anti-lock braking, and variable traction control.