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Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Seeks Triumph At COTA World Endurance Return
Aston Martin is making a return to the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) for the Lone Star Le Mans 6-hour race. The latest Vantage GT3 will debut in Texas with partner teams The Heart of Racing (THoR) and D’station Racing. Aston Martin has a remarkable history at COTA, boasting nine GT class wins out of six events since 2012.
The British luxury sports car brand has achieved a 75% win ratio at COTA, including four double-class victories. The new Vantage GT3, derived from the Vantage road car unveiled earlier this year, features a bonded aluminium chassis and a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. While it awaits its first world championship win, it has shown competitiveness in other categories.
THoR is competing on home ground for the first time since joining WEC at Spa in 2023. The team secured second place in the recent WEC round in Sao Paolo, Brazil. This performance has brought them closer to second place in the LMGT3 points standings, heading into COTA fourth with 20 points from second and 45 off the lead.
Outside of WEC, THoR’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign is gaining momentum. At Virginia International Raceway, both THoR cars finished in the top three in their class during the 160-minute sprint race. Works driver Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas closed in on the GTD Pro class points lead with third place.
Gunn is now just 17 points away from the GTD Pro class lead with two races left at Indianapolis and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, offering up to 770 points. Meanwhile, Roman De Angelis and Zacharie Robichon finished second in the GTD class with their #27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
D’station Racing's Performance
D’station Racing also recorded a podium finish this season by securing third place in Qatar. Since then, they have consistently finished within points positions, including a top ten finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Clément Mateu has joined Marco Sørensen and Erwan Bastard for this season’s rounds except Le Mans.
Sørensen is Aston Martin’s most decorated active works driver with three FIA WEC championships and wins at Rolex 24 and Le Mans. The trio currently sits seventh in the championship standings, just 11 points behind THoR.
Historical Success
Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport, Adam Carter, stated: "The Aston Martin Vantage GT3 has established itself as a competitive force on the global GT landscape in a relatively short period of time." He added that despite some misfortune preventing an FIA WEC class victory so far, they are optimistic about continuing their success trend at COTA this weekend.
The official practice for Lone Star Le Mans begins on Friday, August 30th at 1240 local time (1840 BST), with the race starting on Sunday at 1300 (1900 BST). Fans can follow event details through official series websites and apps.
Aston Martin Lagonda aims to be the world's most desirable ultra-luxury British brand by creating exquisitely addictive performance cars. Founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford in 1913, Aston Martin is known globally for style, luxury, performance, and exclusivity.
The company designs and manufactures cars sold in 56 countries worldwide from its bases in Gaydon and St Athan. Lawrence Stroll became Executive Chairman in 2020, leading to significant investment and Aston Martin's return to Formula One™ racing.
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