Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Claims Second Consecutive IMSA Class Victory, Dominates GTD Category at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
The Heart of Racing Clinches Vantage GT3’s First GTD Class Win
- Roman De Angelis, 2021 Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy graduate and 2022 IMSA GTD champion, triumphs in home race for the second time.
- The Heart of Racing matches best result in FIA World Endurance Championship, finishing second in the LMGT3 class in 6 Hours of São Paolo.
Monday, 15 July 2024, Mosport, Canada: Aston Martin’s new Vantage GT3 has secured its second consecutive victory in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, North America’s premier endurance series, with a stellar GTD class win at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (Mosport) for partner team The Heart of Racing (THoR).
Roman De Angelis, the 2022 IMSA GTD champion and former Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy graduate, alongside Spencer Pumpelly, delivered a masterful performance in the #27 THoR Aston Martin Vantage GT3 at Mosport. This victory marks De Angelis’s second win at his home event in three years. The team led for the majority of the race, maintaining a significant lead over competitors and withstanding the pressure of a late-race Full Course Yellow to secure THoR’s and Aston Martin’s first GTD class win with the new Vantage GT3.
This triumph follows the maiden victory of Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas in the GTD Pro class at the previous round at Watkins Glen three weeks ago. This time, Gunn, partnered with Mario Farnbacher, finished fifth in the GTD Pro class at Mosport, bringing him within 60 points of the class lead, with four rounds remaining this season.
This victory marks the 13th IMSA win for the Aston Martin Vantage in the GT classes and the eighth GTD class win for THoR since their IMSA debut in 2020. Overall, THoR crews have secured IMSA podium positions 26 times over four and a half years, with partner team Magnus Racing adding three more podium finishes from their exclusive Endurance Race program.
Ian James, team principal, expressed his pride in the team’s accomplishments: “This was a fantastic day for The Heart of Racing team and another incredible win for Vantage. Winning at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was an amazing start to the day and a well-deserved reward for the hard work of everyone on the #27 crew. Finishing second in the WEC was the perfect end to a brilliant day. We hope for many more moments like this.”
James and his WEC THoR co-drivers, Alex Riberas and Daniel Mancinelli, nearly achieved a double victory for the brand and team in the 6 Hours of São Paolo, coming closer than ever to a maiden win in the series. Starting ninth in the LMGT3 class, James raced up to third by the end of his opening double-stint. Mancinelli then fought his way to second place, and when the leading Lamborghini retired, Riberas in the #27 Aston Martin engaged in a fierce battle with the #92 Porsche. A late-race Full Course Yellow, however, forced Riberas to settle for second place.
The D’station Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 also performed well, climbing from 14th to 9th in the LMGT3 class, thanks to strong stints from Clément Mateu, Erwan Bastard, and triple FIA World Endurance GT champion Marco Sørensen.
Adam Carter, Head of Endurance Motorsport, noted the team’s progress: “The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 is truly coming into its own. Seeing it win its class for the second consecutive IMSA race is incredibly satisfying. The team also demonstrated race-winning pace in the WEC, especially at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If we maintain this competitive level, a first WEC victory with Vantage is within our reach in 2024.”
The next round of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will take place at Road America (USA) on August 4th, while WEC will resume at the Circuit of the Americas (USA) on September 1st after a summer break.
