Michael Satterfield
Aston Martin Racing will contest the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona with works team regulars Richie Stanaway (NZ), Mathias Lauda (AT), Pedro Lamy (P) and Paul Dalla Lana completing the four-driver lineup.
The weekend, which takes place over 30-31 January, is the season opener for this year’s IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Championship; North America’s premier sports car series.
Following an extensive ROAR test session at the beginning of the month, the team returns to the Floridian circuit with their V12 Vantage GT3, confident of a strong finish in the GTD class. Testing times remained tantalisingly close throughout the weekend, with the top 18 GTD runners separated by just 1.62 seconds in practice six.
John Gaw, Team Principal of Aston Martin Racing, said: “Racing in Daytona is incredibly important for a manufacturer such as Aston Martin and I am confident that we have the potential to compete at the front of our class. Our drivers are well-prepared to take on 2016 and Daytona would be the perfect place for them to seal their first result of the year. It’s also a pleasure to be racing alongside our partner-team TRG, who I hope will also have a successful race weekend.”
Following the test, Aston Martin Racing works driver Richie Stanaway also commented: “After a successful test I’m really looking forward to returning to Daytona to compete in the 24-hour race. We have a great driver line-up and I hope that together we can achieve a strong result for the team.”
The team’s entry will continue to sport the white and green livery revealed at the ROAR earlier this month. The car’s livery references the brand’s exclusive Vantage GT12 road car; a 100-only special-edition, sold and delivered to customers throughout last year.
Alongside Aston Martin Racing’s factory entry, the British marque will also be represented by its North American partner, TRG-Aston Martin Racing.
The California-based team, who are also running a V12 Vantage GT3 in the GTD class, will field their predominantly Mexican contingent of Santiago Creel (MX), Antonio Pérez (MX), Ricardo Pérez de Lara (MX), and Brit Lars Vilijoen (GB), with support from Mexican driver Sergio Pérez.
Aston Martin Racing will announce its plans for the rest of 2016 season in due course.
