It was a good days work for the Rebel Rock Racing team at the weekend as they embarked upon their first round of the GT World Challenge America Series with their new Aston Martin Racing Vantage GT3 around the vast and winding course of the Circuit of The Americas.
Having procured their next step up the racing ladder late last year, the team found themselves back running in the two opening rounds of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with their AMR Vantage GT4 as they built up a head of steam ahead of their season opener within the SRO ran series.
Featuring a very familiar green and red livery, the number #71 upon the door panel and two familiar drivers names in Frank DePew and Robin Liddell – it was purely an exercise of survival and learning as they headed towards their first three-hour GT3 powered race of the season.
Although the weekend starting slowly for the car as they failed to turn any laps within Free Practice one, the Pro-Am entered car then got their new season underway in FP2 and FP3 resulting in a P20 starting position for Sundays race at the end of the combined qualifying sessions.
Whilst the race itself was full of its usual incident and accident, DePew ran a faultless opening stint to move up to as high as P10 overall before he pitted at about the hour mark. Liddell then ran the middle hour to the hour before handing back to DePew for the majority of the driving effort before he brought his car home P17 overall, P12 in class.
The next round will take them back to Sebring in just over a week’s time, a place where their GT3 career starting together last year.
Photo credits – Halston Pitman