Whilst the ACO and its 24 Hours of Le Mans dominated the racing headlines around the world last weekend, the SRO were doing their best to publicise their GT3 and GT4 race series both in Australia and North America where the Aston Martin Racing brand again found themselves represented within each.
Down under, last weekend was the third round of the GT World Challenge Australia Series which saw the Sydney based Volante Rosso team field their third driver line up the year as GT3 debutant Cameron Rees was welcomed into their #14 AMR Vantage GT3.
Not just a rookie to his race car but also a rookie to the Queensland Motorsport Park circuit, the odds were truly stacked against the solo driver as he competed within the Trophy class and with just fifteen runners again scheduled, his work was already cut out. Admitting to mistakes within Q1, the #14 car would start Saturday’s hour-long opener from P14 overall and P3 in class to come through to take a deserved race finish just two laps down to the overall winner P12 overall and P3 in class.
Sundays Qualifying run was much better as he secured a Trophy class pole position out of the three class runners but again his GT3 inexperience proved costly as Rees finished race two again in P12 overall and P3 in class.
Then over in North America, both the GT World Challenge America and GT America Series were racing out their fourth rounds to the seasons from the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with one AMR Vantage GT3 and one AMR Vantage GT4 this time flying the flag.
Again, there were no changes within either line up as Frank DePew and Robin Liddell raced within their #71 Rebel Rock Racing Vantage GT3 within Sundays three-hour Gt World Challenge race whilst Jason Bell would again run solo within his #2 Racers Edge Motorsport AMR Vantage GT4 within the two forty-minute GT America Series races.
With just two GT4’s running within the GT America Series races, Bell didn’t have too much difficulty in maintaining his 100% race winning streak since returning to the series last time out.
Within the GT World Challenge America Series meanwhile, the #71 crew still had their work cut out in Liddell’s driver coaching for the more mature DePew as he continues his transition between GT4 and GT3 platforms and by the end of that Safety Car interrupted race, the #71 crew would secure their best result of the season so far finishing P13 overall and P10 in class.
Photo credits – Teams / Series / social media