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Le Mans / ALMS
ALMS: TRG Aston Martin Program Delayed
Kevin Buckler-run Aston Martin Vantage V8 now planning for mid-season debut in ALMS GT class...
TRG's Aston Martin Vantage V8 destined for the American Le Mans Series has been delayed and will likely not make its debut until mid-season. (Photo: LAT)
While there will be two Aston Martin Vantage V8s on the grid for next month’s Twelve Hours of Sebring, neither will be the anticipated entry from TRG, which was initially set for a full-season campaign as part of its new partnership with the British manufacturer.
TRG-AMR North America President Kevin Buckler confirmed to SPEED.com late Thursday that his ALMS GT class program has been delayed, with an entry mid-season now more likely for the car.
"It's really tough to put everything together so quickly for the race," Buckler said. "Whatever we do, we want to do it right. We'll wait until the timing is right and there's time to test the car. We were working on it but it didn't feel right. So we'll wait.”
Aston Martin Racing will field two works entries in the ALMS season opener next month, headlined by an all-star entry for factory drivers Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Bruno Senna. GRAND-AM regulars Paul Dalla Lana and Billy Johnson will team with former Peugeot factory ace Pedro Lamy in a second Vantage.
Buckler anticipates some of his crew working with the Prodrive-run squad at Sebring, to help get acclimated with the new GTE-class contender.
"The thing about our class is that it's pretty damn competitive,” Buckler said. “And there's no Pro-Am [class] here. So bringing out three Am’s, as we probably would have done for the first race, was going to be a little bit much."
Meanwhile, TRG’s Le Mans program remains unclear, with its GTE-Am class entry currently as the fourth reserve in GTE. Buckler, who took the GT2 class victory with his team in 2002, is listed as the nominated driver, should it gain an entry, although it appears unlikely at this stage.
“Fourth [on the reserve list] is a bit of a stretch. It's kind of disappointing,” he said. “There were a couple other full-season entries for WEC and other stuff that probably took precedence over our situation. But I was looking forward to getting in the race, especially with the previous history we had there.
“We might go run it in the [Le Mans] Test Day.”
Buckler said the team’s Rolex Series program with the new Aston Martin Vantage V12 is on track, with the GT3-spec car going through its final stages of homologation and should be race-ready by April.
TRG's Vantage GT4 for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, which debuted last month with Turner and Mucke at the wheel, is close to being confirmed for a full-season campaign with customer drivers.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
TRG-AMR North America President Kevin Buckler confirmed to SPEED.com late Thursday that his ALMS GT class program has been delayed, with an entry mid-season now more likely for the car.
"It's really tough to put everything together so quickly for the race," Buckler said. "Whatever we do, we want to do it right. We'll wait until the timing is right and there's time to test the car. We were working on it but it didn't feel right. So we'll wait.”
Aston Martin Racing will field two works entries in the ALMS season opener next month, headlined by an all-star entry for factory drivers Darren Turner, Stefan Mucke and Bruno Senna. GRAND-AM regulars Paul Dalla Lana and Billy Johnson will team with former Peugeot factory ace Pedro Lamy in a second Vantage.
Buckler anticipates some of his crew working with the Prodrive-run squad at Sebring, to help get acclimated with the new GTE-class contender.
"The thing about our class is that it's pretty damn competitive,” Buckler said. “And there's no Pro-Am [class] here. So bringing out three Am’s, as we probably would have done for the first race, was going to be a little bit much."
Meanwhile, TRG’s Le Mans program remains unclear, with its GTE-Am class entry currently as the fourth reserve in GTE. Buckler, who took the GT2 class victory with his team in 2002, is listed as the nominated driver, should it gain an entry, although it appears unlikely at this stage.
“Fourth [on the reserve list] is a bit of a stretch. It's kind of disappointing,” he said. “There were a couple other full-season entries for WEC and other stuff that probably took precedence over our situation. But I was looking forward to getting in the race, especially with the previous history we had there.
“We might go run it in the [Le Mans] Test Day.”
Buckler said the team’s Rolex Series program with the new Aston Martin Vantage V12 is on track, with the GT3-spec car going through its final stages of homologation and should be race-ready by April.
TRG's Vantage GT4 for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, which debuted last month with Turner and Mucke at the wheel, is close to being confirmed for a full-season campaign with customer drivers.
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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