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GRAND-AM
SPORTS CAR: High Hopes For TRG, Aston Martin
John Dagys explores the new TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America partnership to see what’s in store for 2013 and beyond...
TRG founder Kevin Buckler has formed a strategic alliance with Aston Martin Racing to become the official importer and partner for the British manufacturer's racing efforts in America. (Photo: Jim Sykes/TRG)
The old adage “Rome wasn’t built in a day” could very well apply to Kevin Buckler and The Racer’s Group. Having started off in the club racing business some 20 years ago, the California native has gown his organization into one of the leading Porsche teams in the country, with wins at Daytona and Le Mans and multiple sports car titles.
While much of TRG’s success up until now has been with Porsche, 2013 marks a new chapter for Buckler and his championship-winning operation, in the form of a multi-faceted, factory supported partnership with Aston Martin Racing, which sees TRG become the official North American racing partner for the famed British marque.
Announced in late November the newly formed TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America will be responsible for race car sales, race parts, at-track engineering, technical support, rebuilds and repairs for the full line of Aston Martin race cars, from the track-day Vantage GT4 all the way up to the GTE-spec Vantage V8, and potentially beyond.
"I'm 53 years old and have been a Porsche fan since I was 12,” Buckler said in a SPEED.com exclusive interview. “Growing up in California, that was the car, and always will be. But the business opportunity with Aston Martin... This was a serious, long-term partnership for us.
“When you have an opportunity like this and you live for motorsports, very rarely does something like this come along. So you really need to seize the moment. I consulted with everybody that I trust and everyone had the same answer: do it."
The undisclosed long-term deal with AMR and its development arm Prodrive comes as one of the most comprehensive partnerships currently seen in North American sports car racing, with TRG set for an ambitious 2013 program.
It includes fielding entries in the American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while also providing at-track support for customer programs running the four different versions of Vantage race cars.
ALMS: Utilizing the Aston Martin Vantage V8, a class winner in the FIA World Endurance Championship, TRG plans to mount a single-car, full-season effort in the ALMS with the GTE-class contender, beginning at next month’s official Winter Test at Sebring.
"We have a brand-new GT coming that will be at Sebring racing with us, probably with amateurs racing in the car to get started,” Buckler said. “As we start winding up a program around corporate sponsorship and corporate partnership, we'll [increase this program].
"For sure, we will try to field the GTE car all year in the ALMS to get ready for '14 and also to run Le Mans."
The program with the GTE-spec Vantage V8 also encompasses the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Buckler has lodged an entry for the GTE-Am category, in association with Aston Martin Racing.
As for 2014, in what will become the unified sports car series in America, Buckler says the goal will be to run two Vantage GTEs, while also supporting customer programs in the highly competitive category.
GRAND-AM: The GTE’s little brother, the Vantage V12 GT3, is in the final stages of homologation for the Rolex Series GT category, with Buckler planning a similar single-car effort for the car this year with a Pro-Am driver lineup.
"We expected to be ready for Barber but we might make Circuit of the Americas,” he said. “It’s an aggressive schedule and we don't want to come out and have any missteps, either. It's going to be one of those two races. No drivers announced yet, but we're working on it."
As for 2014, Buckler also anticipates an expanded effort for the V12-powered beast, which he believes will make for a good customer car, given the likely move to pro-am driver enforcement in the GRAND-AM-based category.
TRG also has plans to campaign the Vantage GT4 in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge alongside entries from Multimatic Motorsports, which debuted the car last year under a technical and development partnership with Aston Martin.
WORLD CHALLENGE: Utilizing the same base car as the Rolex Series version, the Vantage V12 GT3 will also be eligible to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge and is also in the process of homologation for the sprint-race championship, which will see an influx of GT3-spec machinery this year.
"We are not running World Challenge but the FIA GT3 car is being homologated for that class,” Buckler said. “Unfortunately, I think there were a couple of guys that would have been takers, but we came in so late. We will make the GT3s available and support any customers that go there. But we don't have plans to run there right now."
While much of TRG’s success up until now has been with Porsche, 2013 marks a new chapter for Buckler and his championship-winning operation, in the form of a multi-faceted, factory supported partnership with Aston Martin Racing, which sees TRG become the official North American racing partner for the famed British marque.
Announced in late November the newly formed TRG-Aston Martin Racing North America will be responsible for race car sales, race parts, at-track engineering, technical support, rebuilds and repairs for the full line of Aston Martin race cars, from the track-day Vantage GT4 all the way up to the GTE-spec Vantage V8, and potentially beyond.
"I'm 53 years old and have been a Porsche fan since I was 12,” Buckler said in a SPEED.com exclusive interview. “Growing up in California, that was the car, and always will be. But the business opportunity with Aston Martin... This was a serious, long-term partnership for us.
“When you have an opportunity like this and you live for motorsports, very rarely does something like this come along. So you really need to seize the moment. I consulted with everybody that I trust and everyone had the same answer: do it."
The undisclosed long-term deal with AMR and its development arm Prodrive comes as one of the most comprehensive partnerships currently seen in North American sports car racing, with TRG set for an ambitious 2013 program.
It includes fielding entries in the American Le Mans Series, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, while also providing at-track support for customer programs running the four different versions of Vantage race cars.
ALMS: Utilizing the Aston Martin Vantage V8, a class winner in the FIA World Endurance Championship, TRG plans to mount a single-car, full-season effort in the ALMS with the GTE-class contender, beginning at next month’s official Winter Test at Sebring.
"We have a brand-new GT coming that will be at Sebring racing with us, probably with amateurs racing in the car to get started,” Buckler said. “As we start winding up a program around corporate sponsorship and corporate partnership, we'll [increase this program].
"For sure, we will try to field the GTE car all year in the ALMS to get ready for '14 and also to run Le Mans."
The program with the GTE-spec Vantage V8 also encompasses the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Buckler has lodged an entry for the GTE-Am category, in association with Aston Martin Racing.
As for 2014, in what will become the unified sports car series in America, Buckler says the goal will be to run two Vantage GTEs, while also supporting customer programs in the highly competitive category.
GRAND-AM: The GTE’s little brother, the Vantage V12 GT3, is in the final stages of homologation for the Rolex Series GT category, with Buckler planning a similar single-car effort for the car this year with a Pro-Am driver lineup.
"We expected to be ready for Barber but we might make Circuit of the Americas,” he said. “It’s an aggressive schedule and we don't want to come out and have any missteps, either. It's going to be one of those two races. No drivers announced yet, but we're working on it."
As for 2014, Buckler also anticipates an expanded effort for the V12-powered beast, which he believes will make for a good customer car, given the likely move to pro-am driver enforcement in the GRAND-AM-based category.
TRG also has plans to campaign the Vantage GT4 in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge alongside entries from Multimatic Motorsports, which debuted the car last year under a technical and development partnership with Aston Martin.
WORLD CHALLENGE: Utilizing the same base car as the Rolex Series version, the Vantage V12 GT3 will also be eligible to compete in the Pirelli World Challenge and is also in the process of homologation for the sprint-race championship, which will see an influx of GT3-spec machinery this year.
"We are not running World Challenge but the FIA GT3 car is being homologated for that class,” Buckler said. “Unfortunately, I think there were a couple of guys that would have been takers, but we came in so late. We will make the GT3s available and support any customers that go there. But we don't have plans to run there right now."
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