Two-Car Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Entry Aiming For Victory In Florida
PETALUMA, Calif. (March 11, 2014) – TRG-AMR enjoyed a solid season debut in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge in January at Daytona International Speedway, finishing fifth and 12th with its GS class Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4 cars.
But the team could enter an even sweeter spot and is aiming for victory with its No. 07 and 09 Residences at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Aston Martins at the next event, Friday March 14 at Sebring International Raceway during the Twelve Hours of Sebring race weekend.
Max Riddle at DaytonaMax Riddle and Kris Wilson once again will share the No. 07 at Sebring after teaming up to finish 12th at Daytona. James Davison welcomes new teammate Kenneth Greenberg at Sebring in the No. 09 at Sebring after leading the team to a fifth-place finish at Daytona. Veteran driver Greenberg has extensive global experience in Porsche and Aston Martin racing and historic racing.
“Sebring is a fast, bumpy and technical track,” Riddle said. “I think we will have a real advantage with the Aston because it is such a well-balanced race car.”
The two-hour, 30-minute race starts at 1 p.m. (ET) Friday, March 14 on the 17-turn, 3.74-mile Sebring circuit. IMSA.com will stream live, with delayed television coverage from 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 19 on FOX Sports 1.
TRG-AMR produced a strong performance at Daytona despite the smooth, steeply banked turns on the oval portion of the circuit and horsepower-hungry long straightaways, which favor rival manufacturers in the series. But the historic circuit at Sebring is flat and bumpy with a variety of different corner configurations, which should accommodate the smooth handling and progressive power curve of the V8 Vantages very well.
“Daytona is all about horsepower, whereas Sebring is handling first, then horsepower,” Wilson said. “This should suit the Vantage GT4 better.”
Said Davison: “At Daytona, we achieved the best possible result with a top five behind four highly advantaged BMWs. Sebring should suit the GT4 Aston Martin better with less straightaways and more corners. I can’t wait to get racing!”
No. 07 at DaytonaTesting at Thermal, Calif. , and Sebring between the race at Daytona and this event helped the talented TRG-AMR crew develop suspension and chassis adjustments to extract the most speed possible from the notoriously bumpy Sebring circuit, which includes a tricky mix of asphalt and concrete.
While the bumps of Sebring will suit the supple handling of the V8 Vantage GT4, those surface imperfections and the rising heat and humidity of spring in Florida will create unique challenges for drivers.
“Your body takes turns getting roughed up in two consecutive high-speed turns, the right-hand Turn 17 and the left-hand Turn 1,” Greenberg said. “One thing about racing at Sebring: It gives you a good, whole-body workout!”
PRE-RACE QUOTES
MAX RIDDLE (No. 07 Residences at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4): “Daytona was a good start for Kris and I in the No. 07 TRG Aston Martin, but finishing 12th is 11 spots behind our goal. The 07 car arrived from Europe just one day before the start of the test days at Daytona, so we didn’t have much time to prepare before the race. Aston Martin and TRG are, without a doubt, a combination of car and team that can win races. Since Daytona, we have done some testing, and the team has been working non-stop to make sure that the No. 07 TRG-Aston Martin is prepared to win.” (About racing at Sebring): “I can’t wait to race the Aston at Sebring. Sebring is a fast, bumpy and technical track. I think we will have a real advantage with the Aston because it is such a well-balanced race car. Sebring is one of Kris and my favorite tracks, so we’re both really looking forward to the race. I’ve only ever tested at Sebring, so to have this opportunity to race at such a historical track and race with an Aston Martin prepared by TRG is a true privilege. Everybody at TRG-AMR has been doing an amazing job, and they all want to win. The team is awesome, and we have a great car , so this year is only going to get better and better. I think our first win is just around the corner.”
KRIS WILSON (No. 07 Residences at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4): “We had a productive test at Thermal, Calif., and learned a lot about the springs and shocks. Daytona is all about horsepower, whereas Sebring is handling first, then horsepower. This should suit the Vantage GT4 better. We don’t have the straight-line speed, but we have good braking and handling.” (About challenge of racing at Sebring): “Sebring is usually either hot and humid or raining – or both. The front straight in the rain on the old concrete runways is ugly. A lot of good race cars have been crashed in a straight line. I was leading a race there in the rain and turned over the car to see my teammate crash on the painted start/finish line. To prepare for this race mentally, you have to be ready to run in the rain and be physically prepared to handle the heat and humidity.”
JAMES DAVISON (No. 09 Residences at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4): “I’m excited to get back in the No. 09 GT4 and team with Kenneth Greenberg at Sebring. At Daytona, we achieved the best possible result with a top five behind four highly advantaged BMWs. Sebring should suit the GT4 Aston Martin better with less straightaways and more corners. I can’t wait to get racing!”
KENNETH GREENBERG (No. 09 Residences at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4): (About challenges of racing at Sebring): “Your body takes turns getting roughed up in two consecutive high-speed turns, the right-hand Turn 17 and the left-hand Turn 1. One thing about racing at Sebring: It gives you a good, whole-body workout!” (About joining team as race driver at Sebring): “I never thought I’d be driving one of our cars in the CTSCC race at Sebring!”
FAST FACTS
Date: March 12-14
Venue: Sebring International Raceway, Sebring, Fla. (17 turns, 3.74 miles)
Race Duration: Two hours, 30 minutes
TRG-AMR Teams (both GS class): No. 07 Residences at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4, drivers Max Riddle, Vancouver, British Columbia, Kris Wilson, Golden, Colo.; No. 09 Residences at the Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT4, drivers James Davison, Melbourne, Australia, Kenneth Greenberg, Hollywood, Fla.
Schedule: Practice, 11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m. (ET) and 5:20-6:20 p.m. Wednesday, March 12; Qualifying, 12:55-1:10 p.m. Thursday, March 13; Race, 1-3:30 p.m., Friday, March 14.
Broadcast: Live streaming, 1-3:30 p.m. (ET) Friday, March 14, IMSA.com . Delayed TV: 1-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, FOX Sports 1; 7:30-9:30 p.m., Sunday, March 23, FOX Sports