The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD class is ready to have an inflow of recent groups for 2025, and amongst these are van der Steur Racing, which is stepping up from Michelin Pilot Problem GS class.
Rory van der Steur and Valentin Hasse Clot shall be swapping the IMPC Aston Martin Vantage GT4 for the Vantage GT3 Evo with their eye on the complete Michelin Endurance Cup and, maybe, choose dash races in 2025.
“My dad [Gunnar van der Steur] has all the time been inquisitive about it ever since we acquired again in IMSA, as a result of he raced ALMS in LMP2, however not on the degree that we’re doing it now,” stated van der Steur. “Yearly we’d come to Daytona, and I might see him crawl again to the WeatherTech paddock and stroll round. I knew that’s the place he wished to go.
“This time final yr we employed Valentin, who is an efficient good friend of mine now, and Aston manufacturing facility driver, and he’s all the time in all probability one of the crucial hard-working drivers I’ve ever met, not solely on the observe, however off the observe – like fitness center health, but in addition placing applications collectively, working an academy for the younger drivers to come back up. He approached my dad at and after Sebring this yr, and was like, ‘What do you consider WeatherTech subsequent yr?’”
There was numerous considered it, conferences with AMR and ultimately it appeared like a risk. However getting vehicles was a query by this level – any obtainable vehicles have been non-Evo variations, and the Evo package was dear. Then Flying Lizard Racing in SRO America switched producers from Aston Martin to BMW, and there have been two Evo vehicles obtainable. Van der Steur Racing had a racecar, and, within the second automotive, a spares bundle.
“When the vehicles arrived within the store, it actually felt surreal. We now have full backing from Aston Martin as properly, so it’ll be actually good. We’re nonetheless engaged on the finalizing drivers as we wish to do it probably the most environment friendly approach attainable on the fee aspect as properly. We wish to win … we wish to have a risk of successful the primary time we exit at Daytona,” stated van der Steur
To extend that risk, van der Steur Racing can have AMR/Prodrive on board to run the vehicles. The crew’s present crew, which is able to nonetheless be fielding a automotive in IMPC, shall be learning with a purpose to tackle the function of working the vehicles past subsequent season.
The crew persevering with in IMPC is essential, van der Steur says, as a result of it’s an important coaching floor.
“It’s an important feeder sequence for WeatherTech, since you study all the things in Pilot Problem. You study pit stops, you study gasoline saving, you study tire administration, you study the racecraft. You study restarts. You study each IMSA rule you possibly can presumably consider in Pilot Problem. I believe Pilot Problem the perfect sequence IMSA has ever created, and it doesn’t blows individuals’s wallets out of the door, as a result of you possibly can run a season for pretty low-cost,” he stated
And he believes it’s ready him to make the step up. He’s already had a style of the Vantage Evo earlier than the crew acquired its two vehicles, again when AMR was growing the automotive. These laps at Snetterton in England solely whet his urge for food for extra.
“I used to be like, ‘Man, that is good.’ The facility, downforce … much more energy out of turns than I believed, however down the straightaway, it doesn’t actually really feel that quick in comparison with the GT4. The GT3 feels quite a bit sooner [in the corners] and a has lot extra grip, so I believe it’s going to go well with my driving type much more than GT4 as a result of the aggression it’s a must to have on the wheel,” he stated.
Van der Steur transferring up will assist Aston Martin’s presence within the GT courses subsequent season. Coronary heart of Racing is dropping its GTD PRO program because it brings the Aston Martin Valkyrie on-line in GTP, and longtime competitor Magnus Racing is stepping again after it runs its Vantage GT3 Evo within the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Three different groups are coming into, or increasing their applications in, GTD for 2024. DXDT is coming into the category with Corvette. DragonSpeed, which had its Ferrari 296 GT3 on the closing two rounds of the season, is planning a full-season effort. And Triarsi Competizione, which ran primarily Endurance Cup-only program in 2024 is including a second Ferrari for the complete WeatherTech Championship
