Aston Martin Racing has adjusted its driver line-up in the GTE Pro class of the FIA World Endurance Championship for the remainder of the 2016 season.
AMR entered two V8 Vantage GTEs with three drivers in each car at the beginning of the season, racing with six drivers at Silverstone, Spa and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
However, the British marque will now cut back to having two drivers in each of its cars for the remainder of the WEC season.
“Each entry will benefit from increased track time per driver and fewer compromises in their driving positions,” a statement from Aston Martin Racing read.
Darren Turner will switch from the No. 95 entry to the No. 97, joining Richie Stanaway. Nicki Thiim and Marco Sorensen will continue to race in the No. 95 car.
Fernando Rees and Johnny Adam partnered Stanaway for the opening three races of the year, but will remain part of the Aston Martin Racing setup despite being dropped from the No. 97 car.
“With the second half of the season due to begin, we have had to consider what is best for the team,” team principal Paul Howarth said.
“With a focused driver lineup, this should help give us the best possible chance of success this year. I hope that Nicki, Marco, Darren and Richie will continue to push hard and keep us at the top of the GT manufacturers table.
“I’d like to thank Fernando and Jonny for their efforts this year, particularly on their sterling job at Le Mans.
“They have each put in fantastic performances and we look forward to continuing to work with them in our wider Aston Martin Racing activities.”
The next FIA WEC round takes place at the Nurburgring in Germany on July 24.
Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports
Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.
Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.
Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.
The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.
In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.
Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.
Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.
Last Five Seattle Winners
450s 2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto
