TRG-Aston Martin Racing Pursues Fifth Victory at Daytona with International Driver Lineup - Speedway Digest

TRG-Aston Martin Racing is one of the most experienced and successful teams to be lined up on the grid at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this weekend. In its 21st consecutive year entering one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world, the California-based team will go for its fifth win. Though the field of 54 sportscars in multiple classes will provide for a tough battle, TRG’s track record — including 13 podiums with multiple car makes and an overall race win in 2003 — ensures the team will be a strong contender with its internationally-supported driver lineup.

The Daytona team lineup includes three Mexican drivers endorsed by Formula 1 star Sergio Perez in an international marketing venture with Carlos Slim. The team’s history with Mr. Slim and his company Telmex dates back to 2005, when TRG CEO Kevin Buckler placed Telmex driver Jimmy Morales in their TRG/Krohn Racing Daytona Prototype. Now, 11 years later, the #007 TRG Aston Martin Vantage proudly wears a Mexican flag on its roof with Antonio “Toño” Perez, Ricardo Perez de Lara, and Santiago Creel behind the wheel. With the Perez family’s heavy involvement — Toño as driver, his brother Sergio and their father Antonio as business partners — there is a parallel to be drawn to the “Hermanos Rodríguez” story of F1 success in the late sixties, in which the popularity of brothers Ricardo and Pedro underlined a vital period in Mexican motorsports history.

“I’m very excited about getting to race the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with the TRG Aston Martin Racing team,” said driver and new father Toño Perez. “It’s been a long time dream of mine and I’m very grateful with everyone involved for giving me this opportunity. I can’t wait for the day to arrive and you can be sure that all of the drivers will give it our all!”

Also joining the TRG-AMR team is British endurance driver, Lars Viljoen, who brings with him both a long racing record and a sponsor with two establishments of a luxury pedigree: Angela Estate Winery of Oregon, and Gainesway Thoroughbred Farms of Kentucky. Viljoen’s residence in the Bahamas, combined with his heritage and sponsorship, complete a very international lineup for TRG-AMR.

“This is definitely an exciting time for TRG in so many ways,” stated team CEO Kevin Buckler. “Daytona is ‘our thing’ and we have been coming here for over 20 years. I am so proud of our team’s history of success here, but also the fact that we get to debut such an amazing partnership here at Daytona. We have worked for years to put together a strong Mexican collaboration and I’m honored to have Carlos, Checo, Toño, and Santiago all as part of our strong TRG racing family for this epic event. Having Lars and his partners round out the team brings a true international flair. We’re all looking towards a bright future together and an amazing Daytona 24. Daytona here we come, again!”

The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona will be televised on FS1 through January 30th and 31st. See the full TV schedule at imsa.com.

Follow along with TRG-AMR on social media at twitter.com/theracersgroup, facebook.com/theracersgroup, and instagram.com/theracersgroup.

Author
Recent Posts

Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.