he Heart of Racing returns to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2020 to compete in the GT Daytona class. Former Heart of Racing driver Ian James reunites with Seattle based businessmen Gabe Newell and Yahn Bernier, and will lead the new ground-up team, full-season entrant with a new-for-2020 alliance with Aston Martin.
The team will compete with the twin-turbo V8 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, which also marks an exciting return to the North American racing scene for Aston Martin Racing in the GT3 class.
“There are so many things to be excited about for 2020,” said James. “To set up a new team and align ourselves with the Aston Martin brand in North America is an amazing opportunity. The car has been competitive all around the world in 2019, and we are delighted to partner with Aston Martin Racing and bring it to North America. The Heart of Racing and Aston Martin have both had a three-year break from the IMSA Championship, so we’ve got a lot of making up to do, but are under no illusion on how tough the IMSA series is with all the great teams and drivers we have to compete against.”
The Heart of Racing will continue its successful fund-raising collaboration with Team Seattle, the ‘Racing for Children’ Guild which accepts donations for Seattle Children’s Hospital. Founded and run by Don and Donna Kitch since 1997, the Guild, dedicated to raising money for pediatric cardiac care, has to date raised over $6 million for the Seattle Children’s Heart Center.
The new team will feature a host of familiar faces in the IMSA paddock supplemented with Aston Martin Racing personnel.
“The Heart of Racing program has always been an inspiring environment to be in for everyone involved,” said James. “This is in addition to the very compelling fund-raising element. Gabe and Yahn’s support and vision is incredible and I’m delighted they decided to bring the program back to the IMSA paddock full-time. We have a close-knit crew, awesome full-time drivers to announce, and a great manufacturer partner. All the ingredients are in place.”
The Florida-based team will make their first appearance at the official pre-season practice, the ROAR Before The 24, from Friday, January 3rd to Sunday, January 5th. Full-season drivers to be announced prior.
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.
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