MANILA: Aston Martin’s new Vantage GT3 race car is aiming for victory at the upcoming 24 Hours of Nurburgring, organized by the German Automobile Club (ADAC) and German automotive oil company Ravenol. 

The 2024 24 Hours of Nurburgring will run from June 1-2, 2024, and it will serve as the debut event for the British carmaker’s new GT3-spec vehicle. 

Germany-based Walkenhorst Motorsport is the team forming the backbone behind the next-generation Vantage GT3 for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. So, while Aston Martin is seeking to become the first-ever British manufacturer to win this race, it will receive support from an experienced German motorsport team that previously won the 2018 24 Hours of Spa and the 2023 Asian Le Mans Series. 

The Aston Martin—Walkenhorst Motorsport team will field three Vantage GT3 race cars at the upcoming event in The Green Hell. The team's cars will each race under the SP9 Pro, PRO-AM, and AM classes. 

Piloting the new Vantage GT3 for the race’s SP9 Pro class is reigning Nurburgring 24 Hours winner and works driver David Pittart. Pittart is joined by two-time FIA World Endurance GT champion Nicki Thiim, as well as Christian Krognes and Kuba Giermaziak. 

Yet another team set to enter the 24 Hours of Nurburgring's SP9 PRO-AM class with an older version is the PROsport Racing team. The team's car will be piloted by Nico Bastian, Marek Bockmann, Hugo Sasse, and Ben Green. Two Vantage GT4 units under PROsport will likewise enter the fray under the SP10 class, and yet another GT4 car will compete in the SP8T class. 

A lone Vantage GT4 car from Dorr Motorsport will also enter the race under the SP10 class. Back in 2022 the Cassellapark-based race team gained victory in the SP8T class. 

The Nurburgring has always been deeply rooted in Aston Martin's traditions. In the late 1950s, legends such as Tony Brooks, Stirling Moss, and Jack Brabham each clinched victories at the famed German race track while racing under the Aston Martin banner. 

To that end, the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 has quite a legacy to live up to. Currently however, the car has already been making a huge statement in the world of motorsport by having a total of 25 examples competing in various events around the world. 

Specifically, the Vantage GT already competes in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and the Fanatec GT World Challenge Series, among others. 

Photos from Aston Martin

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