The Heart of Racing heads to Petit Le Mans hunting the GTD PRO Championship
The team enters the season finale with two GTD PRO entries featuring new lineups
Braselton, Ga. (October 9, 2024) - The 2022 IMSA WeatherTech GTD Championship team, the Heart of Racing, looks to add to that title this weekend at Motul Petit Le Mans at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta as the No. 23 Heart of Racing GTD PRO entry will contend for the top spot in the category.
The No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage will see an updated lineup with Roman De Angelis joining Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas. The Heart of Racing Team sits just 99 points behind the leading Porsche with a total of 405 points up for grabs between qualifying and the ten hour enduro.
“This is it. This is the most important race of the season,” said Gunn. “We’ve had such an amazing season and the team has worked so hard, so tirelessly and effectively. I cannot wait to give it one last try. We had an awesome season and Petit Le Mans is a race we have won in the past. Anything can happen in a ten hour race. We need a bit of luck our way to win the championship, but anything can happen. I’m sure everyone will be doing themselves proud and I just can't wait to get out to Road Atlanta and give it one last push.”
Gunn and Riberas are currently on their third season together competing in the No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Heading into the final race of 2024, Gunn and Riberas have a win at Watkins Glen and three additional third place finishes. The duo have a pair of fourth place finishes at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (2021,2022).
“What a special opportunity to go to such an event like Petit Le Mans on a spectacular race track and to fight for the championship,” said Riberas. “That’s the dream. That has been the goal since the beginning of the season. The odds are stacked against us, we are 99 points behind the Porsche. However, if there is a place where anything can happen, that’s Road Atlanta. So I’m looking forward to doing whatever it takes to win the championship. Hopefully we can make some magic happen and bring the championship home.”
De Angelis and Riberas will co-drive the same car for the first time in IMSA, the only other time the two have shared the driver’s seat was the 2022 24H of Dubai where the team placed second. The 2021 WeatherTech Sprint Cup champion duo of De Angelis and Gunn will reunite once again. The pair won the 2021 Motul Petit Le Mans race co-driving with Team Principal, Ian James.
“I always look forward to Petit every year,” said De Angelis. “It’s definitely one of the more exciting races for fans to be at. As a driver, it's a pretty overwhelming race, and a lot can happen. The No. 23 team is in a position to win the championship, so my job is to do everything I can to help support them. My goal is to just keep the Aston clean, do my job, and hopefully on Saturday night, we're celebrating a championship for the team.”
The Heart of Racing will have an additional GTD PRO entry with Zacharie Robichon, Mario Farnbacher, and Marco Sorensen onboard the No. 027 Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
Sorensen returns to the familiar No. 027 Aston Martin Vantage after completing the full 2023 season in the car with De Angelis. The duo was joined by James to finish fifth at Motul Petit Le Mans last year. The Danish driver will rejoin the IMSA field for the first time since January’s Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
“First of all I am happy to be back with the Heart of Racing,” said Sorensen. “Daytona feels like a long time ago. Petit is one of those races that you always aim to do. The ten hour race is such an intense race, there really isn’t a stint without a fight. I’m hoping to help the team get a good result and we can take it from there. I’m looking forward to it!”
Making his second start in the driver's seat of the No. 027 machine, Farnbacher looks to make his first Motul Petit Le Mans start since 2022 where he won with Gradient Racing. The German driver teamed up with Gunn and Riberas at Daytona and Sebring where the trio scored a fourth and fifth place finish. Farnbacher also filled in for Riberas during WEC event conflicts at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the special event,” said Farnbacher. “Petit Le Mans was my very first IMSA race back in 2012, it also doubled as my first win in IMSA because of that Road Atlanta and Petit Le Mans are pretty special to me. It is one of the best races on the calendar, it’s a ten hour battle and is usually pretty intense. I’m really looking forward to the challenge with the Heart of Racing. I can’t wait to get into battle!”
Robichon will return to the team after co-driving with De Angelis for the better part of the 2024 season. The duo had a high finish of second place at VIRginia International Raceway. The Canadian driver will make his sixth start at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with his highest finish being second in 2021, where he was a part of the championship winning team.
“I’m ready to see what the weekend brings,” said Robichon. “With Aston Martin in the manufacturers championship and the No. 23 team in the hunt for the GTD PRO championship it would be great to see both get the title. I’m happy to have Marco back in the car with us and to be joining up with Mario for the first time.”
The Motul Petit Le Mans ten hour race will take the green flay Saturday, October 12th at noon ET with coverage starting on NBC (12pm ET - 3pm ET) and finishing on USA Network (6pm ET to 10:30pm ET). Peacock will have the live broadcast for the full ten hours.
