The Heart of Racing Team sets sights on SRO at Road America
Elkhart Lake, Wisc. (15 August 2024) - The Heart of Racing Team returns to Road America August 16-18 with its SRO GT America powered by AWS and Pirelli GT4 America squad after the team scored a podium at the Wisconsin track with its IMSA program just two weeks prior.
Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier return to Pirelli GT4 America Silver competition in their No. 26 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 after making their debut in the Silver category at VIRginia International Raceway in July.
Grisham looks to resolve unfinished business from the team’s 2023 Road America weekend. The California native set the fastest lap time in qualifying for the AM division with a 2:15.709 second fast lap, which doubled as the fourth fastest lap of the overall Pirelli GT4 America field in her qualifying group. Unfortunately the No. 26 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 was not able to finish either race due to an incident during the first race of the weekend.
“I’m really looking forward to being back at Road America,” said Grisham. “It was a strong track for me last year, so I’m eager to keep that momentum going into this year’s race. I’m excited to see what Hannah and I can do when we hit the track this weekend. I’m extremely grateful to be competing alongside Hannah (Greenemeier) with The Heart of Racing.”
Greenemeier will make her first laps at the 4.048 mile Wisconsin circuit in the Aston Martin Vantage. The Colorado native has driven at the track in the US F4 Championship in 2023, where she qualified 14th out of 29 entries, although she also had her own dose of Road America bad luck and was not able to complete the races that weekend. Greenemeier looks to turn that luck around beside her teammate.
“I am excited to get back on track with the Heart of Racing at Road America,” said Greenemeier. “It was great to see one of our IMSA cars get a podium there a few weeks back, so hopefully we can continue that positive energy and momentum into our GT4 races. I know everyone will be giving their best as we get closer to the end of our season.”
Roman De Angelis and Gray Newell will take turns on board the No. 24 Aston Martin Vantage in the Pirelli GT4 America PRO-AM category.
Last season during the Road America weekend, Newell qualified fifth for the first race. The duo was able to work together over the 60 minute race to make their way to the front and lead the PRO-AM field to the checkered, scoring Newell / De Angelis duo’s second win of the 2023 season.
In 2022, Newell was teamed up with Ian James in the No. 24 Heart of Racing entry in Pirelli GT4 America. The pair secured the fastest lap time in the PRO-AM category during qualifying for the first race of the weekend. Newell and James went on to finish the first race of the weekend third.
De Angelis most recently raced at the IMSA SportsCar Weekend at Road America scoring a ninth place finish.
“I’m excited to get back to GT4 racing with the Heart of Racing,” said De Angelis. “I didn’t have the best of luck here with IMSA a few weeks ago, but I think Gray and I have a strong chance at a podium. Last year we were able to get a win here and hopefully we can do that again. I think we are third in the points championship so the plan is to close that gap a bit more this weekend.”
Newell will also compete in the No. 25 Aston Martin Vantage in GT America powered by AWS GT4 category. The driver who hails from Seattle, Washington is currently third in the championship points standings with just three race weekends remaining in the season.
The weekend marks Newell’s fourth Road America weekend with GT America powered by AWS. Newell qualified second for the first race of the 2023 weekend. The same weekend the driver of the No. 25 machine earned his best GT America powered by AWS finish with fourth in the second race of the weekend.
The SRO Road America weekend will see racing start Saturday afternoon at 1:55pm ET and 6:00pm ET followed by two races Sunday morning at 9:45am ET and 11:55am ET. All races and qualifying can be live streamed on GT World’s YouTube channel.
