Story By: HALEIGH JORDAN / THE HEART OF RACING – WATKINS GLEN, NY – The Heart of Racing heads to Watkins Glen International looking to repeat the GT sweep they had last season. This weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen marks the fifth IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship race of the season.
During the six week hiatus from the last IMSA WeatherTech race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Heart of Racing debuted in the World Endurance Championship’s 100th running of the Le Mans 24 Hours, scoring a sixth place finish with team principal Ian James, Alex Riberas and Daniel Mancinelli.
Piloting the No. 23 Aston Martin Vantage GTD PRO entry is Ross Gunn and Alex Riberas. The duo teamed up last season to score their second win of the 2022 season at Watkins Glen.
“Watkins Glen is one of my favorite circuits on the IMSA calendar,” said Gunn. “It seems to always play to the strengths of the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. We had a pretty good race there last year. We did get a bit fortunate with the timing of a red flag at the end of the race. Alex usually does pretty well there as well. So I’m looking forward to hopefully getting back into a position where we can have a bit more luck and try for a podium placement.”
The No.23 team has had a fair share of misfortune this year with their highest finish being fourth at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, as the duo look for a return to the podium at the upstate New York circuit.
“I’m super excited to get back to Watkins Glen, especially after a special weekend at Le Mans,” said Riberas. “Watkins is another race track that has a special meaning to us, since we scored a double class victory with Heart of Racing in Aston Martins. I think it’s a track that fits our car very well. I am full of confidence that we will be competitive, as long as we execute well and if we make the right moves at every phase of the race. There’s going to be a lot of strategy involved and I think we have the right tools to bring home a trophy.”
Roman De Angelis and Sorensen will have Ian James join the No. 27 Heart of Racing GTD entry for the six hour endurance race. The trio, with the addition of Darren Turner, started the season with a victory at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona.
“Watkins Glen is another new track for me,” said Sorensen. “I’m looking forward to the race and the atmosphere I keep hearing about. I’m really looking forward to being back with the Heart of Racing team. Hopefully we can get a good result and grab the lead in the championship.”
Last season De Angelis and James were teamed up with Max Martin, the three drivers also won the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in GTD alongside the No. 23 team.
“Watkins Glen has always been a good track for Aston Martin,” said De Angelis. “It really suits the style of the car and where its strengths are. Last year Heart of Racing won both GTD PRO and GTD classes in the Aston here. Hopefully we can try to replicate that again. I always enjoy going there. I think it’s one of my favorite tracks in North America. I’m really looking forward to going to Watkins Glen again and hope to bring home some more hardware.”
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen will take the green flag on Sunday June 25th at 10:40 am ET and will go until 4:40 pm ET. The race will be live on USA Network starting at 2:00 pm ET, but you can watch all six hours of action on the Peacock App starting at 10:30 am ET.