Pumpelly Seizing New Opportunities as “Fill-In Guy”

Photo: Magnus Racing

Spencer Pumpelly said he’s seizing new opportunities in the sports car racing scene as the “fill-in guy” with outings in Heart of Racing Team’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo while coming off a winning weekend in Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS.

The 49-year-old Silver-rated driver has been using his FIA driver grading to the maximum, serving as the mandatory Bronze/Silver-rated driver in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston alongside full season driver Roman De Angelis in the last two IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races.

Additionally, Pumpelly is coming off a sweep of the Fanatec GT America weekend in a RS1-run Porsche 911 GT3 R, again, subbing for the team’s regular driver Jake Pedersen.

Pumpelly said the current two-race deal with the Ian James-led Heart of Racing Team effort came through an initial inquiry at the beginning of the year.

“I read an article on Sportscar365 months ago about potential conflicts,” he said. “So right away I talked to Ian and said, ‘Hey just remember I’m Silver and I’m available.’

“He looked at me like I had horns or something!

“Then about four months later he called me up and said, ‘Hey are you still interested?’

“We did the first one. The weekend went great until it didn’t, unfortunately. It went from really good to really bad real fast.

“Mostly things that weren’t of our own doing, but at the same time I was really disappointed.

“But he asked me back to do this one so hopefully this will be redemption and we can get a much better result.

“I know this team needs one in the 27 car with a bad Daytona, a bad Sebring. They haven’t had much luck.”

Pumpelly will be looking to carry momentum from last weekend’s Fanatec GT America rounds at Sebring International Raceway, where he picked up a pair of overall victories alongside Trent Hindman.

“In racing momentum is always key,” he said. “You have a good weekend and you show up to the next weekend with a big smile and are raring to go.

“You have a bad weekend and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, when are things ever going to turn around?’

“Having last weekend under the belt, especially after a disappointing run at Long Beach, it certainly brings a little bit more positive energy and more time to enjoy another solid team, a good teammate.

“I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

While wishing he had a full season GT3 ride under his belt, Pumpelly admits that he’s been pleased with how things have come together this year, in addition to his season-long Michelin Pilot Challenge commitments with BGB Motorsports.

“I’ve turned into the fill-in guy, which is OK,” he said.

“I’d rather have a full-time [GT3] gig, but between doing five races with Magnus and these guys and RS1, who knows, I might fill in close to a pretty full season.

Pumpelly said he remembers being in a similar position in the late 2000s when racing with TRG, amid a time when longtime friend and co-driver Andy Lally was dipping his toes into NASCAR.

“I’ve played this role before,” he said.

“But any time you come into a new team, it’s a lot to learn. But the guys at Heart of Racing have been really good at getting me up to speed and making me feel comfortable and being so accommodating.

“The prep they put into every weekend, and the information they send me beforehand, it’s super high. So you’re coming to the track feeling like you’re ready to go.

“With RS1, I’ve been with that team for four seasons and I’ve coached some of the guys under their tent for a while. The relationship there has been pretty strong for year.”

Pumpelly said he’s hopeful to get the call again to race the No. 27 Aston at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July, the third FIA World Endurance Championship round that clashes with the WeatherTech Championship.

He downplayed slotting into Heart of Racing’s Aston for all remaining sprint races, which although not yet announced, is believed to be earmarked for the team’s Michelin Endurance Cup driver Zach Robichon.

“Hopefully if there’s an opportunity, I’d love to do it,” Pumpelly said about CTMP. “If we can have a good showing this weekend I think that will increase the odds

“There’s still a lot of exciting stuff down the road. I still have a really solid program with BGB [in Pilot Challenge]. I still have three more races with Magnus.

“I’m excited for the season and to get into the meat of it, in the summer. It should be a lot of fun, a lot of racing and a lot of good teams.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John