Austin, Lone Star Set for Series Debut at COTA

Photo: Brian Cleary/SRO

Texas-based Lone Star Racing and Austin-based team driver Marc Austin make their IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge debut this weekend at Circuit of The Americas.

Austin will pilot the team’s No. 11 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo in the new-for-2025 GTDX class.

Austin and Lone Star finished fifth in the GT3 class in last year’s GT America powered by AWS round at COTA in the same Mercedes-AMG they race with this weekend. Austin has also won a pair of Trans Am XGT races at COTA in the car in recent years.

“Marc is still really new to GT3 racing but he’s still having fun and still learning,” said team manager and technical director AJ Petersen. “He has raced with us in GT3-based sprints many times here at COTA, Indianapolis, Road America and Sonoma.

“He’s also been testing a bunch and is making some really good gains in the Mercedes-AMG GT3. The debut of the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge at COTA is a great opportunity for him to sample IMSA at his home track.”

This weekend Austin and Lone Star compete in GTDX class, which debuted last month at Daytona International Speedway.

“We are really excited about the IMSA race on NASCAR weekend at COTA,” Austin said. Number one, it is 10 minutes from my home, so that makes it easy.

“We are pretty familiar with the COTA track and bringing out about 40 VIP guests for this race.

“It’s pretty exciting that we are using the National course layout. That will be a twist for everybody, including us. I have been really looking forward to stepping up and taking a shot at running in IMSA and the quality programs and series that they offer.

“It’s great to just have the chance to be involved at our home track, and we are ready to go. You couldn’t ask for a better group to run with than Lone Star Racing. You know that the car will be great, so the rest is up to me.”

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