Heart of Racing Sets Lineups for Asian Le Mans Debut

Photo: Andrea Lorenzina/DPPI

Heart of Racing Team has confirmed the full driver lineups for its Asian Le Mans Series debut, which will largely see a carry-over from its FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 roster.

Revealed on Wednesday, the team will field a pair of Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evos in the winter series for Gray Newell, Eduardo Barrichello and Roman De Angelis (No. 26), as well as Ian James, Zach Robichon and Mattia Drudi (No. 27).

The No. 27 entry features an identical lineup to its WEC campaign, while De Angelis, who is coming off a second season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the team’s Aston Martin Valkyrie, takes the seat of Jonny Adam in the current WEC lineup.

“We’re excited to take The Heart of Racing into the Asian Le Mans Series for the first time,” said team principal/driver James.

“It’s a new challenge for all six of us behind the wheel, but there’s a lot of familiarity within these lineups and a strong foundation to build on. We’re looking forward to learning some new circuits together and seeing what we can achieve.”

De Angelis joins Newell and Barrichello, having shared a Vantage GT4 with Newell in Pirelli GT4 America and with Barrichello in the WeatherTech Championship.

“I’m really looking forward to competing in the Asian Le Mans Series for the first time,,” said the Canadian.

“Having circuits on a calendar that I haven’t been to before, like Paul Ricard and Jerez, isn’t something common for me these days, so it’s something I’m particularly excited about.

“It’s always nice to get back to GT racing as well whenever I have the opportunity.

“The racing is really competitive, and the level of drivers in ALMS is always high, which makes it a great challenge I’m looking forward to.”

Robichon added: “It’s exciting to take on a new championship with Ian and Mattia. We know how to get the best out of each other, and hopefully we can carry that momentum from WEC into ALMS.

“Mattia and I also have experience at some of these circuits, which should give us a good starting point. The goal is to put everything together and be competitive from the opening round.”

The three-event, six-race season kicks off at Paul Ricard on Nov. 13-15.

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