PETALUMA, CA: The TRG-Aston Martin Racing team is set to launch the Pirelli World Challenge season with one of its strongest lineups to date. With three powerful Aston Martin Vantage cars competing in two classes, the team is prepared to surpass their nine podiums and six wins from the 2015 PWC season. TRG-AMR welcomes the return of drivers Derek DeBoer, Jason Alexandridis, Duncan Ende, and Max Riddle to the 2016 season opener in Austin, Texas on March 4-6th.
A full season in PWC means that guests and team supporters can expect an exciting calendar of race-weekend entertainment provided by the TRG-AMR business and hospitality crew. From private race seating and cocktails at The Dalí Museum during this month’s Grand Prix of St. Petersburg to Adobe Road wine dinners at Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta, this experienced team truly knows how to throw a party! After the incredible sponsor and guest turnout at Daytona, the group’s track record for both racing and entertainment is stellar.
The family environment at TRG-AMR continues to grow as drivers and sponsors alike return for another adrenaline-filled race season. Derek DeBoer continues to race with the TRG squad, this time with teammate Jason Alexandridis. The two drivers will share the car on PWC weekends — one will drive Saturdays and the other takes the wheel on Sundays — in this innovative competition model. Alexandridis plans to compete for Rookie of the Year while DeBoer will campaign for a long streak of podiums and wins. Their No. 09 Aston Martin V8 Vantage displays logos from unique partnerships with BRM Chronographes, Racing for Cancer, Pirata Della Strada, Simon Ward, MyRacePass and Rebounderz.
TRG welcomes the return of Duncan Ende, who will be driving the incredibly powerful No. 67 V12 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the GT class. Ende has raced both Aston Martins and Porsches with TRG since 2008. After years of strong results with IMSA Lites, ALMS, and the inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, he’ll start his third season in PWC along with his sponsors Merchant Services, LTD and Lino’spresso USA.
Max Riddle will drive his stunning, custom-designed No. 07 Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in the GTS class. The Canadian is excited to start his third season of racing with TRG-AMR after earning a top qualifying time and a podium at Mosport and driving with the team in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge and the Tudor United SportsCar Championship last year.
The team’s sponsors, including longtime TRG-AMR supporters LaSalle Solutions, are making more than a financial investment in their drivers. A partnership between DeBoer and motorsports artist Simon Ward has resulted in a fine art piece of the team’s No. 09 Aston Martin racing at the 2015 Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The original painting will be revealed at this year’s race in Florida, with 50% of its silent auction proceeds to benefit the charity Racing for Cancer.
TRG-AMR continues its working relationship with MaintenanceSupplies.com, which provides many of the nuts, bolts, and crew supplies to keep these high performance cars running at their best. The team thanks MaintenanceSupplies.com founder, Mitch Branson, for his work with the TRG-AMR crew day and night during their 24-hour race at Daytona.
All of the drivers are ecstatic about the upcoming race season. “The way that this season has come together is unexplainable,” said Derek DeBoer. “Every part of it has so much meaning and depth behind it. I’m so excited to build on what we started last year, and am honored to have such a wonderful team, family, co-driver and partners behind this effort.”
Jason Alexandridis added, “I’m really looking forward to starting off a full season of PWC with Derek and TRG-AMR. The car is looking strong and the livery will be a great platform for the Rebounderz partnership all across North America.”
“I can’t wait to be back with my racing family at TRG Aston Martin Racing,” said Max Riddle. “The best times I’ve had in racing have come in the past couple of years running with TRG so I can’t wait to make some more good memories with the team. Over the years everyone at TRG has become more than teammates, I call them my racing family because we’re truly more than just a team. A huge thanks to everyone at TRG, The Bucklers, Kris Wilson and my dad Dave for getting me back behind the wheel of the Aston. Being forced to take time off gave me the opportunity to really understand how privileged I am to run with a team as accomplished as TRG so words can’t fully explain how stoked I am to be back behind the wheel of the TRG Aston Martin.”
Duncan Ende said, “I’m very excited to have this opportunity in the Aston and to reunite with TRG after several years. We have had a lot of success together and I know they have a car and program in place to compete every weekend.”
TRG-AMR CEO Kevin Buckler said of this 2016 full season entry, “It is fantastic to have a powerful three car team heading into our first big event at Austin. Jason and Derek are going to make a formidable duo and will be following the new model of a shared car throughout the season. They are both terrific drivers and close friends which makes it even more awesome! Having Max back is a major bonus. He is a talented driver and a terrific young man with so much potential — we are so pleased to have him in the car and look forward to winning some races together. And, Duncan is amazing! We have such a strong history together including several big GT class wins and several solid seasons, we’re looking forward to a long term racing partnership. Probably the most important thing to me is that these are also my friends and our “racing family.” We have close relationships with all of the drivers and their families — moms, dads, spouses and kids — and this makes the weekends just that much more special to look forward to. Debra and my daughter KT (who’s taking a little break from her busy DC college schedule and internship at the White House) will even be joining us this weekend.”
The team pleased to have LaSalle Solutions as a team partner for the second year in a row. The company is a leading provider of IT life-cycle asset and maintenance contract management services, and the partnership with TRG-AMR focuses on strong business-to-business, co-branding and high-end corporate hospitality events, including showcar appearances, media events and more. “After an incredible race season in 2015, we couldn’t pass up the chance to do it all again,” said Steven Robb, president of the solutions group at LaSalle Solutions. “We continue to see value in being a part of the sportscar world and the opportunities that exist within the elite paddocks of these competitions, both for us and our customers. We are proud to once again be a part of the TRG-AMR team and look forward to winning together in 2016.”
After the season opener in Austin, TRG-AMR will head to the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. A weekend of racing and upscale, opulent hospitality, including Adobe Road wine dinners, intimate access to the Dalí Museum, and up-close access to the race team. Details and booking information can be found at trg-astonmartinracing.com/events.
The Pirelli World Challenge will air on the PWC website and on CBS Sports Network. Times and dates are at world-challenge.com.