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Aston Martin returns to Daytona's Rolex 24

After a nearly 30-year absence, British automaker Aston Martin will return to the starting line of the Rolex 24 At Daytona race this weekend.  Aston Martin will have three cars -- all based on the Vantage design -- ready for the competition.

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The Car Connection
Aston Martin will is expected to race three cars based on its Vantage design during the Rolex 24 At Daytona race this weekend. Aston Martin hasn't run the race since 1985.
  • By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Guest blogger

Aston Martin will be on the starting grid for the world famous Rolex 24 at Daytona this weekend, for the first time since 1985. The historic British automaker’s motorsport division Aston Martin Racing together with The Racers Group will be fielding three Vantage-based race cars in the upcoming event, which is also the opening race of the inaugural TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

One V8 Vantage GTE will compete in the championship’s new GTLM class, and a pair of V12 Vantage GT3s will be entered in the new GTD class. Drivers will include some of Aston Martin’s World Endurance Championship drivers; the list is Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke, Pedro Lamy, Paul Dalla Lana, Jonny Adam and Richie Stanaway.

The Vantage GTE is the same spec used in the World Endurance Championship last year while the Vantage GTD is based on the Vantage GT3 but runs a slightly different aero package and setup to comply with the United SportsCar Championship regulations.

Qualifying for the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona is complete. The pole-sitters for each category and their overall position in the 67-car grid are as follows:

Prototype (P) class - Alex Gurney in the No. 99 Corvette DP (starting first)

Prototype Challenge (PC) class - Colin Braun in the No. 54 Oreca FLM09 (starting 14th)

GT Le Mans (GTLM) class - Marc Goossens in the No. 91 SRT Viper GTS- R (starting 25th)

GT Daytona (GTD) class - Christopher Haase in the No. 48 Audi R8 LMS (starting 34th)

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