Aston Martin fields strongest ever contingent for the 24-hours of Spa

The 2019 TOTAL 24-Hours of Spa will feature the strongest ever Aston Martin partner team entry as the British luxury sports car manufacturer bids to secure its first outright victory in the legendary Belgian race this weekend.

With no less than six Vantage GT3s in the race, it is the largest frontline Aston Martin contingent entered in the event - the blue riband round of the Blancpain GT Endurance Series. The cars will be run by some of Aston Martin Racing's (AMR) most valued partner teams: Garage 59, R-Motorsport and TF Sport, and they will be buoyed by Optimum Motorsport's impressive win with the car at Spa in the domestic British GT Championship last weekend.

Moreover, spread among the three teams will be five of Aston Martin Racing's works drivers - Alex Lynn, Maxime Martin, Nicki Thiim, Jonny Adam and Ross Gunn - as well as Aston Martin High Performance Test driver Chris Goodwin and BBC Top Gear presenter Chris Harris.

Series front-runner R-Motorsport will contest the race with a bumper three-car entry. The Swiss team enters their two regular Blancpain GT Vantage GT3s in the Pro class; the #62 for Matthieu Vaxiviere, Matt Parry and Martin, and the #76 for Marvin Kirkhhofer, Jake Dennis and Lynn. Then it will run a third car in the Silver Cup class for Ricky Collard, Hugo de Sadeleer, Ferdinand von Habsburg and Aaro Vainio.

Garage 59 have entered their two regular Blancpain GT line-ups of Come Ledogar, Andrew Watson and Adam in the Pro #59 entry, while Alexander West, Harris and Goodwin, who lie second the AM class championship standings after their victory in the last round at Paul Ricard, will race the #188 car along with works driver Gunn.

TF Sport Racing With Oman, whose drivers Salih Yoluc, Ahmad Al Harthy and AMR Junior driver Charlie Eastwood lead the Pro-Am standings after three consecutive podium finishes and two pole positions, will be joined in the #97 car by Thiim who also races for the team in British GTs.

David King, President of Aston Martin Racing, said, "For Aston Martin's partner teams to go there in such numbers and strength is a true testament to the Vantage GT3's qualities as a customer racing package. Optimum Motorsport's dominant win in the British GT Championship last weekend, and the consistent level of competitive performances around the world, suggests that the car is on the brink of a breakthrough result halfway through its first season."