The Racers Group (TRG) announced today that they will return to full-time GT3 competition for the first time in eight years. Partnering with Aston Martin, TRG will enter the Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 in the Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS championship with Derek DeBoer and Ross Gunn driving in the Pro-Am category.
TRG’s last full-time foray into GT3 racing came back in 2015. Christina Nielsen finished as runner-up in the IMSA SportsCar Championship GTD category, driving the previous-generation V12 Vantage GT3. The Northern California-based team is best known for their signature overall win in the 2003 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, and winning their class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2002.
Kevin Buckler, the founder and CEO of TRG, stated: “Our passion for racing, especially within the highly respected GT3 series, keeps us striving for more and more. We are super excited to put this opportunity together, for our 10-year veteran team driver, Derek Deboer, and once again, teaming with Aston Martin gives us an opportunity to push our limits even further – we couldn’t be more excited. The brand is powerful, and the company has grown, as have we, and I feel like this partnership is almost limitless.”
DeBoer is making his first foray into GT3 racing since he finished eighth in class at the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona. In the years since, the 47-year-old driver from Oregon has represented TRG in GT4 competition. Last year he finished sixth in the Pirelli GT4 America Am class championship, with two podiums in his class and a best finish of 13th overall at NOLA Motorsports Park.
“As a driver, getting back into the GT3 class full-time with TRG and SRO is one of my dreams and personal goals,” said DeBoer. “This is the season that this goal gets checked off the list, which is really a big deal to me. Now it’s time to go get that Aston onto the podium.”
He’ll share the car with Gunn, an Aston Martin factory racing driver since 2016. The 26-year-old from England has raced full-time in America since 2021, when he won the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup title driving an Aston Martin for the Heart of Racing Team. He has also won the British GT Championship in GT4, and has a class win at the Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta.
“I am most excited about joining TRG and Derek for their 2023 campaign in GTWCA. Having met Derek and the team at Daytona recently, they have some lofty ambitions for the season ahead. I am excited to help them towardx these goals and can’t wait for Sonoma,” said Gunn.
Buckler will work with team manager Mike Johnson, the founder/CEO of Archangel Motorsports, to lead their return to GT3 racing in the highest rung of SRO America competition. Johnson’s ties with TRG go back to their heyday in the early 2000s.
