The brand-new Car Blanche entry, run by YRB Racing, produced a stunning performance to finish third in the GTD class, with a driver line-up that featured Aston Martin works driver Valentin Hasse Clot (FRA), IMSA debutant and Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy candidate Marius Fossard (FRA) and Trenton Estep (USA), who was racing the Vantage GT3 for the first time.
Sharing the mechanical architecture of the British ultra-luxury performance brand’s Vantage road car, the Vantage GT3, which leads IMSA’s GTD category at the halfway stage – is built around Aston Martin’s proven bonded aluminium chassis and is powered by its fearsome twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. This technical prowess was used to devastating effect by the Car Blanche crew, who magnificently fought forwards from 18th on the grid; Hasse Clot moving into third place with less than 10 minutes remaining to claim the team’s first podium finish, on its series debut.
It was yet another highlight for Vantage at Watkins Glen, which has been a happy hunting ground for the car in recent years, with a double win in GTD Pro and GTD in 2022 and a GTD victory in 2025. The result made Car Blanche the third different AMR partner team to score an IMSA podium in 2026. The Heart of Racing Team (THOR) has already recorded three podium finishes at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Laguna Seca this season, while Magnus Racing also finished a close runner-up in the Rolex 24 in February.
Former series champion Zacharie Robichon (CAN) started from GTD pole position THOR and he and co-driver Dudu Barrichello (BRZ) brought the #27 Vantage into the lead by the second hour and held it until just beyond the half-distance mark. Several unfortunately timed Full-Course Caution periods hurt the team’s progress and the car dropped down the order, but Aston Martin works driver Tom Gamble (GBR) battled back well during the final third of the race to climb to fifth place.
Not only did this maintain Barrichello’s lead in the Drivers’ title race and THOR’s in the Teams’ points table, but it also put Aston Martin at the head of the manufacturers’ Championship at the midway point of the season.
“Watkins Glen is a track where Vantage traditionally performs well, and it did so again this weekend,” said Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance. “To see Aston Martin’s podium record extended to five in five GTD races – and from three different partner teams – is extremely pleasing. YRB Racing has done an excellent job with the Car Blanche entry to finish third on its race debut, and we congratulate them on a fine start to their IMSA career. Along with The Heart of Racing Team and Dudu Barrichello maintaining their position at the top of the Drivers’ and Teams’ points, YRB Racing’s result helped Aston Martin move into first place in the Manufacturers’ Championship. Now we must focus on consolidating that position in the second half of the season.”
Vantage was also in action on the other side of the Atlantic at the world’s largest GT3-only race, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa (the third round of the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe) at the legendary Circuit Spa-Francorchamps (BEL).
Two Vantages completed a chaotic and bruising race. An innocent victim in a multi-car first-lap incident, the #34 natural elements by Walkenhorst Motorsport car dropped outside the top 60 with damage and a puncture. But Jamie Day (GBR) – the 2024 AMR Driver Academy winner – Aston Martin works drivers Henrique Chaves (POR) and Christian Krognes (NOR) fought back valiantly to seventh overall and even led briefly through several pitstop cycles in the final hours. Event debutant Ecurie Ecosse Blackthorn was sixth in the Bronze Cup class with Giacomo Petrobelli (ITA), Lorcan Hanafin (GBR), 2022 AMR Driver Academy winner Romain Leroux (FRA) and Aston Martin works driver Jonny Adam (GBR).
Esrtwhile GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup points leaders Comtoyou Racing maintained second in the Drivers’ championship and third in the Team’s standings despite not finishing the event. The #007 Vantage, driven by 2024 24 Hours of Spa winners Mattia Drudi (ITA), Marco Sørensen (DEN) and Nicki Thiim (DEN), started the race 29th, but fought their way into the top ten during a chaotic night’s racing. Thiim was running fifth after daybreak when the car retired.
