Ian James and Alex Riberas Will Drive the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The GT Daytona (GTD) class will grow by at least one car for the remaining IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup events, with the Heart of Racing Team’s announcement Thursday that it will enter a second car for those three races.
Team principal Ian James will co-drive the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with Alex Riberas for the races at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, the Long Beach Street Circuit and VIRginia International Raceway. It will be a reunion for James and Riberas, who along with Mario Farnbacher won the GTD class at the 2015 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts.
“Alex has been part of our family since the beginning and it is great to finally have him back,” James said. “Racing alongside him is just another bonus to having him in the U.S.”
Riberas’ last IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race was the 2020 Rolex 24 At Daytona with the Heart of Racing Team. Since then, the Spaniard has been stationed in New Zealand, where he helped establish Heart of Racing’s program there by winning the New Zealand Endurance Championship.
“It’s inspiring to be back in the states with the Heart of Racing,” said Riberas, who has two career WeatherTech Championship wins in 21 starts. “I have a lot I want to accomplish in my IMSA career with this team.
“Establishing the New Zealand program was an amazing experience,” he added. “Now it is time for me to continue my adventure with the team it all started with.”
James and Riberas will pilot the No. 27 alongside the sister No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin shared by Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn, who sit second in the WeatherTech Championship season standings and lead the Sprint Cup points battle.
The next WeatherTech Championship race is the Hyundai Monterey Sports Car Championship at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca from Sept. 10-12.