A new event solely focused on British marque Aston Martin will be held over Labor Day weekend, August 30-31, 2014, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. TRG-AMR (Aston Martin Racing) will launch the inaugural North American Aston Martin Festival to coincide with fourth round of new Aston Martin GT4 Challenge one-make race series featuring the Vantage GT4.
The 2014 Aston Martin Motorsports Festival will be open to all owners, racers, and enthusiasts alike, offering the opportunity to see road and race cars in close action while also enjoying live entertainment and a special gala dinner as part of the festivities.
The festival concept has been designed to attract a wide and international audience including current and historic Aston Martin owners, Aston Martin dealer partners, owner and enthusiast clubs, as well as sponsors and corporate partners. TRG-AMR will showcase the current lineup of race and track day models with Aston Martin displaying examples from the current range of exciting road cars.
The event will also offer existing Aston Martin owners the opportunity to drive the 11-turn, 2.238-mile Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca circuit, as well as offering enthusiasts the chance to ride with professional drivers in an Aston Martin GT race car at one of motorsports’ most storied locations.
“We want to bring a very significant car festival to North America that is all about Aston Martin and its motorsports heritage,” said Kevin Buckler, TRG-AMR’s Founder and CEO. “The Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca setting is the perfect place. I’ve seen how other Aston Martin gatherings like this around the world have generated positive response bringing together fans, competitors and enthusiasts to celebrate the brand. This is exactly what we plan to do here in North America.”
“North America is a very important market for Aston Martin,” said John Gaw, Managing Director of Motorsports for Aston Martin’s Prodrive. “We love the concept of drawing attention to not only our sophisticated and elegant road cars, but to our motorsports program and heritage as well. The opportunity to grow this into an annual event at such a great track with so much history is one that should excite every Aston Martin owner, enthusiast, and racer.”
“With the support of Gill Campbell (CEO/GM of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca) we look forward to creating a unique event with opportunities for key corporate partners to align with TRG-AMR offering entertainment and hospitality for their VIPs and guests,” said Buckler.
“We thought this was a great idea when Kevin brought it to us,” said Campbell. “Our specialty is promoting events, and to have something as iconic as the Aston Martin brand and its racing heritage to promote and build into a great event like this is very energizing.”
The festival concept has been designed to attract a wide audience. Activities for the weekend will include an Aston Martin car corral with the opportunity for Aston Martin owners to drive the track including its famous “Corkscrew,” tour along 17-Mile Drive, and experience a lap with a professional Aston Martin race team driver. A themed VIP gala will round out what is anticipated to be a spectacular weekend of entertainment, race and enthusiast activity, which includes the fourth round of the new Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of North America.
The Aston Martin GT4 Challenge of North America is a seven-event, 14-race, multi-round series that competes on some of the finest road courses in North America with entrants set to race the Vantage GT4 race car – derived from Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage road car.
“We look forward to this event and the excitement it will generate around the Aston Martin brand,” said Julian Jenkins, president of Aston Martin The Americas. “I’m sure the considerable enthusiasm for our brand by TRG-AMR in launching this festival will be appreciated by Aston Martin customers and enthusiasts, offering a unique opportunity to see and experience both our road and race cars in such close proximity.”
General admission and paddock tickets are $20 per day; and general admission, paddock entry and British Field parking is $25 per day. There are also VIP hospitality options that begin at $275 for two-day admission into the Premier Pit Row Suites. To purchase tickets and for additional information, contact the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca ticket office at 800-327-7322 or visit MazdaRaceway.com.
[Source: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca; photos: Dennis Gray]
