Darren Turner will return to the USA in 2025 to contest a full campaign with the Heart of Racing team [THOR] in 2025, as the British multiple sportscar champion teams up with Gray Newell for an assault on the GT World Challenge America series.
It will be another year of firsts for Turner who embarks on his 27th consecutive season in endurance racing, as he makes his Fanatec GT World America debut. The vastly experienced Turner, who has triumphed in some of the biggest events at all levels of GT racing will partner with his THOR co-driver Newell, who graduates to the series’ bigger GT class in 2025 with the new Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
“I can’t wait, it’s going to be a super exciting year,” said Darren. “To be racing back in America is amazing. I love the circuits, I love the racing environment and the atmosphere, so it’s going to be a whole load of fun.
“Having shared a car with Gray in Dubai at the start of last year, I’ve seen what he can do already and I know how quickly he is developing as a young talent rising through the GT racing world, so I am sure we are in for a good season!”
The 13-round series takes in seven venues, including some of the USA’s most iconic circuits. Starting with a double-header at Sonoma Raceway on 28-30 March, Turner will then race at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) – the home of the Austin Grand Prix, Sebring, Virginia International Raceway, Road America and Barber Motorsports Park. The final round is an eight-hour endurance race that takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on 19 October.
Turner, who enters his 21st season with Aston Martin, last raced a full schedule in America back in 2006, when he competed as part of the works Aston Martin GT1 effort with the iconic V12-powered DBR9 in the now defunct American Le Mans Series.
“It’s nearly 20 years since I did a full season in the States, and that was right back at the beginning of the modern GT era with the GT1s,” recalled Turner. “It was amazing back then and it’s a real privilege to be racing the newest generation of that bloodline this season at the front of the class.”
As ever, Darren’s 2025 programme will be varied as he splits his time between his Aston Martin High Performance Development Driver role on the new Valhalla supercar, and some historic racing with the pre-war Aston Martin LM4, and an incredible DB2 that he’s won previously with at Goodwood.
“I never thought I would get excited about racing pre-war cars earlier in my career,” he said, “but actually I’ve really enjoyed the journey and the challenges it represents.”
A FOND FAREWELL
Finally, the season begins with a farewell. Motorsport is all about change, and as such it’s rare to have partnerships that last through decades. Turner has been blessed with a number of incredibly supportive and valuable sponsors that have done just that. One such relationship is Close Brothers, whom after 16 years of unwavering support, is moving in a new direction.
“Close Brothers, like all my partners, have been invaluable to me. Motorsport is a team effort, and without the relationships that fuel my involvement with the sport, it just wouldn’t be possible to go racing. So thank you very much Close Brothers, it was amazing to have a partnership that ran for so long and I’m looking forward to working with all my continuing partners through 2025. It’s going to be an amazing year.”
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