Aston Martin Valkyrie Makes Historic Sprint-Race Debut at the Iconic Grand Prix of Long Beach
The stunning new Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar will reach another significant milestone in its illustrious motorsport journey this weekend. It will make its sprint-race debut in the renowned 100-minute Grand Prix of Long Beach (California), the third round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA).
Building on its impressive top-ten finish at last month’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring – the first time a hypercar has ever scored IMSA points – Aston Martin’s all-new Valkyrie now faces the challenge of one of the world’s most legendary street circuits. This first ‘Le Mans Hypercar’ (LMH) by Aston Martin, and the only GTP-class entry derived from a road-legal hypercar, also stands out as the first LMH competitor of any type to race in IMSA. Not only that, but it remains the sole LMH contesting both the IMSA and FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) programmes simultaneously, having debuted at the Qatar 1812km in February.
Aston Martin’s THOR team orchestrated Valkyrie’s US debut at Sebring, securing ninth after running reliably on one of the world’s most punishing circuits. Canadian Roman De Angelis, the 2022 IMSA GTD champion, and Ross Gunn (GBR) – a seasoned winner in GTD and the first GTD Pro victor for The Heart of Racing at Long Beach in 2022 – both return to pilot the #23 Valkyrie this weekend and for the remainder of the season. Their Sebring teammate, Alex Riberas (ESP), now shifts to the WEC squad before rejoining IMSA for the season finale at Road Atlanta in October.
Developed from Aston Martin’s Valkyrie road car by the marque and THOR, this racing version blends a race-optimised carbon-fibre chassis with a refined 6.5-litre V12 engine that revs to 11,000rpm, producing over 1000bhp in standard guise. It is capped at 500kW (680bhp) to adhere to hypercar regulations. This programme elevates Aston Martin into the top echelon of US sportscar racing for the first time since 2011, when five overall victories – including one at Long Beach – and seven podiums were claimed in the American Le Mans Series.
Ross Gunn, driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “Long Beach always feels special. This will be Valkyrie’s first race on a street circuit, and hearing that V12 echo between the buildings will be astonishing. The event is short and action-packed, so Roman and I need to maintain the momentum from the past two rounds, constantly learning and pushing for the ultimate pace.”
Roman De Angelis, driver #23 Aston Martin Valkyrie: “Long Beach is always a highlight on my racing calendar. I love the event and the track, and I’m excited for the first sprint race of the year in the GTP class. Ross and I have enjoyed significant success together and aim to continue our progress with Valkyrie.”
Ian James, Team Principal, Aston Martin THOR Team: “Every day, we make incremental advances with Valkyrie. Our extended test after Sebring yielded immense value, and it’s amazing to see how far we have come since the race weekend began there. Long Beach is a completely different test, but our simulator work is intense, and the programme is constantly moving forward”
Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance Motorsport: “Long Beach provides a fascinating challenge for Valkyrie. This street circuit places new demands on driveability and dynamic range in a tighter environment. We know this phase is about gathering data; events like Long Beach are integral to that process. With each competitive outing, we make tremendous strides forward.”
