Automatic Racing is once again taking part in the California 8 Hours next month, bringing its No. 99 Invisible Glass/Automatic Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 and an All-American three-driver lineup to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (WRLS).
Automatic Racing and its returning trio of drivers will be competing in the final round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, October 26 – 28, for the second-consecutive year. Team drivers Charlie Putman, Charles Espenlaub and Eric Lux bring extensive endurance racing resumes and experience with Automatic Racing after the trio drove with the team in the inaugural California 8 Hours last year.
“We have a really good driver lineup and, in the Aston Martin, the best of all the GT4 cars, I believe,” Automatic Racing team owner David Russell said. “Laguna Seca really fits the Aston Martin well, and the track is a favorite of myself and of the team. We’re coming back with exactly what we had there last year – the same car, the same team and the same program.”
In just its second year as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the California 8 Hours is attracting top endurance drivers from all over the world. It is the fourth round of this unique worldwide endurance series of long-distance GT racing put on by SRO Motorsports Group. The three other events have been the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia, the Total 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium and the Suzuka 10 Hours in Japan.
“They’ve really stepped up the competition this year,” Russell said. “The field is double in size and we’re looking forward to it.”
Automatic Racing has a bit of added incentive for this year’s race, based on what happened at the inaugural event. The team was involved in a race-ending crash on just the third lap.
“I guess we have to get a bit of redemption,” Russell said. “You could say we have some unfinished business at this race.”
As far as race strategy, Russell said the key is having a plan and sticking to it.
“You’ve got to set your pace and stick to your plan,“ Russell said. “That’s the key. You have to run the pace you’ve established ahead of time. We have a fast car and a seasoned driving team so we’re confident of our chances to do really well in this race.”
Automatic has been to Laguna Seca more than a dozen times and won last year’s IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race there with Al Carter and Steven Phillips driving an Aston Martin Vantage GT4 similar to what the team will race in the 8 Hours.
Russell is a long-time IMSA, GRAND-AM and international sports car racing competitor as both a team owner and driver. Under his leadership, Automatic won the GRAND-AM Grand Sports (GS) class championship in 2007 and finished third in GS in 2008.
Putman and Espenlaub are the 2010 GRAND-AM GS champions in what is now known as the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. They later went on to co-drive in GRAND-AM Rolex Series GT competition, but in recent seasons have seen success in international endurance racing.
This year they have won the last three races and are leading their class championship in the international 24H Series. They were also part of a class-winning team in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring earlier in 2018, and last year teamed up to win the Porsche 991 class championship in the 24H Series.
“I’m looking forward to getting back with my friends at Automatic Racing and seeing a lot of people in America since I’ve been in Europe the entire year,” Putman said. “For me it’s going to be a social experience but it’s going to be a serious experience on the track.”
Lux came out of a bit of a racing break to join the Automatic Racing team at last year’s California 8 Hours. He has raced frequently at Laguna Seca and has won there in both GT cars and prototypes. Lux also drove with Automatic Racing in the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge race at Watkins Glen earlier this year.
“I can’t wait to return to Laguna Seca with Automatic Racing, Aston Martin, and teammates Charles Espenlaub and Charlie Putman,“ Lux said. “Laguna Seca is one of my favorite circuits in North America. Charles and Charlie have had a stellar season in Europe and we are all very hungry to close this season out with a win for David Russell and the rest of the Automatic Racing team. We came so close to a win at Watkins Glen earlier this year during the IMSA race, and last year at Laguna Seca we did not have a chance to show the car’s potential. We certainly have the team, car and lineup to be a front-running team!”
Following practice earlier in the event, qualifying for the California 8 Hours takes place on Saturday of event weekend with the race slated to start Sunday morning.
