From the moment Aston Martin unveiled the Vulcan, fans have wanted to see it race.
However, Aston Martin didn’t build it for racing, but for its wealthy owners to drive track days in exotic locations. The V12 monster doesn’t fit with any race series regulations, so it’s never had the opportunity — until now.
The Michelin Aston Martin Racing Festival this June will give spectators the chance to see a Vulcan dicing for position. It’s part of the festivities around the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and takes place on the full Circuit de la Sarthe.
Those at the track will get to see two Vulcans, which the Nurburgring-based AMR Performance Center has entered for the event. They’ll be part of a 38-car strong field that also features GT3 and GT4 Vantage racers, along with older GT1 and GT2 class cars. The 2016 WEC-winning V8 Vantage GTE will also make an appearance.
You’ll also find a number of celebrity drivers. Aston Martin’s CEO, Andy Palmer, will race a GT4, while former CEO David Richards — who now heads up Prodrive — will run a Beechdean AMR GT4. Le Mans winner Martin Brundle will buddy up with NISMO athlete Sir Chris Hoy in another GT4 car.
Although it’s more of an exhibition race than a meaningful race meeting, it’s a good opportunity to see the Vulcan in action. It also suggests that there may be space in the future for the Valkyrie, although that may well be racing for real before too long.
The 45-minute Aston Martin race will run in the morning before the main race on June 16. As for the 24 Hour race itself, you can keep up with that in our forums.
See more articles on Aston Martin.
