Newell and James building on strong 2022 as O’Meara-Hunt and Grisham prepare for rookie GT4 campaign
Phoenix, AZ. (22 February 2023) – Heart of Racing (HOR) will return to SRO with an expanded race program for the season, fielding two Aston Martin entries in Pirelli GT4 America, as well as a third Aston Martin in the 2023 GT America powered by AWS championship campaign.
The newest additions to HOR’s program are Rianna O’Meara-Hunt and Hannah Grisham, who will co-pilot the No. 26 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 in Pirelli GT4 America Am class The duo earned their seats on the team after impressing in an international all-female shootout hosted by HOR in November. The GT4 campaign is the first full season of racing at this level for the young rookie lineup.
HOR regulars Gray Newell and Ian James will share the No. 24 Heart of Racing entry in Pirelli GT4 America, which features two 60-minute races each weekend with a two-driver format. The 2023 season marks the third for Newell and James, having earned two Pro/Am class podiums together in their 2021 campaign. In 2022 the duo claimed back-to-back pole awards at Road America and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as five podiums in the ten-race season including a breakthrough victory at Watkins Glen.
In addition to his Pirelli GT4 America program, Newell will kick off his third season in the No. 25 Heart of Racing entry in GT America powered by AWS. His first two seasons (2021 and 2022) saw the Washington native race to nine top-five finishes in GT America including his first win in 2021’s season finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Heart of Racing’s SRO season will start with Newell and the GT America powered by AWS series at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 3rd and 4th as part of the INDYCAR season opener. James, O’Meara-Hunt, and Grisham will start their season at Sonoma Raceway starting March 31st through April 2nd. All SRO races can be watched live on SRO Motorsports Group’s YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@GTWorld/featured) or SRO Motorsports Group’s Twitch channel, with delayed broadcasts airing on CBS Sports.
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Ian James:
“Heart of Racing has learned so much by competing in SRO over the past two years so we had no doubt that expanding our entry would be a fun challenge for our team. Adding another car to our program is a great way to push our team and foster the talents of up-and-coming drivers like Rianna and Hannah.”
Hannah Grisham:
“‘Excited’ is an understatement! Rianna and I have been waiting for this season to start since Ian told us we won the shootout. I’m most looking forward to getting to Sonoma and feeling the buzz of energy you get when something awesome is about to happen.”
Rianna O’Meara-Hunt:
“This season is all about development: learning the tracks, learning the car, learning the team. Racing in the U.S. is a big stepping stone for every Kiwi driver so to think that I’ll be in the midst of it is really cool. I am pumped to share this opportunity with Hannah and HOR and honestly just can’t wait to get started.”
About The Heart of Racing
The Heart of Racing races to raise funds and awareness for Seattle Children’s Cardiology Research. The team competes internationally with concurrent campaigns in IMSA, SRO, Formula Drift and the 24H SERIES. Last season The Heart of Racing won the IMSA GTD Championship title in the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3. The Heart of Racing team hosted their first all-female driver shootout in November of 2022, bringing to the team Hannah Grisham and Rianna O’Meara-Hunt for the 2023 SRO GT4 America season. To contribute to The Heart of Racing’s fundraising efforts please visit: https://give.seattlechildrens.org/fundraiser/3642390
