Valkyrie to challenge Long Beach in IMSA sprint debut with De Angelis and Gunn

Aston Martin Valkyrie makes its IMSA street race debut at Long Beach. De Angelis and Gunn aim to build on Sebring as Valkyrie faces tight urban circuit.

Aston Martin Valkyrie takes a bold new step this weekend with its sprint race debut in the IMSA series at the legendary Long Beach street circuit. The 100-minute Grand Prix race on one of the most demanding urban tracks presents a new kind of challenge for the British hypercar — short straights, tight corners, and virtually no margin for error.

Following a promising outing at Sebring, where Valkyrie finished ninth overall — marking the first-ever points result for an LMH-spec car in IMSA — the Aston Martin THOR team returns to the grid ready to tackle the uniquely constrictive environment of Long Beach.

Driving duties fall to Canadian Roman De Angelis, the 2022 IMSA GTD champion, and Briton Ross Gunn, who triumphed at Long Beach in GTD Pro in 2022. The duo has shown strong chemistry in the past, and now they must adapt to the hypercar’s behavior on a track that punishes the slightest misjudgment.

As the only GTP entry derived from a road-legal hypercar, Valkyrie stands apart. Powered by a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine — a rarity among today's turbocharged competitors — and built around a carbon fiber chassis, the car adheres to a 680bhp power cap per class regulations. But its origins and character make it a unique technical proposition.

In a competitive field including Porsche, BMW, Acura, Cadillac, and Lamborghini, Aston Martin's Valkyrie brings not just raw engineering, but a different design philosophy. The THOR team acknowledges that Long Beach is less about podiums and more about data, learning, and continuous development.

"We're still on a steep learning curve," said Ian James, Team Principal. "Our extended Sebring test taught us a lot, but Long Beach will bring an entirely new test for both drivers and car."

Although race results are not yet available, the presence of Valkyrie in both IMSA and FIA WEC underscores Aston Martin’s return to the pinnacle of endurance racing. With every lap, the brand is writing a new chapter in its motorsport legacy.

Source: astonmartin.com