Top ten fightback a satisfying start to 2022 season for Stratford racer Darren Turner

DARREN Turner opened his 2022 season account with a stirring fightback drive that produced his fifth top ten class finish in North America’s most important endurance race – the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The Stratford racer re-joined IMSA Sprint Cup champions The Heart of Racing for his sixth assault on the world famous IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship opener.

And, alongside team-mates Ian James, Roman De Angelis and Tom Gamble, the Aston Martin Works driver contributed to a race-long battle against the odds, ensuring the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 came home ninth in the GTD class.

While two separate technical issues removed the No. 27 crew from GTD victory contention before daybreak, Turner admitted afterwards that he’d derived immense satisfaction from working with the team to bring the car back into the top ten and make the finish in one world motorsport’s toughest events.

“It was a great feeling,” said Turner. “It was a shame to miss out on the opportunity to fight up front, but it felt really good to be a part of a fightback as a team. And in endurance racing, it’s always an achievement for the whole team when the car finishes a 24-hour race, especially one as tough as this.”

While two separate technical issues removed the #27 crew from GTD victory contention before daybreak, Turner admitted afterwards that he’d derived immense satisfaction from working with the team to bring the car back into the top ten and make the finish in one world motorsport’s toughest events.