GAMBLE – WATKINS GLEN RACE REPORT – IMSA SPORTS CAR CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 6
Round six of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship brought the paddock to New York’s iconic Watkins Glen International for the Six Hours of the Glen. Factory Aston Martin racer Tom Gamble, returning to GT machinery after recent Hypercar duties, teamed with the Heart of Racing squad in the #27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo. Despite limited circuit knowledge and early-weekend teething issues, the EDGE-managed Briton delivered a headline result.
Qualifying – Saturday
Electrical glitches during practice threatened to derail preparations, but overnight work by the Heart of Racing crew produced a perfectly balanced Vantage. Gamble maximised the opportunity, recording a 1 m 44.6 s lap to claim GT-D pole position, out-pacing the nearest rival Chevrolet Corvette by 0.21 s and giving Aston Martin its first IMSA class pole of 2025.
Race – Sunday (6 Hours)
Conditions were dry and warm as 55 cars took the green flag. Gamble launched cleanly, leading the opening exchanges before handing over at the hour mark with the Vantage running second in GT-D. Mid-race, a spin for a team-mate at Turn 9 dropped the #27 to fifth, but relentless pace and smart fuel strategy dragged the car back into contention while several rivals still owed pit stops.
A full-course yellow with 15 minutes remaining bunched the GT-D field for a two-lap sprint to the finish. Gamble, now back aboard, restarted second and piled pressure on the leading Lexus. Exiting the Outer Loop on the final tour, the Lexus slowed—out of fuel—allowing Gamble to sweep past and seize a dramatic class victory and his maiden IMSA win.
Tom Gamble:
“It felt great to jump back into GTs and back it up with pole and the win. My team-mates did a mega job, and even after the spin we knew we still had a shot. The sprint at the end reminded me of my Ginetta Junior days—proper elbows-out fun! Huge thanks to Aston Martin, Heart of Racing, and EDGE Sporting Management for the opportunity.”
A pole-to-win performance on unfamiliar tarmac underlines Gamble’s adaptability and sets a confident tone ahead of IMSA’s summer stretch.