The Heart of Racing IMSA WeatherTech Event Recap | 2026 VIRginia International Raceway
No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage Information
Driver Lineup: Dudu Barrichello, Tom Gamble
Class: GTD
Started: 11th
Finished: 4th
Highest Position: 1st
Laps: 84/84
Laps Led: 27
Pit Stops: 2
Team Notes
Dudu Barrichello qualified the No. 27 Aston Martin Vantage third, but a penalty erased his fastest lap and forced the team to start from 11th.
Barrichello wasted no time charging through the field, climbing to eighth before a caution brought the opening lap to a halt. When racing resumed after six laps under yellow, he continued his march forward, reaching third within the first 35 minutes of the two-hour-and-40-minute race.
Running second, Barrichello pitted on lap 21 to hand the Vantage over to Tom Gamble, while the crew added fuel and fitted fresh tires. Gamble remained firmly in podium contention heading into his final stop with just under an hour remaining.
Another strong pit stop sent Gamble back onto the track directly behind the leader. Just a few corners into lap 52, the Brit made his move and took command of the race, leading the next 27 laps.
Unfortunately, Gamble was assessed a drive-through penalty with five minutes remaining, dropping the No. 27 Vantage from the lead to a fourth-place finish.
Chatting with the drivers…
Eduardo “Dudu” Barrichello: “This was another tough weekend. Unfortunately, we had a penalty that cost us our laps in qualifying, forcing us to start towards the back. Then, in the race, we made our way to the front of the field. In my stint, I got up to P2 before handing the car to Tom. Tom did a great job in his two stints; unfortunately, at the end, we got a drive-through penalty.”
Season Standings
Race 9 of 10: VIRginia International Raceway
Highest Season Finish: 2nd (Sebring International Raceway & WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca)
Completed Laps: 1,672/1,673
Provisional Championship Standings: 3rd
2026 Michelin GT Challenge
Race Length: 2 hours 40 minutes
Cautions: One
Upcoming Race
The No. 23 Valkyrie squad will reunite with the No. 27 Vantage crew at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, September 18–20, as both teams gear up for the penultimate round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
