IMSA: Buckler weighing GTD options

Kevin Buckler would like to bring The Racer's Group back to IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on a more regular basis.

After nearly clinching the 2015 GT Daytona championship with Christina Nielsen in an Aston Martin Vantage V12, TRG made select visits to GTD in 2016 as its presence grew in the rival Pirelli World Challenge series with partner Aston Martin Racing. Looking ahead, Buckler would like to re-establish TRG in IMSA while maintaining the team's foothold with AMR in PWC, and to bring that vision to reality, Buckler has continued talks with the British marque while courting new auto manufacturers.

"We've been talking to four different manufacturers and some have been closer to doing something with us than others," Buckler told RACER during the recent PWC season finale in Monterey. "World Challenge is a great series, and it's not an alternative to IMSA; it's a different animal. A class like GTD is great, but the costs to race there are two or three times more than they are here.

"We are in talks with those manufacturers now, and to be in the GTD flagship side is a goal. I've flown to Europe, had talks, and hope to have a decision that makes economic sense at that level here soon. I'm still talking with Aston, and love the brand and where they are going, but we'd need to have a better partnership."

Among the numerous options on the table for 2017 and beyond, Buckler has discussed maintaining TRG's alliance with AMR, teaming up with one of IMSA's existing GTD manufacturers, and bringing a new brand into the series. The trickiest aspect of TRG's future in IMSA could be found in satisfying the mandatory manufacturer fee that must be paid prior to each new season.

TRG-AMR was able to strike a late deal to keep the marque in IMSA last season, but it sounds as if ponying up for a new Aston Martin agreement could be a challenge--at least from TRG's side. Buckler also says the manufacturer fee has been a hurdle for some of the new brands he's spoken to regarding IMSA.

"There's other brands looking at racing at this level with us, and the manufacturer fee can be a bit onerous for some to handle; we as a team can't be saddled to pay that," he said. "As a manufacturer rep, you want to be Switzerland; you want to race in every series you can for your clients and sponsors, and so far, it's definitely easier being here [in PWC] right now because the costs are lower and there's no fee to pay.

"It's just that the price of admission has gotten a little high [in IMSA], so we're asking ourselves what's best for all of our partners. Like I said, I want us to be in both series, and I know we'll be here next year and in a perfect world, we could race with the same manufacturer in both. But if that's not possible, I'm not against TRG representing a new brand in one series or both. There's a lot to consider and decide here pretty soon."

TRG put four of its Aston Martins up for sale on Monday (above, image by Brian Cleary), and Buckler says the move is not related to an upcoming change in brand affiliation.

"We're heavy on inventory and have plenty of Aston Martins left here to race," he added. "Everything is still in place with TRG-AMR."

Manufacturers aside, TRG put on its usual spectacle at Monterey. Buckler's team, which is located north of Sonoma Raceway, has long ties to Silicon Valley through sponsorship arrangements and drivers who work at tech companies during the week and race with TRG on the weekends. In a new twist, Buckler turned the team's transporters into a mini-hospitality setup – complete with wine barrels and archways to separate it from the cars (pictured above) – and hosted a giant banquet in the paddock hours after the season finale. The extra effort, he says, was made to ensure his local partners stay loyal to the TRG brand.

"This is where we should be focusing instead of New York," he added. "These young Silicon Valley executives might be driving to work in a Prius or a Tesla, but he or she has a McLaren or a Ferrari or something exotic in the garage at home to play with on the weekends. The power base, the technology base, and the base of wealth has shifted so much to California, and we've always had our car culture here. I don't know why more teams aren't looking to California for new opportunities.

"We've shown that if you can demonstrate value, the valley will respond. We had two tech companies come on board earlier this year – in a small way, just to get their feet wet – and now they're growing their investment for next year. Tech is alive and well in motor racing and I can only see it becoming a bigger part of how we pay for things."