Austin-Based Marc Austin Hits the Podium in His Debut IMSA Race Saturday with a Second-Place Bronze Class Finish in VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Competition at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) in the No. 11 Lone Star Racing/Mad Joker Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3
AUSTIN, Texas (March 3, 2025) – Texas based Lone Star Racing and Austin-based team driver Marc Austin made their IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge debut this weekend at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) a strong one with a second-place Bronze Class finish Saturday morning in the first of the day’s twin 45 minute sprints.
| Austin put his extensive experience at COTA to work and prevailed in a late-race battle with friendly rival Kyle Washington to secure second in Bronze and sixth overall in the GTDX category in his No. 11 Lone Star Racing/Mad Joker Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. “The morning couldn’t have been any better,” Austin said. “I was able to pick up pace and got really comfortable. I had a great battle with Kyle Washington. It was a lot of fun. He’s a clean driver and I have a lot of respect for him, so it was a good time. I just really enjoyed it. The car felt great and I was just trying to stay focused on clean, fast laps and it started coming together. It was a great start to the day.” Lone Star Racing Team Manager and Technical Director AJ Petersen once again was at the helm of the team’s debut in another racing series. |
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Austin was pleased with the support and well-prepared car Lone Star Racing provided. “As always, the car was better than the driver,” Austin said. “The car is always perfect with these guys. It’s like racing with the family with these guys. We all get along so well, and there’s a ton of trust. When I’m in the car I know that AJ and the team and Lone Star Racing in total have put it together. You know that everything’s right. You just need to put your head down and do your job.” The VP Racing Challenge was a support series for the headlining NASCAR Cup series race. All weekend races were run on COTA’s 2.3-mile, 20-turn National course that was used for the first time for a major race weekend in over a decade. “The normal part, the existing part of the track we use, is kind of old hat for me,” Austin said. “But that new part, that new section was definitely something that got your attention, especially with a solid concrete wall right there! You felt like you were on a street course for a few corners there, but it was fun, really fun. It changed up a great race track that was a whole different experience. Every time you looked up you were coming around again. It was action packed and I really enjoyed it. I would like to run it again sometime. It was an unusual layout, a variation on a world-class track.” The COTA National circuit was last used when the Australian-based V8 Supercars visited Austin in 2013, the first and still only appearance of the popular series in the U.S. |
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| Austin shares the same name as the Texas capital city that is home to COTA and lives just 10 minutes from the circuit in nearby Buda, Texas. He was enthusiastically supported by a large group of family, friends and sponsors at the track. Austin’s list of sponsor partners for the weekend included JG Roofing, Cardinal Correctional Health Care, Central Texas Machining, Fortna, The Coat Lab and Snap-On. Next up for Lone Star Racing is Round 2 of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup at Sebring International Raceway, March 12 – 15. Lone Star Racing team owner and driver Dan Knox competes in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with co-drivers Scott Andrews and Eric Filgueiras. |
| About Lone Star Racing: Based at Motorsport Ranch within the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in Cresson, Texas, Lone Star Racing is competing in the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the 2025 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup in the GTD class. Lone Star Racing and its team members have won races across North America spanning sprint and endurance racing formats. The crew has worked together on many different teams and various types of cars, developing a strong bond and proven capability that gives them a competitive and winning advantage. Lone Star Racing competes with the support of primary partner ACS Manufacturing, Inc. (http://www.ACSManufacturing.com). Look for Lone Star Racing and team owner/driver Dan Knox on Facebook and follow the team on YouTube at Lone Star Racing, on Twitter and Instagram @LSRTeam and on the official team web site at http://www.LoneStarRacingTeam.com. |