DUNDEE, OR – Jan. 11, 2016 : Willamette Valley winery, Angela Estate has signed on as the main sponsor for driver, Lars Viljoen for the TRG-Aston Martin Racing Team in this year’s Rolex 24 Hours Endurance Race at Daytona. The event will commence on January 30, 2016 in Daytona, FL.
“Lars is a gentleman who is passionate about both endurance racing and wine,” said Angela Estate winery owner, Antony Beck.
Viljoen has been a longtime family friend of Antony and Angela Beck, owners of Angela Estate winery in Oregon and Gainesway Thoroughbred Stallion Farm in Kentucky. When he qualified for the TRG-Aston Martin Racing team, Beck offered to sponsor the new driver and utilize the national publicity to shine light on his small Oregon winery and the Oregon wine industry as a whole.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to represent the Oregon wine industry at such a prestigious event and on a national level,” said Angela Estate General Manager, Jessica Endsworth. “I don’t know if another Oregon winery has attempted a sponsorship of this size before, but we are certainly excited for the challenge. The connection between Lars Viljoen and the Becks is a grand opportunity to showcase Oregon wines to a new audience in a new media. The demographic for the high-quality wines at Angela Estate is the same for Gainesway farm and Aston Martin. We all come from a place of expertise, pedigree and prestige. It was a natural fit.”
Angela Estate Pinot noirs, crafted and curated by legendary winemaker, Ken Wright will be featured at several events surrounding the race as well as in the Aston Martin VIP Lounge. The winery produces only a scant two wines per year, each from single-vineyards that the Beck’s own and are made at Wright’s facility. Wright and his vineyard manager, Mark Gould tend the Yamhill-Carlton properties with utmost care and expertise, resulting in wines that are continuously gaining merit in press and competitions. Recently named as one of eight “wineries to watch” in Oregon by the Wine Spectator, Angela Estate’s “Angela Vineyard” and “Abbott Claim” Pinot noirs are on the radar for high marks.
“It is a pleasure and a dream come true to have the chance to race with Kevin Buckler’s TRG-AMR team and at the biggest sports car event in North America,” said Viljoen. “I have to say a massive thank you to my sponsors Angela Estate and Gainesway for supporting me for the Daytona 24 and for the Intercontinental GT Challenge 6 Hours of the Americas race. With the amazing record TRG-AMR has at Daytona I am confident of a great result and I know I am learning from the best in the business. This is definitely a bucket list tick and I just want to enjoy every minute of this once in a lifetime experience.”
Viljoen adds a dash of British heritage to the TRG-Aston Martin Racing family, which is running an international effort with three Mexican drivers recently announced. Ricardo Pérez de Lara, Antonio Pérez, and Santiago Creel will be joining the team for Daytona, in partnership with Sahara Force India Formula One driver, Sergio Perez. A truly world-class lineup is attracting sponsors of the same level of interest.
British racing driver and endurance specialist, Viljoen will race the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 alongside F1 star Sergio Perez’ handpicked group of Mexican drivers for the January 30-31 endurance race.
Since winning both his first ever karting and single-seater Formula Ford races, Viljoen has competed in the Formula BMW UK Championship, Formula 3, and from 2010 has been racing sports prototypes and GT cars in multiple European series.
Viljoen will also be joining the team at the new endurance series, the Intercontinental GT Challenge 6 Hours of the Americas. TRG’s entry is part of this first-ever global GT3 series, which in its inaugural season will only appear in Bathurst, Austin, Sepang, and Spa. The race will be held in conjunction with of the Pirelli World Challenge at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, March 3-6.
About Angela Estate: Angela Estate is a small, family-owned craft winery in Oregon with an international pedigree. The owner, Antony Beck is a native South African wine producer who began Angela Estate in 2006 with a passion for family and Pinot Noir. Antony created the winery as a celebration of his wife, Angela and their five children. The couple resides in Lexington, KY on their thoroughbred farm, Gainesway. Antony continues his father’s legacy in South Africa with Graham Beck winery and began a new one in Oregon with his friend, winemaker Ken Wright.
About Gainesway Farm: Gainesway is a thoroughbred stallion farm in Lexington, KY. Antony and his father, Graham, bought the property from industry leader John R. Gaines and carried on Gainesway’s reputation as a major force in the international breeding and racing industry. The farm has produced numerous champion horses, including Afleet Alex who narrowly missed becoming the twelfth Triple Crown champion in the history of horse racing.
About TRG-AMR: TRG-AMR, based in Petaluma, California, has competed at the top level of motorsports since it was founded in 1992. The team has earned four series championships, four Rolex 24 At Daytona victories, a victory at the fabled 24 Hours of Le Mans, a victory at Petit Le Mans, and an impressive 125 combined podium finishes in major North American sports car competition, the third-highest total in history and the most for any privateer team. TRG-AMR exclusively operates the Aston Martin Racing (AMR) sports car program in North America and races in IMSA’s SportsCar Championship and the Pirelli World Challenge. The company also offers comprehensive sponsorship, business networking, and experiential marketing programs including race hospitality, VIP/client entertainment, track days, corporate events, and employee team building.
