Among a list of sportscars rising stars, Jodie Sloss and Rianna O'Meara-Hunt have been selected for the 2024 Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy, a program designed to provide a support scheme from within the AMR partner team network, as well as nurture young talents in GT racing.
Two female drivers have been selected for the 2024 Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy program, Jodie Sloss and Rianna O'Meara-Hunt. The all-female duo are set to enter the upcoming GT Cup Championship season, sharing the Forsetti Motorsport Vantage GT4, and are now part of the strong selection of 32 young talents eligible to receive support and assistance through 2025 and a test in the new Vantage GT3.
The AMR Driver Academy was launched in 2014 and is designed to provide a support scheme from within the Aston Martin Racing's partner team network, as well as nurture young talents in GT racing. The program has significantly furthered the careers of several sportscar rising stars and continues to attract international interest, with 32 racers from 13 counties enrolled in the 2024 edition.
“The Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy is now a proven and established method for us to assess emerging talent from within our partner network", commented Adam Carter, Aston Martin Head of Endurance. "It allows the brand to contribute back into the sport in a constructive and supportive manner that benefits all concerned. You only have to read back through the alumni to understand the impact the initiative has for GT-focussed drivers, of which there are a growing number of exciting prospects with every passing season.”
Among the selected, Jodie Sloss and Rianna O'Meara-Hunt are gearing up for their first season in GT Cup Championship with brand-new team Forsetti Motorsport in the GTH category. O'Meara-Hunt thus enters her second season at the wheel of Aston Martin GT4 machinery, after making history last year when she collected a double victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the Pirelli GT4 America.
"In 2022 I was selected to race in the SRO America Championship with the Aston Martin GT4 for the 2023 season", O'Meara-Hunt said. "During this year I fell in love with the car and felt very proud to represent such a prestigious brand. I wanted to do everything possible to align myself with AMR and be incorporated into a company with such a special history in racing, and here I am, a part of the Elite AMR Driver Academy, what a surreal feeling."
The New Zealander had previously won an all-female driver shootout to secure the seat in GT4 America, and will now continue her progression at the wheel of the Vantage GT4 in the British series, alongside Scottish racer Jodie Sloss, who had won the Formula Woman program to secure a spot on the 2022 GT Cup grid. Despite no prior racing experience, Sloss showed great potential - which was again on display in 2023, in a part-time Porsche Open Cup campaign where she stepped on the podium in each of her three outings.
"I’m proud to announce I’ve been selected to be a part of the Aston Martin Racing Driver Academy programme this year", Sloss stated. "I’m honoured to be recognised and supported by such a prestigious British manufacturer, as I continue my progression in the Vantage GT4 this season with Forsetti Motorsport."
"A huge thank you to Aston Martin for this incredible opportunity to work with the team, as I take the next steps in my racing career. I want to take this opportunity to say a massive thank you to everyone who has helped me make this possible, and all of who have supported me on this journey."
Last week, the selected drivers attended a three day seminar that included a tour of the Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team Technology Campus, media training, simulator training, a comprehensive fitness assessment, including a bespoke training programme and nutrition plan, as well as a factory-based engineering workshop to further their understanding of how to set-up the Vantage platform.