After months of testing and preparation, the day has finally arrived for the V12 Aston Martin Valkyrie to make its IMSA competition debut.

Following its race debut a few weeks ago in Qatar, Ian James, Team Principal, is ready to bring the concept of “convergence” to life with the LMH entry.

“I mean, first of all, a great sense of pride and accomplishment for everybody at Heart of Racing to get this out here,” James said. “It’s amazing to see it out there, and the fan reaction has just been truly amazing. To bring a smile to people’s faces is a special gift, and we’re super happy to get this thing going and start our path towards success.”

For many of Heart of Racing’s drivers, this marks their first time competing behind the wheel of a prototype car, balancing commitments between WEC and IMSA.

For drivers like Roman De Angelis and Ross Gunn, the Valkyrie presents not only a top-class opportunity but also a chance to learn—while maintaining the team’s family-oriented philosophy.

“Well, I think firstly it is the ability and the talent, and I think the six drivers we have over the two programs are hugely talented,” James said when asked about driver selection for the entry. “Second, giving people the opportunity. All six of them really needed an opportunity to move up into a factory program like this and show that they could do it. Through testing, we verified for sure that they were the right people. They’ve all had a bit of a history, except Harry, with Heart of Racing, and I value that. We say we’re a big family, and we really are. So, to give them the opportunity and let them go out there and prove how good they are—very, very happy to be able to do that.”

“Ever since we started testing in the middle of last year up until Qatar, there’s always been a question. I’m like, hey, how well will they adapt and how will they get along? But every step of the way, they’ve just knocked it out of the park, and they’re all very comparable. They all get along really well. They’re all working for one another, which is really crucial, and I think we learned from the sidelines how Ferrari and Porsche have adopted their GT drivers and they’ve done so well. And that’s the path I wanted to change, and I wouldn’t change it back. I think we have the right guys in the car, and I think they’re going to turn some heads in the years to come.”

As James and the Heart of Racing program embark on their debut season, there is much to learn and plenty of room for growth.

While immediate success is always the goal, James is focused on steady improvement. With other teams having logged significantly more race miles than the Valkyrie, the objective is simply to make progress on the grid.

“I think if we can start to mix it with the midfield by the end of the year, that will be a mission accomplished for us,” James said. “Our competitors have many, many more miles and races under their belt, so anytime we can get near them in our first year, it is an accomplishment. And if we can start beating a few of them, that’ll bring a smile to all of our faces.”

Excitement is high for the newest GTP entry on the IMSA grid. With fan interest in the program surging, the motorsport world will be watching to see what the Heart of Racing prototype can achieve. James, however, is simply enjoying the enthusiasm surrounding the team.

“Yeah, I think it’s amazing to see the smiles it puts on people’s faces and just walking up and down the paddock here, people stopping me and going, hey, do you have anything to do with that Valkyrie? We heard that this morning. Best thing I’ve ever heard. A lot of people and a lot of fans have never even heard of a V12 in action. So I think the first time you hear it go by, it makes you smile, and it’s hopefully fast becoming a fan favorite. And the bigger picture we want is to be here for the fans, and we appreciate all the support they give. We want to put more smiles on people’s faces.”

When asked about the possibility of adding a second car later in the season or next year, James remained open-minded but cautious.

“I mean, you never say never. We’ve got to come, and we’ve got to establish ourselves and figure it out before we can look at a second car. I mean, people keep asking me that already. It’s struggling to get to this point, but yeah, we’ll see. Just very proud to be here, even with one car, just to see how we’ve been received.”