Medusa Motorsports enters a new era in its short history, debuting its brand-new Aston Martin Vantage GT4 this weekend in the Michelin Pilot Challenge race at Laguna Seca.

Following a manufacturer partnership announced earlier this month, the Tennessee-based team transitions from the Mustang GT4 it campaigned in the season-opening rounds at Daytona and Sebring, signaling the start of a new chapter for the program.

While the car may be new, its driver lineup remains unchanged. Hunter Yeany and teammate Athan Sterling are set to bring the Aston Martin–Medusa partnership to life this weekend, having already gained an early feel for the package through pre-race testing.

“I would say it’s definitely a different feeling car,” said driver Hunter Yeany. “The way you have to drive this car versus the Ford is much different. The Vantage feels quite a bit lighter and a lot more nimble than the Ford did, so you can’t really drive it in too hard to the corners. But I would say it’s a good step forward. I’m really looking forward to developing the car with the team. The team’s looking forward to it as well.”

Yeany, previously focused on open-wheel competition, is now in his first full season of sports car racing, competing in both IMSA and the newly introduced Zennith Racing Series.

Transitioning from single-seaters to sports cars presents a new set of challenges for any young driver. However, Yeany believes many of the core driving principles still carry over between disciplines.

“Yeah, I think it’s the same thing as going from the Ford, then it’s like just driving so much differently,” Yeany stated. “The open-wheel cars obviously have a lot more downforce. They are lighter and stuff. So just like the raw feeling of the car is so different. But, a lot of stuff translates over too. I mean, it’s kind of how you drive the cars. It’s somewhat similar. Yeah, I mean, that’s what I would say about that. I mean, I’m looking forward to just moving forward in the season.”

Coming into 2026, Yeany entered the year without a confirmed program before an opportunity with Medusa Motorsports materialized.

“Honestly, I had no plans for this year actually,” said Yeany. “The place I was hurting a little bit was ] the money side of things. So, I got the call from Brandon (Graham, Director of Competition) and Medusa Motorsports to come and kind of tryout and do some testing with them. I definitely did not turn down the opportunity and just really just worked hard to make sure I was ready for the shot.”

Through the opening rounds of the season, Medusa Motorsports has already shown flashes of pace, including a strong practice result during the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona.

Although that speed has been evident, the team now enters a new phase with the Vantage GT4 as it continues to build and refine its program.

“I think we’ve just kind of made a smooth incline in progression and stuff. Every now and then you have a couple mistakes—but I mean, that’s kind of expected.”

Building on that early experience with the Aston Martin package, Yeany emphasized just how critical track time has been in preparing both himself and the team for their first race weekend with the Vantage.

“It’s kind of like a sport or something,” Yeany explained. “It’d be like showing up to a sport you’ve never played before and just expecting to hopefully do a good job. Preparation is key. So, getting out there and doing the laps, getting the team familiar with the car and getting us drivers familiar with the car. Some people think all cars feel the same, but they definitely do not. Some cars are completely different animals. So yeah, I would say preparation is key. That’s what’s going to be the important thing going to Laguna Seca.”

In addition to his GT4 program with Medusa Motorsports, Yeany has also expanded his racing portfolio in 2026 by competing in the newly launched Zennith Racing Series with Automatic Racing, giving him valuable seat time in prototype machinery. That experience has provided a unique comparison point as he continues to adapt across multiple disciplines.

“It’s my first time driving on track there. The whole thing was great. It was a good time driving the car,” Yeany said. “The way the car feels is kind of like a mix between the GT and open-wheel because it’s not so heavy as a GT car. But it has more downforce—like the prototype has more downforce—but not quite as much as more of an open-wheel car. So, you really kind of got to drive it in between.”

Despite the series being in its infancy, Yeany noted that the level of competition has already proven to be strong, offering meaningful racing experience early on.

“It was pretty good. Our team did a pretty good job all weekend. Our pace was pretty on it. It was definitely competitive. When you catch up with someone, they don’t really just let you by. You really got to work for it. It’s really good practice, really good racing, and a good experience.”

The stakes are also elevated within the Zennith Racing Series, with scholarship opportunities tied to performance—something Yeany says adds another layer of motivation.

“It just makes you want to work harder. It makes you want to prep harder and do more work on the sim. So, I mean, that’s a big deal—having a chance to get an IMSA ride for the next year.”

For now, however, Yeany’s primary focus remains on continuing to build Medusa Motorsports’ GT4 program, even as he keeps an open mind about future opportunities.

“For right now, I’m just trying to do the best with Medusa. If any other opportunities come up to me, I’m always open to other opportunities. I’m always open to trying out driving new cars. That’s how we got into the situation I’m in now. I would say I’m definitely open to any opportunity. But right now, I’m more focused on just working hard with the team and finishing out the rest of the season strong.”

Looking ahead, Yeany believes both he and teammate Athan Sterling have already shown promising speed, and with continued development, strong results are within reach.

“I definitely think we showed our pace really well at Daytona this year. We qualified P10 in our first race, which I think was pretty good. We made up to fourth place in the race until things started not going really our way. But I think—personally—the team could either possibly win a race, but I think we can definitely pull off a podium this year if we really try and everything goes our way. I know the team works really hard. I know that Athan and I are working really hard, so I think it’s definitely possible.”

That optimism is further strengthened by the continuity between the two drivers as they transition into this new chapter with Aston Martin.

“Athan and I have always had a pretty good relationship from the start of moving forward. I think we’re going to learn together with this car and kind of help each other out and stuff. I think it’ll be good moving forward.”

As for the immediate task ahead, Yeany’s mindset for Laguna Seca remains centered on preparation and execution.

“I think we can do really well at Laguna Seca. I think right now the focus would just be on testing, making sure we have everything right—that everybody’s familiar with the car: mechanics familiar with the car, engineers familiar with the car, and especially both of us drivers. But I think that’s the main thing, we’ve got to focus on the testing, and then depending on how well we do in testing, I think is how well the race will go.”

And while the weekend carries a throwback theme, Yeany left the door open to embracing the occasion in his own way.

“Dude, I might have to get in on that. We’ll see.”