Rebel Rock Racing embarks on a defining new journey as it enters full-time GT3 competition in GT World Challenge (GTWC) America. The Florida-based team arrives at Circuit of the Americas with measured expectations but clear ambition. After years of success in GT4 machinery, the move to the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo signals a significant shift in both performance and approach.
Daytona success alters the timeline
Initially, the team planned to launch its full-season GT3 campaign from the outset. However, an impressive victory in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season opener at Daytona International Speedway forced a rethink.
Robin Liddell explained to Sportscar365 how that result reshaped their early-season priorities. He said, “To be honest, we made the decision to come over here for the full season, prior to Daytona. Then winning the GT4 race at Daytona, the four-hour, that kind of threw the cat amongst the pigeons and then we were like, ‘We’ve had a pretty awesome start of the year, maybe we should do Sebring and see how it goes.’
As a result, the team delayed its GTWC America debut, choosing instead to capitalise on its strong GT4 momentum before stepping up. Furthermore, rather than rushing into competition, Rebel Rock Racing opted for a measured transition. Logistics, preparation, and driver preference all influenced the decision to skip the Sonoma round.
Liddell outlined the reasoning, saying “Once we made the decision to do Sebring, it would have been a tall order for us to get out to Sonoma [the following week]. It was not like we were satisfying a customer. Frank didn’t really want to do both back-to-back. We as a team didn’t want to get involved in the logistics of trying to make that happen.”
Consequently, the team arrives at COTA better prepared, even if slightly later than planned.
Rebel Rock Racing embracing the “big step” to GT3 in GTWC America
Transitioning from GT4 to GT3 represents more than just a change of machinery. It demands a new mindset, refined processes, and greater technical understanding.
Liddell acknowledged the scale of the challenge, explaining, “It’s a step change. It’s a different approach in a lot of way.”
Despite this, the team maintains realistic expectations for its debut weekend.
“To be fair, we don’t have any particularly high expectations for this weekend. We just want to go out there, run the car, start understanding what we don’t have, what we need to do better, what we don’t know, and just go and enjoy it.”
Therefore, learning—not results—remains the primary objective, especially as Rebel Rock Racing enters the weekend with limited GT3 mileage.
Its initial outing with the car came during an endurance race at Sebring International Raceway, which effectively became a test session following early damage. Nevertheless, that experience proved crucial. It marked Frank DePew’s first time in GT3 machinery and helped confirm the team’s direction.
Liddell reflected on that moment, saying “Over the next month or so, that’s when we decided that GT World Challenge is the right way for us to go.”
Since then, additional testing has provided further insight, though the team still approaches COTA as part of its learning curve.
Building towards the future
Looking ahead, Rebel Rock Racing plans to use this GTWC America weekend as a foundation for growth. With another visit to Sebring on the horizon, the team expects to refine its understanding and improve performance step by step.
Liddell emphasised this forward-thinking mindset, saying, “We’re open minded,” he said. “I don’t really have much expectations. There’s a lot of good teams and some good drivers, obviously. We just want to get this weekend under our belt. Hopefully just finish the race, learn a bit, enjoy ourselves, figure out what we need going forward.”
“Sebring is only a couple of weeks away. Obviously we just ran at Sebring and we did test the car in February, so I hope that at Sebring we can give a better account of ourselves. Then at that point, we’ll have a better sense of what we really need going forwards.”
Ultimately, Rebel Rock Racing’s GT3 debut centres on progress rather than pressure. By embracing a patient and methodical approach, the team positions itself for long-term success in a highly competitive category.
As the cars take to the track at COTA, this “big step” marks not just a new challenge—but the beginning of a promising evolution.
