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Corvette Racing at Daytona and Chevrolet Names Klauser as First Sports Car Racing Program Manager

Subject: Corvette Racing at Daytona and Chevrolet Names Klauser as First Sports Car Racing Program Manager
by cor123 on 2021/1/20 0:30:04

Corvette Racing at Daytona and Chevrolet Names Klauser as First Sports Car Racing Program Manager

 
PRESS RELEASE:
Annual three-day test at Daytona for new-look 2021 Corvette Racing lineup


CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA:
New Season, New Lineup, Same Expectations


Annual three-day test at Daytona for new-look 2021 Corvette Racing lineup
Sunday qualifying race to set grid for following weekend’s Rolex 24
Corvette Racing, Chevrolet coming off 2020 sweep of full-season GTLM titles



DETROIT (Jan. 19, 2021) – A new season beckons for Corvette Racing, which
begins defense of its GT Le Mans (GTLM) titles in the IMSA WeatherTech
SportsCar Championship during the next two weeks. The 2021 campaign starts
with the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the start of the IMSA season. Before that,
however, is the traditional Roar Before the 24 – three days of testing at
Daytona International Speedway’s road course.


It will mark the first 2021 running for Corvette Racing’s two mid-engine
Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs. After winning six races and sweeping the
full-season GTLM championships in 2020, success at Daytona is one of the
major goals in the new season.


The six Corvette Racing drivers all will be in attendance. Defending GTLM
Drivers Champions Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor are back with endurance
teammate Nicky Catsburg in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette
C8.R. The new-look lineup of Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy, plus long-distance
driver Alexander Sims, will make its public debut in the No. 4 Mobil
1/SiriusXM Corvette.


This will mark the first time that the Roar and the Rolex 24 will fall on
back-to-back weekends, and there is an additional caveat: a 100-minute race
Sunday will set the starting grid for the twice-around-the-clock endurance
event.


Corvette Racing is a three-time winner of the Rolex 24: it won the race
overall in 2001 and scored back to-back GTLM wins in 2015 and 2016. A year
ago, the team debuted the C8.R with a fourth-place finish for Garcia, Taylor
and Catsburg as the No. 3 Corvette recorded more miles than any Corvette in
the race’s history. What’s more, Garcia and Taylor – who each have two Rolex
24 wins – claimed the first win for the C8.R at Daytona in the first race
following a lengthy break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also was Corvette
Racing’s 100th victory in IMSA.


On the other side of the garage, this year’s Rolex will mark the first
change in lineup for the No. 4 Corvette since 2016. Milner was part of the
2016 race-winning effort at Daytona while Tandy won the GTLM class in 2014.
Meanwhile, Sims is at Daytona for the first time since 2018.


The mid-engine C8.R and Corvette Stingray street car were developed
simultaneously, and the race car and production vehicle share more
technology and parts than any previous-generation Corvette. When initial
Corvette C8.R design and development work began more than six years ago,
Corvette Racing engineers worked closely alongside Corvette production
personnel with a heavy emphasis on wind tunnel and simulation testing.


Corvette Racing will open its 2021 season with the Roar Before the 24 from
Jan. 22-24 and the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 30-31, which will air
beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 30 across NBC, NBCSN,
TrackPass and the NBC Sports App. A 100-minute qualifying race from the Roar
will air on TrackPass at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 24 and again same-day at
4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. IMSA Radio will air full qualifying and race coverage
at IMSA.com.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We have
continuity for this year and need to carry over the work we did in 2020. We
have our own tools to develop to work on the car off and on the weekend.
Things won’t be easier in 2021 for us, but we do have a year of experience
on our side with Jordan and Nicky. Perhaps the 4 car will be in the same
situation as us with new additions to the team. They probably will be
working to find what is the best compromise among the three drivers, get up
to speed and get to know each other. One other good thing about Nick coming
over is the addition of his experience coming in from another program. That
should be a big benefit to us all on both sides of the garage.”


JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “This is
going to be a hectic month with the Roar and the Rolex on back-to-back
weekends. It’s a lot harder on the team than the driver. The turnaround time
for them to get the cars prepped for the Rolex 24 is huge. It’s usually nice
to have a couple of weeks to take the cars apart, look at it and rebuild it
because that’s the race where you want to be 100 percent. We learned a lot
on-track and off-track at the simulator. We’ll be very prepared by the time
we get there. Hopefully by the time we get to the Roar, we are just running
through some small changes that we want to confirm on-track that they work
and run through little items that we need to fine-tune. I have a lot of
confidence in this team. They’ve had a ton of success at that race and there
is no reason we can’t be successful again there in 2021.”


NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m
obviously really looking forward to start the season again. I like the new
concept of the Roar with it and the race being within one week. It’s
different than normal but that’s nice. I am looking forward to seeing how
far the Corvette has come since the last time I was at Daytona. It has been
a full year with a lot of good results and development. The December test
was great, and I think everyone is on the same page. We all have high hopes
for Daytona and are eager to come away with a good result.”


TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m excited
about my two new teammates. I’ve been racing against Nick for many years
now. I know how strong a competitor he is. Obviously I’d much rather him be
in my car and not have to fight against him! Both of those guys, I’ve raced
against them quite a bit. They’re both true professionals, super fast on the
track and their results speak for themselves. I’ve not interacted a lot with
them outside of some track stuff, but they’re both characters in their own
way. I’m excited to go race with them and work toward the goals we’ve set
for 2021.”


NICK TANDY, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m sure being
the new boy will be a challenge during our first weekend together. For sure
there are people that need to get to know each other, I need to get know
everyone else and my teammates. I hope the actual driving of the car will be
the thing that comes most naturally. I’ve been in a situation during the
last 10 years or so where I’ve driven for numerous different teams across
the globe and I’ve had to integrate in a short amount of time. It’s going to
be new for all of us. I know from previous experience that the best way to
bond in a new team is have a good weekend and a good result, and that’s
exactly what we are aiming for at Daytona.”


ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "I've missed
racing in IMSA, and I'm keen to experience this first race in the Corvette.
Our December test at Sebring went very well, but racing is why we do all
this. It'll be exciting to get out there and compete with the team. Getting
the seat time at Sebring is a big deal as I don't have go into Daytona
feeling concerned about getting to know the car. There is a little work to
be done on my side to get super-familiar for racing situations so you can
react without thinking too much. But I got a feel for the fundamentals of
driving the C8.R around the track at Sebring. The pace seemed to be good and
there should be no issues there. I'm really looking road to getting back to
racing in IMSA, racing the Corvette... it's been a great car in testing. I'm
excited to see how it does in racing conditions.”
 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
Press release:  Chevrolet Names Klauser as First Sports Car Racing Program Manager


Moves into the role which includes engineering and technical oversight of
Corvette Racing on behalf of Chevrolet


Chevrolet Names Klauser as First Sports Car Racing Program Manager


DETROIT (Jan. 19, 2021) – Chevrolet has named Laura Wontrop Klauser as its
newly created Sports Car Racing Program Manager as the manufacturer
continues its shift toward an engineering-based approach throughout its
motorsports programs.


Klauser, who resides in Detroit, moves into the role which includes
engineering and technical oversight of Corvette Racing on behalf of
Chevrolet. Already she manages the Cadillac DPi-V.R and Camaro GT4.R
programs in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The goal is to
expand the level of engineering and technical direction for Corvette Racing
as it sets a course for its future with the mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette
C8.R, along with all the Chevrolet road-racing programs.


“It’s a huge honor to move into this role with Corvette Racing,” said
Klauser, who has been part of General Motors’ racing activities for the last
five years. “It unquestionably is one of the premier programs in all of
sports car endurance racing. The rich history of Corvette’s successes in
IMSA is something of which everyone at Chevrolet can be proud. At the same
time, this motorsports management restructure is a great opportunity to
rethink how Chevrolet operates on IMSA weekends. My goal is to promote more
synergy between our racing programs and funnel our technical learnings back
to GM so we continue to make and sell better cars to our fans and customers
around the world.”


Klauser earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s
in Engineering. She began at General Motors in 2008 and spent eight years on
the production side of the business including advanced design work on the
Corvette C7. Motorsports competition came calling in 2016 after stints on
the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Cruze and Spark production teams. She was
named Program Manager for the Cadillac ATS-V.R effort in Pirelli World
Challenge.


A year later, Klauser helped launch the Cadillac DPi-V.R program, which to
date has claimed two Manufacturers Championships, four Michelin Endurance
Cup Championships and 18 race wins including four consecutive victories in
the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


Corvette Racing has spent the last 22 years building its championship
pedigree with 14 Team titles along with 13 Manufacturers and Drivers
championships. Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor are coming off a GT Le Mans
title-winning season in which they won five times and drove the C8.R to its
first victory in July at Daytona.


Klauser also is heavily involved with SAE. A past participant the student
level, she remains an active member and volunteer for the FSAE program as
Dynamic Events Coordinator for the Michigan Competition. She has served on
the SAE Detroit Section Board since 2011 holding the Chair position for
2018.


She also is a familiar face to the Corvette customer and enthusiast
community. Klauser has participated as a Corvette Team representative at the
National Corvette Museum Birthday Bash’s Ladies Garage and Corvettes at
Carlisle events annually. She also participates in track days driving her
2013 Corvette Grand Sport.


“We are pleased to have someone as enthusiastic and experienced as Laura as
our Sports Car Racing Program Manager,” said Mark Stielow, Chevrolet
Director of Motorsports Competition Engineering. “Corvette Racing and GM’s
road-racing efforts will benefit from her engineering experience with both
the Corvette and Cadillac production cars, and her relationship with a large
number of our fans and Corvette owners.”


The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will open its 2021 season with
the Roar Before the 24 from Jan. 22-24 and the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan.
30-31, which will air beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 30
across NBC, NBCSN, TrackPass and the NBC Sports App. A 100-minute qualifying
race from the Roar will air on TrackPass at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 24 and
again same-day at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN. IMSA Radio will air full qualifying
and race coverage at IMSA.com.


 

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