DETROIT (July 6, 2023) – Winning a race as big of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is something special. It’s the culmination of a year’s worth of work, preparation and execution.
In the case of Corvette Racing, winning this year’s GTE Am class didn’t just validate all of that effort. It also exorcised some very painful memories of near-misses, most notably the team’s end to the 2022 race. Ahead of this weekend’s Six Hours of Monza in the FIA World Endurance Championship, a few Corvette Racing team members shared their thoughts on a sweet and redemptive victory…
NICKY CATSBURG, DRIVER, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "We’ve been trying to win Le Mans with the C8.R for a couple of years. We managed to get P2 in 2021, and last year Alex (Sims), Tommy (Milner) and Nick (Tandy) seemed to have it all sorted before a crazy spell of bad luck took them out of the race. We knew this was our last chance for our car to win it before the end of the GTE category. It’s clear with Ben and Nico that we have a strong lineup, and we had an insanely successful season in WEC going into Le Mans. But that never means winning there is easy. All the ingredients were there, but you still need to make it happen. We lost a lot of time at the beginning of the race, and I really felt like that was the end of it. But this team never gives up. Corvette Racing is an insane team with a lot of young guys so incredibly eager to win races. They were on top of their game! The flawless pitlane work and flawless drives by both Nico and Ben brought us to the top step of the podium. It was the one big 24-hour race that I didn’t have on my CV, and now I do. I can’t begin to thank everyone on this program enough. The whole team has such a good dynamic going on, and the atmosphere is so cool. I’m very thankful and grateful.”
LAURA WONTROP KLAUSER, GM SPORTS CAR RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: "Any Le Mans win is incredible, but this year’s was above and beyond. After the heartbreak of 2022 and with this year being the last year of the C8.R, the win was extra special to honor the team and our Corvette racecar. From the first hour, I think many believed there was no possibility for us to overcome the time we spent in the garage. But by sticking with the plan and staying focused, we again demonstrated that never-give-up spirit that defines Corvette Racing. What a great way to close the chapter at Le Mans with the C8.R while we look forward to writing the next one with the Z06 GT3.R.”
KYLE MILLAY, CORVETTE RACING CHIEF ENGINEER: “This Le Mans had a much different feel than years past. We always had the same two-car effort, garages, engineering offices, hospitality, driver rotations and so on. This year, not having that feel of familiarity while not impacting our approach added to the feeling of finality from the 2022 event. With about six hours to go we found ourselves with a comfortable lead that would have allowed us to easily bring the car home. I can distinctly remember feeling the buzz that we can win this race from here, but tempering that with knowing that six hours is a long way to go. What seemed like not five minutes later, I happened to look up at the TV feed and saw a yellow car spearing into the wall. I quickly glanced at my telemetry screen and confirmed it was us. The next thing was the radio call to Sims asking if he was ok and confirming our day was done. After sitting there for a few minutes letting it sink in, you close your computer and walk back from the wall. It went the way a lot of Le Mans have gone for us: with good cars not making it to the end. For me personally, it stung as much or more than 2017 when we lost the lead coming to the white flag.
“As with all Le Mans I headed into this year’s race anticipating some kind of setback that we would need to recover from. It came in Hour Two with a suspension issue. When something like that happens, you assess the situation and move on. In this case, I felt we had 22 hours to make up two laps and with the new safety car regs, that was a possibility. Everyone kept focused and knew that we still had options to get us back in the fight. We stuck to our plan to try and execute our driver and tire strategy as planned and see what would happen. We didn’t have to wait too long when the first of a few rain storms came to bring out a safety car. This was our first opportunity to get one of our laps back except race control executed the pit exit sequence incorrectly and it kept us trapped two laps back. The weather of the next few hours was pretty messy with car starting to drop out due to heavy accidents and issues. Nico had to drive a crazy stint in mixed conditions and then heavy rain while on slick tires after a gamble didn’t pay off. Over the next few hours, we just slowly narrowed the gap, and more cars dropped out. We luckily caught another safety car which did bring us a lap closer. That was it for safety cars giving us the freebies, and we had to race are way back for the rest. The car was fast and we were in a position with the driver rotation where we could really take out massive chunks of time to the leaders. We raced ourselves back on the lead lap, and then got the lead while building the gap.
“In the last few hours of the race, time seems to slow to a crawl when you are at the front. The last hour can be excruciating because there is nothing left to do but watch and think about everything that can go wrong. This time it was smooth sailing. This win had some extra meaning for the guys who had been so close over the last eight years, the ones who worked so hard to develop and build the C8.R and to see it check this one off the list. It was super special, and I was glad I could be a part of it.”
TIM KAVANAGH, CAR CHIEF, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “For me, the events of last year at Le Mans served as a reminder of how tough this race can be. It’s just like the events of our crash at the end of the first practice this year and the suspension issue early in the race. This group never gives up. We don’t know how.
“Our success in Le Mans came down to every single person involved executing to their maximum potential and staying determined to achieve our goals together. This is truly the best group of men and women I have ever had the privilege to work with.
“We came into the 2023 season not knowing what to expect but proud to be part of the final season of GTE competition and of the C8.R. So many people at GM and Pratt Miller have poured their hearts and souls into this project. A proper send off with a Le Mans win and championship is the only option.”
The Six Hours of Monza is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CET / 6:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, as will the FIA WEC app. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of qualifying and the race.
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After four of seven events)
Driver Standings
1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 133
2. Ahmad Al Harthy/Charlie Eastwood/Michael Dinan – 59
3. Michelle Gatting/Rahel Frey/Sarah Bovy – 56
4. Francesco Castellacci/Thomas Flohr/Davide Rigon – 47
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette
• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at CTMP since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2004), Corvette C6.R (2005-13) and Corvette C7.R (2016-2019). The Corvette C8.R raced at the track for the first time last season.
• 3: Number of GTE Am wins in four FIA WEC races this season for Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone with the No. 33 Corvette C8.R.
• 6: Hours difference between the IMSA team competing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the Corvette Racing WEC team competing at Monza on the same days.
• 7: Number of drivers who have won races at CTMP for Corvette Racing. Johnny O’Connell (six), Jan Magnussen (five), Oliver Gavin (four), Ron Fellows (three) and Olivier Beretta (two) each have multiple wins there with the team.
• 7: Pole positions for Corvette Racing drivers at CTMP. Oliver Gavin leads with three with Antonio Garcia (2016) being the most recent.
• 11: Class victories at Corvette Racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – all since 2001.
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 125: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, nine at Le Mans – including two weeks ago – and three in the FIA WEC.
• 275: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 11,080.25: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 20 previous trips to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. That represents 4,506 laps.
• 358,144.93: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at Monza (wins in bold)
2022
No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTE Pro
After Le Mans win, No. 33 C8.R team can wrap up GTE Am championships
DETROIT (July 3, 2023) – Fresh off a stunning class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – its ninth since 2001 – Corvette Racing can add one more major honor this weekend with the resumption of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Depending on its finish and those of other title contenders, Corvette Racing can wrap up the GTE Am Drivers and Teams championships at the Six Hours of Spa. Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating, Nico Varrone and the team of the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R have won three of the first four WEC rounds to open a commanding 74-point advantage with 91 possible points remaining in the final three races of the season.
Corvette Racing media information is updated and available ahead of the FIA WEC's Six Hours of Monza.
Such a position likely was incredibly optimistic for even the biggest Corvette Racing fan before the season began. Not only is this season the first for the Catsburg/Keating/Varrone trio, but it also is the in GTE Am for Corvette Racing. The new challenge hasn’t been too big for the team, which largely has nailed every pit stop and strategy call during this year’s campaign.
That was part of the story last year at Monza for the Corvette squad, which won in its debut at the circuit in the GTE Pro class. Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy were winners that day in the C8.R on a strategic masterpiece by the Corvette squad.
The team will need to rely on some of that quick and clever thinking this time around as the Corvette will carry 40 additional kilograms of “success ballast” in accordance with GTE Am sporting rules. That is due to the victory in the previous race at Le Mans, 10 kilograms for taking the runner-up spot at Spa (the race prior to Le Mans) and another 15 for leading the championship.
On a positive note, the No. 33 C8.R raced at Spa with 45 extra kilograms over its minimum weight and placed second, highlighted by a furious late-race defense by Catsburg to hold on to the second position.
The Six Hours of Monza is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CET / 6:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, July 9. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, as will the FIA WEC app. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of qualifying and the race.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "Coming into the season, we were confident that we could compete for race wins and the championship. We knew we had a good team and a good car. But I couldn't have expected the success we have had so far with three wins - Le Mans among that - and a chance to win the championship this early. Even though we are in this position, we cannot take anything for granted or lose focus. Fortunately I have teammates in Ben and Nico and a team behind us in Corvette Racing that won't let that happen. Monza is a very good and fast track. We may be a little limited by the success ballast but it will not change our approach and mindset. I'm ready to get there and go for the best result we can get."
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I love Monza. On the WEC calendar, Le Mans and Monza are my best tracks. Interestingly enough in my first year at Monza in WEC, I rented a bicycle and was riding around. On the grandstand side, there is a driver development simulator company. I spent four or five hours there on a whim. At the time, my chief competitor was a Ferrari with Alessio Rivera, and in the sim he was my coach! So every year since then, I always book time. Monza is one of my best tracks, but I’ve yet to finish a race there. It’s been my unluckiest track. One year we had a blowout at 170 mph, and it blew apart the car so much that it bent the exhaust, blew the floor out and blew the hood off. Then last year, we lost brakes and flipped the car. Even though I feel really good about my performance at Monza, the track has not always loved me back. I have a lot of faith in the Corvette and the Corvette Racing team. I really feel like in this season, the team’s performance has been key to our results. This race will be no different. We’ll be carrying 40 extra kilograms for the race, but the other teams chasing us have weight, too. I’m hopeful we can clinch a championship there. It doesn’t require a podium finish but does require some points for us and the 25 and 85 cars having a bad race. With the 40 extra kilograms, it would be a lot to expect us to win. I’m not saying it’s impossible because anything is possible with this car and this team.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I love Monza! It’s a fast track with a lot of history. We have been doing a great job all year. I feel like the pressure from ahead of Le Mans is gone with the victory there. We will arrive at Monza with less pressure and I think enjoying the moment. We will do what we do every race – do what we do, do what we know, keep it clean, be as fast as we can and get the pit stops and strategy right. Everything will come to us after that. If we are champions in Monza, then great. But we are not going in with that mindset. We are going to do our best and trying to win.”
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After four of seven events)
Driver Standings
1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 133
2. Ahmad Al Harthy/Charlie Eastwood/Michael Dinan – 59
3. Michelle Gatting/Rahel Frey/Sarah Bovy – 56
4. Francesco Castellacci/Thomas Flohr/Davide Rigon – 47
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette
• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at CTMP since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2004), Corvette C6.R (2005-13) and Corvette C7.R (2016-2019). The Corvette C8.R raced at the track for the first time last season.
• 3: Number of GTE Am wins in four FIA WEC races this season for Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone with the No. 33 Corvette C8.R.
• 6: Hours difference between the IMSA team competing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and the Corvette Racing WEC team competing at Monza on the same days.
• 7: Number of drivers who have won races at CTMP for Corvette Racing. Johnny O’Connell (six), Jan Magnussen (five), Oliver Gavin (four), Ron Fellows (three) and Olivier Beretta (two) each have multiple wins there with the team.
• 7: Pole positions for Corvette Racing drivers at CTMP. Oliver Gavin leads with three with Antonio Garcia (2016) being the most recent.
• 11: Class victories at Corvette Racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – all since 2001.
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 125: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, nine at Le Mans – including two weeks ago – and three in the FIA WEC.
• 275: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 11,080.25: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 20 previous trips to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. That represents 4,506 laps.
• 358,144.93: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at Monza (wins in bold)
2022
No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTE Pro
CORVETTE RACING AT CTMP: Jordan Taylor Zoom Transcript
Media Q&A ahead of Chevrolet Grand Prix and team’s lone Canadian stop
Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor was part of a media Zoom today to talk about next week’s Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park and the sixth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He will team with Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which raced at CTMP for the first time a year ago. The duo finished third in the GTD PRO class last weekend at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R
ON THE FOLLOWING AND SUPPORT OF CORVETTE RACING AT CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK.
“It’s always a big weekend for us. Obviously being the Chevrolet Grand Prix, there’s a lot of Chevy supporters and Corvette supporters. The Corvette Corral that we have there every year is massive. It’s always exciting for us. Corvette Racing has 11 wins there over the year with the last one being in 2014. So we’re due for another win there. It’s been awhile, and last year we finished second. I feel like this year we’re a little bit stronger compared to this time last year when we first entered GTD PRO. This past weekend was a little bit of a struggle at Watkins Glen, but I don’t see why we can’t be a little bit closer to the front next weekend. It’s a big weekend for Corvette and Chevrolet every year we go there, and they are true sports car fans when we go north of the border.”
DOES THE MOVE TO CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS FOR NEXT YEAR IN GT3 CHANGE ANYTHING FOR YOU AS A DRIVER?
“We kind of knew this was coming over the past year or two with the class going to GT3 and a customer-based program. Our history has always been in the GTLM and GTE classes, so with it going to GT3 it makes sense to rename it how they did. For me, it doesn’t change a whole lot. It’s still run by Pratt Miller. Corvette Racing always had Pratt Miller behind the scenes running the program from their shop in Michigan. Now it’s all going to be the same guys running the program. We deal with the same exact people on the management and contract side, so from the drivers perspective it changes nothing. The only thing that changes for us as Corvette drivers is that there will be more Corvettes on the track that we have to race with. It’s going to be interesting to see how it is. Obviously it makes it trickier when there are more cars on track in your class of car. But I think it’s great for the brand. There are so many Corvette fans in sports car racing worldwide that now going to this GT3 platform, we can see them racing at Le Mans, Nürburgring, Bathurst, Spa… it’s available to go anywhere now. For me, that’s super exciting to see. Obviously we’ve been locked down to IMSA and WEC the last few years. But with this new class for us, it opens things up a lot for drivers. I’m not sure what it holds for us as drivers, but for sure it would be cool to mix in some of these other races. You see other manufactures have their drivers going to Bathurst around Daytona time, Nürburgring around Le Mans time and Spa coming up this weekend. It would be cool to add some of those races to our calendar. I know a lot of guys in the Corvette stable are looking forward to that.”
HOW TOUGH IS TO TURN REALLY FAST LAPS AT A TRACK LIKE THIS THAT IS SO DAUNTING?
“It’s a place where you need a lot of confidence in yourself and in your car. If you’re lacking any of that, it’s definitely going to show up at a place like this. It’s nice that it’s in the middle of the season. I’d say that if this was the first race of the year when you’re getting back in the swing of things, it would be quite a shock to the system to get up to speed there. It’s always nice to have it back-to-back with Watkins Glen where you’ve come from a high-speed track, you’ve done six hours in your car and you kind of know the limits of it so when you get to CTMP, you’re mostly ready to go. It’s a high-risk, high-reward type of place especially when it comes to traffic. Having driven there in prototypes and now GT cars, you kind of see the perspective from both sides and see how much you can gain or lose in those situations. That definitely ramps up the intensity, especially the last hour of the race when guys don’t want to wait around. I’m sure it will be another classic IMSA fight all race long.”
THERE ARE SIX RACES STILL TO GO. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO TRACK DOWN THE 14?
“We’ve had a pretty good year. Other than Sebring when we got knocked off the track and our penalty at Laguna Seca, it’s been a pretty flawless season. At Daytona, we had a flawless race and finished second. At Long Beach, we had a good fight and had the third-fastest car and finished second. This weekend (at Watkins Glen), we had the fifth-fastest car and finished third. I feel like we are kind nailing our races pretty really and calling super-strong strategies. Our guys in the pits have been doing an unbelievable job on pit stops to jump guys when we can. Everything is going well – we just need to tick that last little box. Hopefully this weekend we can get it done.”
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE SPEED DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GTP CARS TO THE GTD CARS WILL BE LIKE?
“It’s made it a little tricker in traffic to understand the capabilities of the GTP cars. We’re still used to DPis coming by us, and they used to fly by us in a lot of spots. You can tell guys are a little more hesitant with some of their moves especially with their tire allocation now; if they’re double-stinting their tires, they can be quite slow in some of the corners. At Sebring in some of the medium-speed corners, they’d be slower than us if we were on new tires. I’m not sure what their allocation is for next week for race stints, but I’d say if they are on a second stint on tires, they’ll struggle to get by us in some spots where they usually fly by us. It’s something for sure to think about and learn. It’s definitely a new challenge to figure out where they can pass you and where you need to defend. You can tell when they’re getting frustrated or they know certain spots where they need to get by or else they’re going to get stuck is where they start getting aggressive because they don’t want to wait around either. Understanding that is a big part of it so hopefully we’ll have a good amount of practice to get an understanding.”
WITH THE DYNAMICS BETWEEN GTP AND GTD PRO, IS THERE MORE PRESSURE RACING FOR WINS AND CHAMPIONSHIPS BECAUSE THE PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCES ARE UNDERSTOOD?
“For us, we haven’t won since Sebring 2022. If there are any openings to get a win, we’re definitely going to pounce at it. At the same time, we’re still racing for a championship and there is still a long way to go. If we have a third-place car, we need to finish second or third and not take a risk to finish fifth. Our race is against the Lexus at this point, so we might strategize a little bit around those guys to maybe make some moves.”
IS THERE A PART OF THE TRACK THAT’S HARD TO GET RIGHT EVERY TIME, AND IS THERE A FAVORITE SECTION?
“Turn Three. There’s also a bump on entry which makes it tricky to have a lot of confidence to attack. I’d say the best part about it is the flow between Turn One and Turn Two. It’s an amazing sequence of corners with blind entries and lots of elevation change. The fans in general at CTMP are also always special. I can’t remember what year – maybe 2017 or 2018 – but I went out to Turn Three and Turn Four to watch and the fans that camp there just love sports car racing. Not all tracks have authentic fans like that, so it’s always cool to see fans who have been going back since back in the day when old-school drivers and old-school cars were racing around there.”
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Podium finish in wild Sahlen’s Six Hours for Garcia, Taylor, No. 3 C8.R
CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: Third… Against All Odds
Podium finish in wild Sahlen’s Six Hours for Garcia, Taylor, No. 3 C8.R
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 25, 2023) – Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor recorded their third podium finish of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season Sunday in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
The duo drove the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R to a third-place finish in GT Daytona (GTD) PRO, an improvement of three spots from their sixth-place starting position. Garcia and Taylor inched up a spot in the class Drivers Championship to third after five races.
Despite two penalties and a pace deficit to the class front-runners, Garcia found himself leading inside the final 30 minutes thanks to some great strategic calls, fuel-saving and maximizing performance out of the No. 3 Corvette. Nevertheless, the C8.R team left Watkins Glen encouraged with a solid points day.
Three early full-course yellows and a pace deficit made it tough to establish a rhythm early. The Corvette pit crew did its part, however, and jumped three cars on the first pit stop at the 46-minute mark to move Taylor to fourth on the restart.
Unfortunately for the Corvette squad, IMSA officials penalized the No. 3 team after the No. 23 Aston Martin drove through the Corvette’s pitbox and hit a tire that clearly was inside the C8.R’s pit space. The Corvette team provided the series with evidence that its tire was within the pitbox boundary, but the penalty stood.
That knocked Taylor down one position in class but well down the order in the overall GTD category. Undeterred, he battled back through the slower traffic and passed eight GT cars prior to the halfway mark. Misfortune struck again as officials required the No. 3 Corvette to stop about seven laps early due to a faulty tire pressure sensor.
The team elected to make the change from Taylor to Garcia, who was in the Corvette for the final three-plus hours.
Despite the setback, the No. 3 Corvette cycled back up to fourth in class and gained back a considerable amount of track position due to the race’s fourth full-course yellow with a little more than two hours to go. That caution period moved Garcia to third when the No. 63 Lamborghini was caught up in a prototype crash that necessitated the full-course yellow.
Garcia gained another spot when the then-second place Aston Martin had to pit to correct a tire pressure problem. The Corvette crew called him in with 62 minutes remaining – on the same lap as the class-leading No. 14 Lexus. However, it had to serve a penalty for a drive-through penalty, which elevated Garcia to the lead.
It was a small lead, though, as the No. 14 re-emerged from the pitlane with 59 minutes left and right on the Corvette. Forced to save fuel and hold off the No. 14 and the hard-charger No. 62 Ferrari, Garcia did a masterful job keeping the two challengers at bay before they found their way past with a little more than 30 minutes left.
Corvette Racing’s next event in GTD PRO is the Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on Sunday, July 9.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Corvette Racing has always been good at Watkins Glen. We usually are quite decent there, and it seems like we always have a chance in this race. Watkins Glen is a track that I’ve always liked, and it’s always good to turn laps there. Being part of the Michelin Endurance Cup adds something extra for us. We are in contention in that and in the regular championship, so this weekend has added importance. This is six hours, so it’s one of those races that has something extra for the competitors.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It feels like we haven’t been at the track in months since Laguna, so it’ll be great to get back to racing at Watkins Glen. We didn’t have the fastest car there last year, but we somehow found ourselves in contention. I feel like we’ve made some big gains this season that should benefit us there. We haven’t had the results to show our true performance this year, so hopefully we can have a clean weekend and start getting back into the championship fight.”
CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: Looking for the Way Forward
Fifth in GTD PRO, ninth in GTD category for No. 3 Corvette
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 24, 2023) – Corvette Racing will roll off from the third row of the GTD PRO grid Sunday for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen – the fifth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – following a challenging qualifying session Saturday.
Jordan Taylor drove the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the 15-minute session and posted a best lap time of 1:46.168 (115.288 mph) to start the race fifth in class and ninth among all GTD cars. He’ll drive Sunday with Antonio Garcia as the duo looks for its second victory in the Six Hours in three years.
It was a tough qualifying in a couple of ways. The ultimate pace of the Corvette has it nearly two seconds off the overall GTD pole-winning Lamborghini, which took three of the top six positions. The track also was partially dry and partially wet with rain impacting both prototype sessions after the GTD qualifying concluded.
The No. 3 Corvette team and its drivers sit fourth in GTD PRO points after four rounds. They are second, however, in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings following long-distance races at Daytona and Sebring. The IMEC is a four-race championship made up of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Watkins Glen and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans to end the season.
At The Glen, points are earned at three and six hours with strategic decisions factoring in for both points in the IMEC as well as the regular class championship.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 25 and airs live on USA from 2 to 5 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will have live audio coverage on XM 207, SiriusXM Online 992 and IMSA.com, which will have IMSA Radio coverage.
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “You always want to be competing at the front. I feel like we haven’t qualified well here in a couple of years now, so it’s all down to race pace, strategies and pit stops. It’s a good thing our guys are always strong at that, but it’s always a little demoralizing leaving a qualifying session almost two seconds off the pace. I don’t think we’ve forgotten how to drive or set up a car. It felt good, there’s just no laptime in it.”
2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After four of 11 events)
Driver Standings
1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 1,415
2. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 1,374
3. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 1,324
4. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1,297
5. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 1,136
Team Standings
1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 1,415
2. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 1,374
3. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 1,324
4. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 1,297
5. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 1,136
Manufacturer Standings
1. Lexus – 1,415
2. Mercedes-AMG – 1,374
3. Porsche – 1,324
4. Chevrolet – 1,297
5. Aston Martin – 1,146
CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: By the Numbers
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette
• 2: Wins at Watkins Glen International in 2021 for Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor: the Sahlen’s Six Hours and the WeatherTech 240 in consecutive weeks
• 2: Wins and pole positions in the Sahlen’s Six Hours for Antonio Garcia. He won GTLM in 2014 and 2021 and was the GTLM pole-sitter in 2019 and 2021
• 3: Victories at Watkins Glen for Corvette Racing since its debut there in 2014: 2014 and 2021 Sahlen’s Six Hours, and 2021 WeatherTech 240
• 5: Consecutive podium finishes for Antonio Garcia at Watkins Glen from 2017-2021
• 9: Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone from this year’s GTE Am-winning Corvette are entered in separate entries at Watkins Glen
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 18: Victories for Chevrolet in the Sahlen’s Six Hours, ranking second among all manufacturers
• 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 125: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, nine at Le Mans – including two weeks ago – and three in the FIA WEC.
• 274: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 8,976: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its nine previous trips to Watkins Glen. That represents 2,640 laps… or 1,360 laps around the original Watkins Glen historic circuit.
• 357,522.73: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at Watkins Glen (wins in bold)
2014
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTLM (Team’s first race at Watkins Glen)
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM
2015
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM (Ret., Accident)
2016
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 7th in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM
2017
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
2018
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
2019
No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM (Accident on first lap)
2021
No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Garcia pole)
No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap)
2021*
No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Taylor pole, fastest race lap)
No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTLM
2022
No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 6th in GTD PRO
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Press Conference Transcript
Oicials met with members of the media Friday at Watkins Glen International to announce the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports GTD PRO program for the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class:
Christie Bagne, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager
Brandon Widmer, Vice President, Pratt Miller Motorsports
Marc Maurini, Corvette Racing Program Director, Pratt Miller Motorsports
Full transcript:
CHRISTIE, THIS IS A BIG DAY FOR EVERYONE AT CHEVROLET AND PRATT MILLER.
C. Bagne: “We’re proud to announce that next year in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, we will be running two Corvette Z06 http://GT3.Rs" target="_blank">GT3.Rs in GTD PRO as Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. We’re looking forward to working with the same team that has designed and built these GT3 cars, knows them intimately and will now be racing the cars in IMSA. We’re looking forward to this program benefitting our entire customer program as this team races these cars, learns about them and efficiently transfers those learnings into the customer race program in order to elevate the level of all Z06 http://GT3.Rs" target="_blank">GT3.Rs on the grid globally.”
THIS IS NOT THE ONLY TEAM RUNNING CORVETTES NEXT YEAR?
C. Bagne: “You can look forward to more team announcements next summer. We’re continuing to target four cars on the grid in IMSA at the Rolex 24 and throughout the season, as well as two cars in the FIA WEC and two Corvettes in SRO Motorsports America.”
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS GOING FORWARD?
B. Widmer: “It’s definitely a very exciting day for us at Pratt Miller Motorsports. For us, it’s the next chapter in a very storied history with Corvette Racing, this year being the 25th season of racing continuously. The relationship will continue very strongly with Chevrolet and everyone at Corvette. We’ll continue to work with all the great folks on the engine side from Chevrolet as well, plus all the technical partners that we’ve worked with for many years. For us on the way we will operate, it will be very similar to what we’ve done for many years at Pratt Miller Motorsports – running out of New Hudson, Michigan. We’ll be back with a two-car effort in IMSA, which will be welcomed by a lot of our friends in North America who ask us at every race why there is only one car. Certainly we are enjoying our time in the World Endurance Championship, as well, and having a lot of great success there. But we’re very excited to have two cars running in GTD PRO here in IMSA next year.”
CAN YOU GIVE A SENSE OF WHERE TESTING AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE Z06 GT3.R IS RIGHT NOW?
M. Maurini: “Currently the car is undergoing final homologation in Europe. We have a group of individuals from both Pratt Miller and Chevrolet who are supporting that… a lot of the same folks that you'd typically see in both the IMSA paddock and the WEC paddock. It’s a pretty matrixed team from the crews to the engineers, as well. Regarding the testing, the car has gone through a pretty extensive testing and development program. We’ve tried to take all the learnings from the past 25 years of Corvette Racing and apply that to the test program. The car has run more than 5,500 miles on tracks varying from Daytona, Sebring, Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta, and we have two additional track tests upcoming in the next 30 days. We’re proud to be able to present a car that is at the top level of sports cars and, as just announced, we’re proud to be racing it ourselves, as well.”
LOOKING BACK A LITTLE BIT, HOW SPECIAL WAS THE WIN AT LE MANS?
M. Maurini: “That was a pretty big effort by the entire team. I’m really proud of everyone at Chevrolet and Pratt Miller to be able to get the job done and get the victory with the C8.R and the ninth one for Corvette Racing. It was a year’s worth of effort to get there. The 2022 race didn’t end the way hoped, so to go back in 2023 and get the victory was a job well done by everyone involved.”B. Widmer: “I’ve been quite a few times at Le Mans, and we’ve had a lot of success there and a lot of ups and downs. This year, it felt like all those emotions were rolled into one race. We had a fantastic season leading up to Le Mans in leading the championship with two wins and a second-place. So we felt really confident going into the race. We showed great pace, but we also had some challenges. We had a crash a few minutes before the end of practice Wednesday. The team rallied and scrambled to get the car back together and we were able to get a few laps in during qualifying to get us into Hyperpole, then we went out and set the fastest lap time to start the race in first. We had a good race going for the first hour and 35 minutes but had to pull the car in the garage for some suspension repair. The guys did a phenomenal job, but we still lost around nine minutes so there was a lot of digging to do. Between the execution, the strategy, the driving in some challenging conditions from wet to dry. … It was quite an emotional one to overcome all that adversity and go out and win the 100th anniversary of the race with the C8.R. It was an amazing day for the team. It definitely ranks up there at the top as one of the greatest wins we’ve had.”
C. Bagne: “This whole team worked together so well as they’ve done in the WEC to overcome that adversity. It was a well-deserved win for the team and important for the legacy of the C8.R program. The C5-R won at Le Mans, the C6.R won at Le Mans, the C7.R won at Le Mans and we fought so hard to for that win with the C8.R. Last year obviously was very challenging for the team, so it’s a testament to the strength of this team that every time you throw adversarial events at them, they just dig deeper. Everyone came together, rallied like Brandon said in the week leading up to the event and in the race. It definitely was an emotional win for all of us.”
GM AND PRATT MILLER HAVE BEEN INTERTWINED FOR 25 YEARS. CAN YOU CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS ARRANGEMENT AND A FULL FACTORY TEAM?
C. Bagne: “As we move into the GT3 space, in general there are often other commercial partners working teams in GT3. This is an opportunity for us to expand our presence, expand the Corvette Racing umbrella, bring in more customer teams and have more Corvettes on the grid for our fans. It’s also an opportunity for Pratt Miller Motorsports to expand their commercial opportunities, whereas in the past it’s been a fully controlled GM program.”
B. Widmer: “For us, it’s a new chapter. We’ve been quite happy being the name behind the scenes and the Corvette Racing name in the forefront. We spent quite a bit of time with the Chevrolet folks on what this team name should be. It sounds pretty simple, but Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports actually took a lot of time. For us, it’s important to have that continuation of the heritage of Corvette Racing and all the success we’ve had collectively for the last 25 years, but also put the Pratt Miller Motorsports name out there as well in the headlines. As Christie said, we’ll be bringing on commercial partners to help with the program. It’s a great opportunity for our company directly and for partners that have shown interest in the past and maybe those opportunities just weren’t quite there with the way the program was structured. For us, it’s not only a new chapter with the new GT3 car but it’s also a new chapter for our business as well. We’re excited with how it’s structured and how we are moving forward.”
IS THERE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO MAKE PRATT MILLER MORE OF A HOUSEHOLD NAME OUTSIDE OF ITS CONNECTION TO GM?
B. Widmer: “We started in motorsports and we’ll be in motorsports as long as we can. But we have been sort of the silent partner in the background, so for us part of the excitement is to get the name out there a little more. We have other divisions within the company outside of motorsports. Motorsports is a great platform for us to market those other segments, to attract talent and retain talent, and also technology transfer. Obviously technology has transferred with GM and Chevrolet for many years on the Corvette Racing program. It’s always been the case behind the scenes with our other business segments as well in terms of tools and processes, not necessarily the hard parts coming off the racecars. So absolutely this gives us the opportunity to expand the brand and name for Pratt Miller as a whole and certainly for Pratt Miller Motorsports.”
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Set for 2024 Debut
New factory-supported program is first confirmed for new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 23, 2023) – Chevrolet and Pratt Miller Motorsports officials announced today the formation of a program that will lead competition and development efforts with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports.
Starting with the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will campaign a pair of the new-for-2024, GT3-spec Corvettes for a full season in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The factory-supported effort is the first of two 2024 WeatherTech Championship programs that feature the Corvette Z06 GT3.R with additional customer programs set to announce in the coming weeks. Drivers for the GTD PRO effort will be announced at a later date, as well.
The link-up between Chevrolet and Pratt Miller Motorsports (PMM) is a natural fit. The current full-factory Corvette Racing program is in the midst of its 25th season with 125 race victories to date, the most recent coming at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the team’s ninth class win at the famed French classic. Also for the second year in a row, Corvette Racing has programs in both IMSA and the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Corvette C8.R, now in its final season of competition.
“Chevrolet and Pratt Miller have collaborated for more than 25 years on the Corvette Racing program, and we are thrilled that we are able to continue together into the GT3 era,” said Christie Bagne, Corvette Z06 GT3.R Program Manager.
Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer teams will compete under the umbrella of Corvette Racing, which also will include customer and technical support to help carry on the tradition of Corvette Racing excellence that began in 1999.
With an eye toward the future, Chevrolet Motorsports Competition Engineering and Pratt Miller began planning more than two years ago for the Corvette GT3 era. Pratt Miller – located in New Hudson, Michigan – is the constructor of the Z06 GT3.R. Pratt Miller engineers have worked hand-in-hand with Chevrolet Motorsports engineers on development, build and testing to date. With Pratt Miller dedicated to chassis builds and engineering on the Z06 GT3.R, GM Propulsion Performance and Racing Center in Pontiac, Michigan, also has been busy with development and refinements on the 5.5-liter, flat-plane crankshaft DOHC LT6 V8 engine that will power the racecar.
The LT6 engine for the Z06 GT3.R originates from the Performance Build Center in Bowling Green, the same line on which all production Corvette Z06 engines are built. The racing engines are delivered to the Performance and Racing Center where they are fitted with certain race-specific components.
The 5.5-liter powerplant shares more than 70 percent of its parts with the production Z06 engine, including the crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, gaskets and a variety of other sensors.
“It makes sense to have Corvette Racing with Pratt Miller Motorsports lead the competition element of the Z06 GT3.R program in the GTD PRO championship starting in 2024,” Bagne said. “We couldn’t have a better representative than the same group that has been part of the development, build and testing processes for our new Corvette racecar. The learnings we will take from testing and competition will flow to our other Z06 GT3.R customer teams to ensure that the Corvette brand is a championship contender around the world.”
Since September of last year, Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller have accumulated nearly 9,000 kilometers (5,500 miles) with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The car currently is undergoing its final homologation testing in Europe with additional testing planned for the summer and fall to fine-tune the Z06 GT3.R to multiple brands of tires for use across an array of championships around the world. “This is an exciting time for everyone at Pratt Miller,” said Brandon Widmer, Pratt Miller Vice President, Motorsports. “We’ve experienced a lot of successes, race wins and championships with Chevrolet through the Corvette Racing program. Now we move into the GT3 era. Everyone is pleased with the progress of our testing and development programs, and new car builds are under way.
“We’re appreciative of the decades-long relationship with Chevrolet. Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports is looking forward to continue showing our expertise in race operations and management to our fans, our commercial partners and new prospects as we go forward.”
This Sunday, Pratt Miller Motorsports will be live streaming their alternative broadcast for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen. The first streaming event of its kind by a motorsports team was piloted two weeks ago during the 24 Hours of LeMans and was extremely well received…this time Luke and Brad will provide commentary, insight, interviews, and team communications for the IMSA race at WGI. An ideal viewing experience includes watching the main feed from Peacock on a primary screen and then pulling up the Pratt Miller Motorsports alternative broadcast on a second screen (phone, laptop, tablet, etc) and then adjusting the volume to hear how the Yellow Corvette is doing throughout the entire event. Link is in the bio as this alternative broadcast will be streamed on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Twitter. Thanks for watching along and don’t forget to ask questions in the chat during the broadcast!
CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: Back on Track First race in more than a month for GTD PRO contending team, drivers
DETROIT (June 21, 2023) – Corvette Racing’s team in the FIA World Endurance Championship is coming off an epic endurance victory. Now it’s time for the program’s squad in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship to try and follow suit.
Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and the rest of the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R race team resume its push for the IMSA GT Daytona (GTD) PRO title this weekend with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. The event is the first for the team since mid-May and starts a stretch of four races in seven weekends – a run that will largely determine this year’s GTD PRO champions.
Corvette Racing has three victories at Watkins Glen, including two in the Sahlen’s Six Hours. Last year’s race was the first at Watkins Glen for the team in the GT3-based GTD PRO class, which provided plenty of lessons for this year’s return visit.
Both Garcia and Taylor are past winners at the Glen. They won together in 2021 – both the Six Hours of a two-hour, 40-minute sprint race – with Garcia also winning in 2014 with Jan Magnussen. The rapid Spaniard also is a two-time pole winner at The Glen (2019 and 2021 Six Hours) while his American teammate was the pole winner and set the fastest race lap in the ’21 sprint race.
Corvette Racing Media Advisory Corvette Racing will hold a press conference on its future plans in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at 11:15 a.m. ET on Friday, June 23 in the Watkins Glen Media Center Deadline Room.
The No. 3 Corvette team and its drivers sit fourth in GTD PRO points after four rounds. They are second, however, in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup standings following long-distance races at Daytona and Sebring. The IMEC is a four-race championship made up of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, Watkins Glen and the 10-hour Petit Le Mans to end the season.
At The Glen, points are earned at three and six hours with strategic decisions factoring in for both points in the IMEC as well as the regular class championship. In the Sebring round Garcia, Taylor and endurance teammate Tommy Milner scored the most points of any driving competition in GTD PRO.
The Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen is scheduled for 10:40 a.m. ET on Sunday, June 25 and airs live on USA from 2 to 5 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will have live audio coverage on XM 207, SiriusXM Online 992 and IMSA.com, which will have IMSA Radio coverage of all practice sessions, Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Corvette Racing has always been good at Watkins Glen. We usually are quite decent there, and it seems like we always have a chance in this race. Watkins Glen is a track that I’ve always liked, and it’s always good to turn laps there. Being part of the Michelin Endurance Cup adds something extra for us. We are in contention in that and in the regular championship, so this weekend has added importance. This is six hours, so it’s one of those races that has something extra for the competitors.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It feels like we haven’t been at the track in months since Laguna, so it’ll be great to get back to racing at Watkins Glen. We didn’t have the fastest car there last year, but we somehow found ourselves in contention. I feel like we’ve made some big gains this season that should benefit us there. We haven’t had the results to show our true performance this year, so hopefully we can have a clean weekend and start getting back into the championship fight.”
2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After four of 11 events) Driver Standings 1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 1,415 2. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 1,374 3. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 1,324 4. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1,297 5. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 1,136
Team Standings 1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 1,415 2. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 1,374 3. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 1,324 4. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 1,297 5. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 1,136
Manufacturer Standings 1. Lexus – 1,415 2. Mercedes-AMG – 1,374 3. Porsche – 1,324 4. Chevrolet – 1,297 5. Aston Martin – 1,146
CORVETTE RACING AT WATKINS GLEN: By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette • 2: Wins at Watkins Glen International in 2021 for Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor: the Sahlen’s Six Hours and the WeatherTech 240 in consecutive weeks • 2: Wins and pole positions in the Sahlen’s Six Hours for Antonio Garcia. He won GTLM in 2014 and 2021 and was the GTLM pole-sitter in 2019 and 2021 • 3: Victories at Watkins Glen for Corvette Racing since its debut there in 2014: 2014 and 2021 Sahlen’s Six Hours, and 2021 WeatherTech 240 • 5: Consecutive podium finishes for Antonio Garcia at Watkins Glen from 2017-2021 • 9: Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone from this year’s GTE Am-winning Corvette are entered in separate entries at Watkins Glen • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001 • 18: Victories for Chevrolet in the Sahlen’s Six Hours, ranking second among all manufacturers • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 125: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, nine at Le Mans – including two weeks ago – and three in the FIA WEC. • 274: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 8,976: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its nine previous trips to Watkins Glen. That represents 2,640 laps… or 1,360 laps around the original Watkins Glen historic circuit. • 357,522.73: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at Watkins Glen (wins in bold) 2014 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTLM (Team’s first race at Watkins Glen) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM
2015 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 4th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM (Ret., Accident)
2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 7th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM
2017 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
2018 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
2019 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia pole, fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM (Accident on first lap)
2021 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Garcia pole) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap)
2021* No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM (Taylor pole, fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTLM
2022 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 6th in GTD PRO
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: WIN NO. 9… AT LONG LAST!
Stunning comeback story for No. 33 Corvette C8.R at Le Mans
• Keating, Catsburg, Varrone capture GTE Am class victory
• First win in the final Le Mans appearance for Corvette C8.R
• Crew, engineers, drivers come back from early two-lap deficit
LE MANS, France (June 11, 2023) – Corvette Racing has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans… again!
Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone drove the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R to the program’s ninth class victory at Le Mans and first for the mid-engine Corvette sports car.
The victorious trio won for the third time in the FIA World Endurance Championship this season and increased its points lead to sxx with three events and 91 remaining in the season.
“Corvette Racing has won Le Mans in class for the ninth time, and it is even more special during the centenary celebration of this race," said Mark Stielow, Chevrolet Director, Motorsports Competition Engineering. "The skill by the drivers, the strategic decisions by the engineers and the execution of the Corvette Racing pit crew all came together for this GTE Am victory in the final race at Le Mans for the Corvette C8.R. Congratulations to everyone at Corvette Racing!”
This weekend’s Le Mans marked the 23rd start of Corvette Racing’s successful run at Le Mans. Its last victory came in 2015 with the seventh-generation Corvette, although the mid-engine C8.R led each of the last two years. The 2022 race was particularly cruel as the No. 64 Corvette was knocked out of the race with six hours to go.
Keating captured pole position Thursday, the second time this year the Corvette started a WEC race out front. Disaster struck not long after as the Corvette crew had to replace the right-front damper after Catsburg, who started the race, radioed in that something didn’t feel right.
The service in the garage was a quick change but it still put the C8.R down two laps. Class pole-winner Keating – who got in the Corvette while the damper was still being fixed – began to claw back time before heavy rain pelted parts of the circuit.
Keating survived the deluge, and Corvette race engineers called him to the pitlane for wet tires. The race’s second safety car period came out moments later, giving the team hope of gaining a lap back because the C8.R would be ahead of the class leader in a train behind one of the three safety cars. For reasons unknown to the team, a group of cars – including the GTE Am leader – were allowed to exit pit lane before the next of the three safety cars came around. The mistake meant that the Corvette was trapped behind the class leader and couldn’t advance around the track to catch back up after all the safety car queues moved.
Undeterred, Varrone drove a speedy triple stint that saw him make up more than a half-lap on the field with times between four and seven seconds quicker than the rest of GTE Am.
The heroics continued into the overnight session as Keating drove a triple-stint in the middle of darkness and kept hope going for a miraculous turnaround. It eventually came – albeit gradually – through fast laps by all three drivers, quick decisions by the engineering team and fast pit stops by the Corvette Racing crew, which never had to bring the C8.R back in the garage, change brakes or do anything much beyond adding fuel and tires.
Daybreak saw the Corvette come alive as the gap came down to one lap, then two minutes, then less than 60 seconds as the drivers, crew and engineers worked their magic. Critically, the No. 33 C8.R gained a full pit-stop advantage over the other GTE Am contenders inside the final hours to give Corvette Racing a lead they didn’t relinquish the rest of the way.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the FIA WEC is the Six Hours of Monza – where it won a year ago in GTE Pro – on Sunday, July 9.
Corvette Racing media information in both English and French is updated and available ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Materials include, Le Mans race advance and quotes, Corvette Racing stats and figures, Corvette Racing racecar comparisons, Corvette Racing Fast Facts and driver biographies
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM WINNER: “This is the one race that I wanted. Now I have all the big ones, so this is super awesome. Even yesterday afternoon, I didn’t think this was possible. But somehow we made it back to the front. These two guys drove unbelievably fast and all of a sudden we were back in contention and won with a massive lead. It’s an unbelievable feeling.
“I could see we were very fast. The only really worry was that I didn’t use our Bronze yet. But whenever we put him in the car, he’s just as fast as anyone else. All of a sudden, there was no deficit anymore.”
(Taking the finish at Le Mans): “This was awesome. I’ve never taken the finish here. I didn’t know it was so super-crazy on the in-lap, so that was nice. That it’s the 100th anniversary makes it special. That it’s the last year of GTE makes it extra special. That it’s the last year of the C8.R makes it extra special. I’m so happy for the whole team because I feel like we should have already won it in the years before. So it’s sweet for this to happen this year.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM WINNER: “You can look at all the stats about it being the last year of GTE, the Centenary of Le Mans, the 25tth season of Corvette Racing, an American driver racing an American car with an American team… that even doesn’t do this justice. After the first hour when we had to replace the right-front damper, I thought there was no chance. Even when I went to sleep at midnight angry because we didn’t get our lap back because race control messed up, I thought it was over and I was so mad. To wake up and I think we were running in P4 a few hours later, I was baffled. I didn’t understand how in the world we were there. All of our strategy completely went out the window. We had everything lined up and planned exactly how we were going to do it. Nico got sick and I didn’t plan on doing any driving, and I ended up driving from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. I didn’t plan on doing any driving in the rain, and I ended up having a stint in the rain. Everything got turned on its head. It turned out that it was exactly what we needed to get our laps back. The way we won it is special. To feel like it was out of reach and then watch this team claw back and get victory out defeat’s grasp was really special. It was really nice to feel like I was a part of that. It’s one of those deals where you can look at every member of the team on this win, and you know everyone contributed. That makes it special.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM WINNER: “I have no words even though it’s only just been an hour from the end. It’s just been incredible. Our race basically started two laps down early, but the team was so fast in managing to repair it. We went back out and had great pace and a great car. The Corvette Racing team, the engineers and strategy, my teammates Nicky – he’s a legend and did a lot of stints and was really quick – Ben – even though he’s a Bronze, he was flying – all of GM and Chevrolet, my family and everyone… there are a lot of people involved in this. It’s a dream come true.”
(On garage reception from the crew) "They are amazing. The support I get from them is great. It's like a family here. Every time I jump in the car or when I get out, they're always there hugging me. Even on the pit stop, they are telling me that I'm doing great. This is really good for a racing driver and for your feelings. It's great."
(Did you think you'd be in this position after your first stint?) "I thought it was OK and it's a long race and we would maybe have a chance. But it was really optimistic to think it would be like this. We are in this position and have to try to manage it and get to the end."
The drive back through the GTE Am field still under way
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Sixteen-Hour Update The drive back through the GTE Am field still under way
LE MANS, France (June 11, 2023) – Dawn broke at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Corvette Racing continuing to scratch and claw and fight its way back onto the lead lap of the GTE Am category.
Ben Keating drove a triple-stint in the middle of the night, and Nico Varrone added a double as the sun came up at the Circuit de la Sarthe with the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R and Nicky Catsburg running seventh in class. That was a far cry from 21st barely two hours in when the Corvette went into the garage to replace a broken right-front damper.
That and a safety car miscue by race officials – allowing a group of cars including the GTE Am leader leave the pit exit ahead of the Corvette instead of behind – put the C8.R down more than two laps, but solid driving by all three drivers before, during and out of the night had the Corvette charging toward the class leader and – finally – the lead lap.
The next Corvette Racing update will come after the race.
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "I love doing long runs at Le Mans. I literally think I would do my whole six hours at once if they'd let me. I get into a groove then go and go and go. It's not a track that's super physical so I don't have a problem going a long time. I feel like doing a triple at Sebring is a big deal, but doing a triple here is no big deal. It's a weird year in terms of the rules. In the all the previous years with the old safety car rules, you never get a chance to make up a lap. I'd always do all of my drive time at the end of the race. Because of the new safety car rules, we decided to try and switch it around. Because of the rain, I did an hour and 15 minutes, and I didn't want any more! It felt like the car was really hard to drive. The plan was to wait until it got light on Sunday morning to use Nicky and Nico back-to-back-to back to get our lap back because when the sun comes up, I can be quicker than I can be quicker than I can at night. So it wasn't ideal but we did what we needed to do. Nico wasn't feeling good (after his first stint). The good news is he is feeling a lot better and is quick in the car. We're hanging around. At this point in time, you don't want to give up any time that you have to go give up. I think we would have been in a better position if I had done my drive time in the daylight, but we didn't have that luxury. We're rolling with the punches, and we'll see where that ends up."
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It's nice out there. I started in the night and now we're in daylight, which is nice to see the sun come up and us back in this position. I think everyone is pushing and we are doing the same. We are pushing and have to catch up. There is no time to rest or time to do anything except go as fast as we can. Those were two good stints, I think. Our team has done a great job. We need to keep pushing and see where we end up.”
No. 33 C8.R driving back through field after early-race mechanical, safety car issues
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Six-Hour Update No. 33 C8.R driving back through field after early-race mechanical, safety car issues
LE MANS, France (June 10, 2023) – Corvette Racing on a mission – attempting to drive back through the field after a couple of issues in the opening quarter of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Ben Keating was back in for his second run the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which ran 15th in the GTE Am class as the Centenary Le Mans race entered the seventh hour. Keating, Nico Varrone and starting driver Nicky Catsburg rotated through the Corvette as dusk began to fall on the 8.5-mile track.
Catsburg established a strong pace early from the lead before the first of two safety-car periods in the first six hours. The team elected to take fuel early to gain an advantage in the first stint and re-emerged in 12th. Disaster struck not long after as the Corvette crew had to replace the right-front damper after Catsburg radioed in that something didn’t feel right.
The service in the garage was a quick change but it still put the C8.R down two laps. Class pole-winner Keating – who got in the Corvette while the damper was still being fixed – began to claw back time before heavy rain pelted parts of the circuit.
Keating survived the deluge, and Corvette race engineers called him to the pitlane for wet tires. The race’s second safety car period came out moments later, giving the team hope of gaining a lap back because the C8.R would be ahead of the class leader in a train behind one of the three safety cars. For reasons unknown to the team, a group of cars – including the GTE Am leader – were allowed to exit pit lane before the next of the three safety cars came around. The mistake meant that the Corvette was trapped behind the class leader and couldn’t advance around the track to catch back up after all the safety car queues moved.
Undeterred, Varrone drove a speedy triple stint that saw him make up more than a half-lap on the field with times between four and seven seconds quicker than the rest of GTE Am.
The next Corvette Racing update is scheduled for 4 a.m. CT/10 p.m. ET.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "It was very strange. Everything was going fine. The car was running great and was all good. Out of nowhere, prototypes passed me and after that I had a weird feeling. Maybe this was because I had to go off-line and had some pickup, but it wouldn't disappear. The car was moving around a lot and it wouldn't disappear. The car was moving around a lot under braking and at all speed. So I told the guys that I think we had an issue. When we got it into the pitlane, it was the damper and we lost two laps. The crew still did an awesome job and couldn't have done it quicker. It's really tough, though, to come back from this spot. It seems like a disastrous race with the safety cars. But our main competitors in the championship are out of the race, so even with zero points we will still lead the championship. So we need to focus and get as many points as possible. Maybe we can get back on the lead lap. I kind of doubt it, but we will never give. Let's see. The car is definitely fast, and everything went well. So I know we have a good car."
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "We had a great start but also an unexpected mechanical issue on the car. We are racing back. The team decided that I should get some of time out of the way. It was so treacherous. There were cars going off everywhere. Before they said anything about rain, I went into the Porsche Curves and it was a downpour. I just went straight and didn't want to turn the wheel because I was afraid I'd be afraid. The next time around there, I was tip-toeing around and told the guys that I thought I was giving up too much time. They told me I was going to box and have a driver change, and I was very grateful for that news! The moved looked brilliant at the time. We put wet tires on and everyone else should have had to stop for wet tires. But the long safety car and the officials' messing up the safety car procedure at pit exit didn't help us and we didn't get our lap back. But there's a lot of time left. We'll keep going."
GENERAL MOTORS IN SPOTLIGHT AT 24 HOURS OF LE MANS
Entries from Cadillac Racing, Corvette Racing and Garage 56 Camaro ZL1
in world’s biggest motorsports endurance race
LE MANS, France (June 9, 2023) – General Motors is a prominent figure at the Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans with entries in three different categories of the world-famous French sports car classic.
Chevrolet and Cadillac each are well-represented in this weekend’s twice-around-the-clock race:
Three Cadillac V-Series.R prototypes for the top Hypercar class – Nos. 2, 3 and 311 from Cadillac Racing The No. 33 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the GTE Am category as Corvette Racing goes for its ninth Le Mans class victory The No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the innovative Garage 56 entry – a partnership between Hendrick Motorsports, NASCAR, Chevrolet and Goodyear. It’s the first time a NASCAR stock car has raced at Le Mans since 1976.
GM is the only manufacturer to have brands and entries in three different categories at Le Mans this year.
“I’m thrilled to have five racecars representing General Motors at the centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans,” said Mark Reuss, president, General Motors. “Cadillac is returning to Le Mans in full force with three V-Series.R prototypes on the grid, Corvette Racing is aiming for its ninth class victory and the Garage 56 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 – in partnership with NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports, IMSA and Goodyear – is something that will live in the memories of all those who see it run, for generations to come. Motorsports is core to us at GM, so I’m thankful for the many people across our company and our partners who have worked so hard to get these cars race-ready.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage on radiolemans.com with the race call also on Sirius 136 and XM 202.
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Keating, No. 33 C8.R Take Hyperpole! Perfect storm of tow, tires and team talent earn GTE Am pole
LE MANS, France (June 8, 2023) – A tow, tires and talent. Those all came together Corvette Racing as Ben Keating put the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R on the GTE Am pole position during Thursday’s Hyperpole session ahead of this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Keating – teaming in the Corvette with Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone – posted a best lap of 3:52.376 (131.171 mph) to take Corvette Racing’s second straight pole position at Le Mans. The GTE Am championship-leading trio increased their points advantage by one with the P1 finish.
The stellar work by the Corvette Racing team continued after Wednesday’s heroics that saw Catsburg get the C8.R into Hyperpole following a fast repair job by the crew after a crash at the end of the first practice. The storybook result kept going even on Keating’s first lap Thursday when he picked up a tow from another GTE car all the way down the Mulsanne Straight. He cleared his competitor going into Mulsanne Corner to take provisional pole after the opening flyer.
Keating improved his time slightly before a red flag halted the session with five minutes to go. As the session went green again, Corvette Racing engineers decided to fit the C8.R with fresh, soft compound Michelin tires – the only team to do so during the stoppage.
Keating made the decision pay off with his best lap of the weekend and put Corvette Racing out front to start its biggest race of the season.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of the race.
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM POLE-WINNER: "I wanted to find a gap on my out-lap. I thought the GT cars were driving really slow for having hot tires. I was thinking that we have hot tires, it's time to push. They were all going slow and I was push, push, push. So I had a big gap and I didn't think I would ever catch the Ferrari ahead of me because he was so far up there. But the LMP2 cars, when they got to the chicane, just stopped to get a window. So I was right on the Ferrari and he gave me a perfect tow down every straight away. I passed him into Mulsanne, and he didn't slow me down any. It was incredible and I thought that was as good as it gets, almost to the point that I was wondering why we were out there!
"I did a cool-down lap and the team told me that the 25 was 0.3 seconds behind. I thought then that I'd better get it in gear! I pushed really hard for another lap and had one in the bank because of no track limits. So I could push a little more, and the Corvette was set up so well that I didn't have to worry about track limits. The car went exactly where I wanted it to go. I could push the car harder in every corner. I got better in Porsche Curves and came over the line at 3:53.0. I didn't think there was any way anyone was going to touch me. But we came in for the red flag, and I didn't understand the point of putting new tires on it because I didn't think I could improve. But it makes sense now.
"The sun had gone down and the tires really came into the window. The air was a little cooler, and we were at bare minimum of fuel. So I got one out-lap and then one flyer. I got the peak of the tire, the peak of low fuel, the peak of the temperature, and I put a lap together. It was pretty magical, especially considering how close we were to not even making qualifying yesterday. The team did an amazing job to get the car out where Nicky could do what we needed to get us into Hyperpole. So I'm incredibly excited and happy for the entire team. This is the best way I can think of to go into the race!"
No. 33 Corvette C8.R makes top-eight for run at GTE Am pole position
LE MANS, France (June 7, 2023) – Corvette Racing fought its way into the Hyperpole session ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a heroic effort to advance from Wednesday’s initial qualifying round in the GTE Am class.
Nicky Catsburg set a best time of 3:52.228 (131.233 mph) in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that he shares with Nico Varrone and Ben Keating. The laptime was 0.351 seconds off the quickest car in GTE Am – the No. 83 Ferrari – but well inside the top-eight that move on to Thursday’s 30-minute Hyperpole session to set the grid for Saturday’s race.
That Corvette Racing even made the session was astounding as the crew repaired damage from a crash in the final hour of Wednesday’s opening practice session. All facets of the team went into repairing or replacing a number of right-side components including suspension pieces, brakes, front and rear fenders, door and rocker, plus the wing, rear facia and decklids, among other items.
Catsburg rewarded the team’s hard work with a time that put him P1 with a little more than 10 minutes left in the session and set off a loud cheer in the Corvette Racing garage.
Thursday’s Hyperpole session is scheduled for 8 p.m. CET / 2 p.m. ET with live coverage on MotorTrend Plus in the United States, and audio coverage via Radio Le Mans.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – THIRD IN GTE AM QUALIFYING: “I was concerned if we would make it! But if anyone could do it, it’s these guys. And they did it again! This wasn’t easy at all. We only barely made qualifying and got slightly lucky with the red flags. I had to pit again because we had some issues still with the car and there was really no time to really check before we went out. Luckily I got a lap in that was good enough to go P3 and we are in the top-eight; that was the goal. So now we can leave behind what happened in practice and just focused forward. It was super, super nice and cool to see. It sounds weird now, but it was a nice boost actually for everyone. It’s a good feeling to know we have made it.”
Test Day sessions provide positive steps toward upcoming 24 Hours
LE MANS, France (June 4, 2023) – Corvette Racing went through its paces Sunday to wrap up its preparations for the 24 Hours of Le Mans with six hours of running around the famous 8.5-mile track.
All three Corvette drivers – Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone – cycled through the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the pair of three-hour test sessions. It was the only track time for the Corvette trio and the rest of the 62-car field for next weekend’s Centenary celebration of Le Mans.
Catsburg turned in the Corvette’s best time and placed the C8.R 14th among the 21 entries in the GTE Am category. He, Keating and Varrone arrived at Le Mans with two wins in three races and the Drivers Championship lead in the class.
The morning session was a little difficult with time spent in the garage to correct a mechanical problem. In contrast, the afternoon running was smooth sailing. Keating got valuable seat time to familiarize himself with the C8.R in Le Mans trim after a baseline run by Catsburg to tune the car for his teammates.
The No. 66 Ferrari was the fastest car in class across both sessions. The first official practice and qualifying sessions are Wednesday.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, the latter beginning with Wednesday’s opening practice. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of free practice, qualifying and the race.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We had some small mechanical issues in the morning that we solved quickly. Right now everything feels pretty normal. We are getting the car in the window again. I feel like the track is a little different than last year so balance-wise it is a little different, but we are working on it. The Corvette feels good. It seems like the Ferraris are a bit too fast for us right now, but in general we can’t complain too much. We are getting back up to speed with everything, so I am quite happy.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s amazing how quickly the Test Day goes. The lap is so long that you never get that many laps in. We had slow zones and safety cars in the morning and afternoon, and each of those take about 30 minutes out of your day. This morning, I think each one of us got three to four laps. In the afternoon, I had the luxury of doing two stints, and I loved it. I still feel like I’m learning and getting better and better. It was a big benefit to me in order to learn how to find lap-time in this car and this track. I feel good about the times I ran and that I will continue to improve. I’m looking forward to watching video of not only my driving but also the driving by Nicky and Nico. It was a very successful Test Day, I’d say. We had a nice recovery this afternoon from the morning. I’m looking forward to getting a start on the real race week!”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It was a tough day in the way red flags worked and the new safety car rules that the organizers were trying. So we lost quite a lot of green-flag track time. In my case, I think I did five laps total so that’s not so many. Luckily I know the track from Road to Le Mans and this race last year. So it is a different car, different team and different setup. I’m getting comfortable and things were quite OK. It was a positive day for us. We still have a few things to work on. We weren’t strong in low-speed and mid-speed corners, but this is nothing that we cannot improve. Now the engineers have all the data and info from today to work from and get the car ready for Wednesday.”
Yes, the corral use to be far away. We had to walk a good ways from the corral to the track. However, I heard that they were able to move the corral much closer. Gerard Panche is the one you would need to talk to and he can tell you where the corral will be this year.
Corvette WEC, IMSA drivers work together at Chevrolet Driver in the Loop simulator
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: All Hands on Deck!
Corvette WEC, IMSA drivers work together at Chevrolet Driver in the Loop simulator
LE MANS, France(June 2, 2023) – Corvette Racing really,REALLYwants to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year. So much so that after last year’s near-miss, there is a focused, full-team effort to put the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette in the best position possible to win the GTE Am category this time around.
Much of the preparation centers around work at the GM Technical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina where Corvette Racing drivers from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship have helped their brethren from the FIA World Endurance Championship in Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop (DiL) simulator with multiple sessions to test different configurations for the C8.R around Le Mans.
Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone will drive the No. 33 Corvette in the 24 Hours. Each of the three has spent time in the simulator alongside Antonio Garcia and Tommy Milner from Corvette Racing’s IMSA program in the lead up to the 24 Hours.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FIA WEC:“The IMSA guys are always following us and are always in touch about what’s going on during our weekends in WEC. Tommy has been on the sim a lot and Antonio every now and then, and they have been doing some test work for us. If it works on the sim, we have been implementing that on the track and evaluating their changes. It’s definitely helpful and beneficial. It’s cool that even though we are in two different programs, it still feels like we are all working together. That’s very cool and in the spirit of the team. It’s nice to have everyone involved and keep all the links close. They all have so much experience in this car, so it’s nice to have their help.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FIA WEC:“I spent a couple of days at the sim and spent a lot of time on Le Mans and also Monza. It was really interesting for me and my engineers. I’ve raced a lot of cars at Le Mans. I have enough time in the Corvette now. I’m able to run the C8.R on my sim at home. I thought there wasn’t going to be much value going to the (Chevrolet) sim. But I was there for two days and I left there feeling there was a lot of value. As far as my communication with the engineers that are running the car, I felt like we got a much better understanding of what I like and don’t like. If we can figure that out, it can make a huge difference in our results at Le Mans.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FIA WEC:“I was really impressed with the facility in my first time. The GM Technical Center is very cool. You can see that it is next-level. I personally love it. I’m a big sim fan and do a lot of sim racing at home. So I really like this kind of stuff. I always tested other sims and it doesn’t feel so realistic with how the motion works and things like that. I have to say that I was able to jump in the Chevrolet sim right away and it was great. The feeling you get from the car is very similar to real life. It was cool for me to practice for Le Mans – not only driving but also feeling setup changes. I think that’s one of the best things that you can do – try different setups and feel those as a driver. It lets you develop setup changes before you get to the track.
“Le Mans is a track where you cannot test. You go there once a year for one test day and then the race-week starts. It’s really difficult to get laps in and everything nailed for the race. So these sims sessions make it easier to establish a baseline. From this, we can work on the car as the track develops, the weather gets warmer and other things. There aren’t so many big changes to do because you know what to use from the start. Between the sim and the experience of Corvette Racing at Le Mans, we are in a great place to start and work from there to get the best car possible for the race.”
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – IMSA:“It’s always good to be back driving the GTE spec and revisit what we raced last year. There was a tiny bit of difference in the setups between the 63 and 64 cars. With only one car now, we need to know what the best options are and see which car was best at certain points. We are re-evaluating things we learned late last year and early this year in the WEC. There is a ton of data to analyze. It’s important to be ahead of things to see what direction you want to take and especially what to discard when you find changes that don’t work. A read at Le Mans is super-long because it’s a four-minute lap. If you want to try something and it doesn’t work, you’ve lost 40 minutes or more on the Test Day, for example. So it’s important to maximize your time not just at the track but in the sim, as well.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – IMSA:“Where I’ve been able to help at the sim is my knowledge from last year about what the car felt like and correlating what they have in the sim now versus what we had last year and made sure the preparations they are doing for this year are getting off on the right foot. They’re using every bit of information that they can get their hands on to improve the car to help Ben, Nico and Nicky be as prepared as possible for the race.
“There’s a bit more attention paid to Le Mans and all the work we’ve put in at the sim to make it as reliable as we can for feedback from drivers will pay off the most this year with someone like Ben and Nico, who haven’t raced this car at Le Mans. The DiL is quite valuable for us in this situation to get the opportunity to get their feet wet before they get to the track for the first time in the C8.R.”
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am(After three of seven events)
4. Christian Ried/Julien Andlauer/Mikkel Pedersen – 35
5. Michelle Gatting/Rahel Frey/Sarah Bovy – 32
Team Standings
1. No. 33 Corvette Racing – 82
2. No 83 Richard Mille AF Corse – 43
3. No. 21 AF Corse – 36
4. No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing – 35
5. No. 85 Iron Dames – 32
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: By the Numbers
• 1:As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 22 appearances at Le Mans: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette
• 3:Number of wins for the Corvette C5-R – 2001, 2002, 2004
• 4:Number of wins for the Corvette C6.R – 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011
• 4:Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2021)
• 8:Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001
• 9:Number of drivers who have won races at Le Mans for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Ron Fellows, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Scott Pruett and Jordan Taylor
• 14:Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 25:Number of drivers to compete for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. That number grows this year with the additions of Ben Keating and Nico Varrone
• 27:Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 34:Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 124:Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, eight at Le Mans and three in the FIA WEC.
• 272:Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 108,358.22:Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 21 previous trips to Le Mans. That represents 12,850 laps… or more than four full trips around the Earth at its equator. The two Corvettes combined togo over the 100,000-mile markat Le Mans in the 2021 race.
• 354,262.62:Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans(wins in bold)
2000
No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 4th in GTS
No. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS
2001
No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Scott Pruett – 1st in GTS
No. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2002
No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS
No. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2003
No. 53 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS
No. 50 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS
2004
No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GTS
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: This is It! Team going for ninth class win at final Le Mans for C8R
• Keating, Catsburg, Varrone enter as GTE Am championship leaders • Twenty-third appearance for Corvette Racing at famed French endurance classic • Another class victory would come during Centenary celebration of Le Mans • Corvette C8.R one of five General Motors entries into this year’s Le Mans
DETROIT (May 31, 2023) – Corvette Racing has contested the 24 Hours of Le Mans 22 times since making its debut at the French endurance classic in 2000. This year’s running, though, might be the biggest yet.
There are a number of storylines that center on the long-standing program’s appearance this year at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Those pages will start writing themselves with the annual Test Day on Sunday – when the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R hits the track for six hours of testing – followed by official practices, qualifying and Hyperpole, finally culminating with the race on June 10-11.
Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone will pilot the mid-engine Corvette in its final appearance at Le Mans as next year will see the debut of GT3 cars at the 24 Hours, including the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. But first things first – sending the C8.R out at Le Mans with a victory and getting closer to the FIA World Endurance Championship’s GTE Am title.
The Keating/Catsburg/Varrone trio won the first two WEC races of the season at the Sebring 1,000 Miles and Six Hours of Portimão and followed with a runner-up finish at the Spa Six Hours to take the championship lead. Le Mans is critical, though, as it is a double-points race and will go a long way toward determining this year’s title-winners.
Keating won last year at Le Mans in GTE Am and finished second in 2021. Catsburg will race at Le Mans for the fifth time and third year in a row for Corvette Racing, having finished second in GTE Pro in 2021. Meanwhile, Varrone made his Le Mans debut a year ago but already has a 24-hour victory under his belt this year, having won the Rolex 24 in the LMP3 class.
Corvette Racing is an eight-time winner at Le Mans with three different generations of America’s sports car A first 24 Hours win for the C8.R – which won the Rolex 24 in 2021 – would be appropriate on a number of levels. One is that it would come during the Centenary running of Le Mans, which celebrates its 100th year at this event.
Secondly, a victory would cast a larger spotlight on GM’s involvement in this year’s race – one Corvette, three Cadillac V-Series.R entries in Hypercar and the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that will run under the Garage 56 banner this year.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 10. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage, the latter beginning with Wednesday’s opening practice. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of the Test Day, practices, qualifying and the race.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I want to win this race extremely bad! I feel in a way that I’ve been so lucky already this season winning some cool races and cool events. But I cannot deny that I really think we have a shot this year at Le Mans. That’s not always the case. I believe that we have an awesome team with all the experience there. We have awesome drivers. We have a cool car. I don’t see why we shouldn’t be fighting for the win. I’m already nervous and I already feel like, ‘Come on… let’s not make mistakes. Let’s bring it home.’ But it’s never easy. It’s still a mechanical sport. We saw what happened with the 64 car last year. You never know and you never know until the last five minutes of the race. It’ll be super cool and I cannot wait.” (GTE Am vs. GTE Pro at Le Mans): “There isn’t much difference. We are still going to end up driving against pros. The only thing that might happen is that I might be in the car and there might be a Bronze driver in the other car, and you would for sure fight them differently than you would another pro. But most of the same time, we’ll out the same time with the other pros. Like we’ve seen this year, it’s a tough battle. You have many good drivers on the grid and many drivers that used to be in the Pro class before, so I don’t feel the approach is so different.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Clearly we have a good team of drivers and a great team of engineers and pit crew at Corvette Racing. We have all the pieces of the puzzle to do well at Le Mans. I still think it’s anybody’s best guess as to who will do well. There are 62 cars on track and everyone wants to do the best they can. Twenty-four hours is a long time to expect every other driver to keep their head about them and make a good decision. Someone can make a mistake and take you out, not of your own doing. It happens often. But Le Mans is a double-points race for the championship. I don’t want to say it’s completely over, but if we were to win then I don’t know if anyone can catch us. It would be just a total dream to win Le Mans.” (Race outlook): “Everyone wants to win Le Mans, and no one is really going to show what they have until the race starts. Then the gloves come off. Who knows what’s going to happen. That’s something you can’t control. All we can control is doing our jobs to the best of our abilities. We will deal with whatever comes up. I’ve often said that it’s really special to win a World Endurance Championship race as an American driver racing an American car, racing something I sell and racing for an American team. It’s hard to imagine what that would be like at Le Mans and the 100th Le Mans. That would be on a totally different level.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Le Mans is the race that everyone wants to win. It’s our race of the year. The GTE Am championship is important, but this is the biggest race for us. Le Mans is something else. This year, we’ve done very well so far and have a great start. We have two wins, another podium and lead the championship. We’ve been doing great things together as a team. The goal is to do the same as we have been doing in the first three races – how we work, how we manage situations… the same we did at Sebring, Portimão and Spa. That is my mentality going into Le Mans.” (Learning with Corvette Racing): “One of the biggest things I’ve learned is on pit stops and how to be precise with where I stop. I’m learning to see how important it is for a pit stop to be on you marks. Corvette Racing takes it so seriously and that’s why they are so quick on their stops. We work on how to get in the box, how the procedure works and how important it is for the car to be right on the point. It’s much easier for the mechanics to do the tire changes and fuel the car. I’m also really lucky to have Nicky as a teammate. He’s one of the best drivers in the world, and he’s helping me a lot. I can see what he’s doing not only in the car but outside the car as well, how he manages situations and deals with things. He’s such a nice guy that he has no secrets with me. He shares all his experiences and all his knowledge with me just for me to get better and improve as a driver and a person. That’s something I really appreciate.”
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After three of seven events) Driver Standings 1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 82 2. Alessio Rovera/Lilou Wadoux/Luis Perez Companc – 43 3. Simon Mann/Ulysse De Pauw – 36 4. Christian Ried/Julien Andlauer/Mikkel Pedersen – 35 5. Michelle Gatting/Rahel Frey/Sarah Bovy – 32
Team Standings 1. No. 33 Corvette Racing – 82 2. No 83 Richard Mille AF Corse – 43 3. No. 21 AF Corse – 36 4. No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing – 35 5. No. 85 Iron Dames – 32
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 22 appearances at Le Mans: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette • 3: Number of wins for the Corvette C5-R – 2001, 2002, 2004 • 4: Number of wins for the Corvette C6.R – 2005, 2006, 2009, 2011 • 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2021) • 8: Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001 • 9: Number of drivers who have won races at Le Mans for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Ron Fellows, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Scott Pruett and Jordan Taylor • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001 • 25: Number of drivers to compete for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. That number grows this year with the additions of Ben Keating and Nico Varrone • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 124: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, eight at Le Mans and three in the FIA WEC. • 272: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 108,358.22: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 21 previous trips to Le Mans. That represents 12,850 laps… or more than four full trips around the Earth at its equator. The two Corvettes combined to go over the 100,000-mile mark at Le Mans in the 2021 race. • 354,262.62: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (wins in bold) 2000 No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 4th in GTS No. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS
2001 No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Scott Pruett – 1st in GTS No. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2002 No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS No. 64 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2003 No. 53 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Franck Freon – 3rd in GTS No. 50 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS
2004 No. 63 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GTS No. 64 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GTS
2005 No. 63 Corvette C6R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1 No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1
2006 No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 7th in GT1 No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen - 1st in GT1
2007 No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 14th in GT1
2008 No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 3rd in GT1
2009 No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT1 No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GT1
2010 No. 63 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell/Antonio Garcia – 12th in GT2 (DNF) No. 64 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Emmanuel Collard – 10th in GT2 (DNF)
2011 No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTE Pro No. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 14th in GTE Pro (DNF)
2012 No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 5th in GTE Pro No. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook - 6th in GTE Pro
2013 No. 73 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 4th in GTE Pro No. 74 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 7th in GTE Pro
2014 No. 73 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTE Pro No. 74 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GTE Pro
2015 No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – DNS (Qualifying crash) No. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTE Pro
2016 No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ricky Taylor – 7th in GTE Pro No. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Jordan Taylor – 10th in GTE Pro (DNF)
2017 No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTE Pro No. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM
2018 No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTE Pro No. 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 15th in GTE Pro (DNF)
2019 No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTE Pro No 64 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 16th in GTE Pro (DNF)
2021 No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 2nd in GTE Pro No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 6th in GTE Pro
2022 No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 7th in GTE Pro (DNF) No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 6th in GTE Pro (DNF)
Fourth-place finish in team’s 25th race on Monterey Peninsula
CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: What Might Have Been Fourth-place finish in team’s 25th race on Monterey Peninsula
MONTEREY, Calif. (May 14, 2023) – Corvette Racing’s 25th start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca didn’t end the way the team had hoped as the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R finished fourth in GTD PRO in Sunday’s MOTUL Course de Monterey.
Both Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia led in class during the fourth round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but a costly late-race penalty ended any chances of the team’s ninth class victory at Laguna Seca.
As it did a year ago when it led early, Corvette Racing played to its strength Sunday with a pit stop near the 30-minute mark under full-course yellow. Taylor had moved up to fourth in class at the start and brought the C8.R to the pit lane for four tires and fuel. A quick stop gained Taylor two spots to second, which became three to first when the then-leading No. 9 Porsche was penalized for leaving pitlane with pit exit closed.
Taylor continued to lead to the one-hour mark when Corvette Racing engineers brought him in again under another full-course yellow for fuel, tires and a driver change to Garcia. Another quick stop got Garcia out second in class – only because the No. 23 Aston Martin took less fuel and no tires to leave the pitlane first.
The order remained unchanged when the final scheduled GTD PRO stops began with 67 minutes to go. The No. 3 was the next-to-last car to pit for fuel and four more tires as Garcia rejoined second and 3.8 seconds behind the Aston Martin.
Disaster struck during the race’s final full-course yellow inside the final hour when Garcia inadvertently followed the GTD PRO leader around the safety car, which resulted in the penalty.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday, June 25 from Watkins Glen International.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO: “It’s a situation where when it’s green, you’re fighting all the GTDs. But when it comes to the safety car, we aren’t the same category. So we need to figure that out. The safety car split the GTD field. The GTD leader was the real GT leader, so that’s why everyone behind us moved to the right to get a pass-around, and the 23 moved to the right, as well. But because we were the GTD PRO leaders, we should have stayed where we were. But that’s the way the rules are. I just made a mistake and went to follow the 23 when they were wrong. I had a big queue of GTDs behind me, and all I could see behind me were GT cars moving to the right. So that’s what confused me. If I could have seen the Mercedes or Lexus GTD PRO cars behind me staying to the left, I would have figured it out. But there were a ton of cars between us. It’s a mistake that shouldn’t happen. On race pace, we had a car to win. We did everything right on strategy to be in the lead. As we showed at the end, I think we had a little more on tire degradation. We’ll review what happened, do a full analysis of the situation, and I know this won’t happen again.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FOURTH IN GTD PRO: “With how the weekend started, we were definitely behind the eight-ball with our issues in practice. It was a good bounce-back to be closer to the front in qualifying than a year ago, and our race pace today seemed pretty strong. We were able to get to the lead with a great pit stop after the second yellow. Once we were in clean air, the car was strong and we could kind of control the race. We definitely didn’t have the fastest car. But we had track position, and around here that’s so important. The guys did a good job. All our stops were smooth and clean. It’s one of those things where one little thing where can really impact a race. It’s one of those things that happen, and I can guarantee you it won’t happen again. This will be a big learning lesson.”
Corvette Racing will roll off from the fifth spot in the GTD PRO field for Sunday’s MOTUL Course de Monterey
CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: Closer to the Front
MONTEREY, Calif. (May 13, 2023) – Corvette Racing will roll off from the fifth spot in the GTD PRO field for Sunday’s MOTUL Course de Monterey – its 25th consecutive start at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Jordan Taylor set a lap of 1:24.907 (94.889 mph) in Saturday’s 15-minute qualifying session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He will start Sunday’s race behind the wheel of the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that he shares with Antonio Garcia.
Taylor was seventh-fastest among all GTD cars but only four-tenths of a second off the pole time. Compare that to being more than a second off the pace in qualifying a year ago, and there is reason to be optimistic heading into Sunday’s race, which airs live at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
A year ago, the Corvette qualified in the same position but an early strategy call to take fresh tires early helped gain track position and allowed Garcia and Taylor to gain a spot to fourth at the finish. A year on with a notebook full of car, tire and track data should help the Corvette program move further up the order.
This is the 25th straight year that Corvette Racing has visited the 2.238-mile, 11-turn Laguna Seca circuit. The track is one of two where the program has raced in each of its previous 24 years – Sebring is the other – with Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta joining the list at the end of the season.
This weekend also marks another important milestone: Garcia will become the first driver in the WeatherTech Championship to make 100 starts in the series since the start of the post-merger era in 2014 when the American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM joined together for one American sports car championship.
Since that time, Garcia has won 20 races – including in 2014 at Laguna Seca – and four championships… all with Corvette Racing.
The MOTUL Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N is set for 12:10 p.m. PT / 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 14 and airs live on NBC with full streaming coverage on Peacock. IMSA Radio will have live audio coverage on XM 207, SiriusXM Online 992 and IMSA.com, which will have IMSA Radio coverage.
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED FIFTH IN GTD PRO:“If you look at where we are this year in qualifying compared to last year, it’s much better. The BoP is in kind of a similar position to where we were last year, so it shows that we made some big gains on everyone else to be only four-tenths off pole. We made some good moves in strategy last year that gave us track position, and I think being more competitive this year opens up those options even more. I’m more excited now to go racing, and hopefully we can make some good calls and jump some guys in the pits.”
CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: 25 Years of Monterey Magic Team seeking ninth win at Laguna Seca; Garcia to make 100th post-merger start
DETROIT (May 9, 2023) – Corvette Racing will wrap up its two-race West Coast swing this weekend with what’s been an annual stop for the last quarter-century. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on the Monterey Peninsula will play host to America’s most successful sports car team for Sunday’s MOTUL Course de Monterey.
The two-hour, 40-minute race, set for 3 p.m. ET and airing live on NBC, is the third race of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Full-season teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor will pilot the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the GT Daytona (GTD PRO) class as the team goes for its ninth victory at WeatherTech Raceway.
This is the 25th straight year that Corvette Racing has visited the 2.238-mile, 11-turn circuit just off the Pacific Ocean. The track is one of two where the program has raced in each of its previous 24 years – Sebring is the other – with Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta joining the list at the end of the season.
This weekend also marks another important milestone: Garcia will become the first driver in the WeatherTech Championship to make 100 starts in the series since the start of the post-merger era in 2014 when the American Le Mans Series and GRAND-AM joined together for one American sports car championship.
Since that time, Garcia has won 20 races – including in 2014 at Laguna Seca – and four championships… all with Corvette Racing.
He and Taylor hope to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish in GTD PRO. This time around, the Corvette program has a year’s worth of car and tire data to fall back on following its inaugural season in the class during 2022 with a modified version of the mid-engine Corvette C8.R.
The MOTUL Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N is set for 12:10 p.m. PT / 3:10 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 14 and airs live on NBC with full streaming coverage on Peacock. IMSA Radio will have live audio coverage on XM 207, SiriusXM Online 992 and IMSA.com, which will have IMSA Radio coverage of all practice sessions, Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We have made good progress with our car since we were last at Laguna a year ago. There is data we can look at for tire wear and performance, plus we have some correlation from our simulator to help. Last year we did lead early thanks to some luck and strategy, but it was clear we didn’t have the pace to compete. I’m hoping this year is better.”
(Making 100th start post-merger): “It doesn’t seem like it should be my 100th IMSA race! I have always said that racing in America is a lot of fun because of the tracks, the fans and the competition. It’s a lot of time away from home, but I feel like I have a second family with Corvette Racing, who I’ve been with since 2009. I am fortunate to have had a lot of great teammates and great races with many wins and championships in this series with I hope more to come.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m looking forward to Laguna Seca. We didn’t have great pace there last year, but it was also early on in our development with this car on this tire. I feel like since that event we’ve made some big gains which we saw late last year and even in Long Beach and Sebring this year. Our guys have been nailing everything in the pits and strategy the last few events, so hopefully we can be a contender for the win.”
2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After three of 11 events) Driver Standings 1. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 1067 2. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon – 994 3. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 991 4. Klaus Bachler/Patrick Pilet – 989 5. Alex Riberas/Ross Gunn – 844
Team Standings 1. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 1067 2. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 994 3. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 991 3. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 989 5. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team – 844
Manufacturer Standings 1. Lexus – 1067 2. Mercedes-AMG – 994 3. Chevrolet – 991 4. Porsche – 989 5. Aston Martin – 854
CORVETTE RACING AT LAGUNA SECA: By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years at Laguna Seca: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette. • 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 24 previous years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (later this year). • 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2020-present). • 4: Laguna Seca victories for the current Corvette Racing lineup – Antonio Garcia (three) and Jordan Taylor (one). • 8: Number of Laguna Seca victories for Corvette Racing dating back to 2004. • 12: Victories at Laguna Seca for Chevrolet in IMSA competition. • 13: Drivers who have competed for Corvette Racing at Laguna Seca. Of those, eight went on to win at Monterey. • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001. • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 30: Number of wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014. • 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 124: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans. • 271: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 13,534.20: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 24 previous trips to Laguna Seca. That represents 6,130 laps… or almost 800 trips around Carmel’s famous 17-Mile Drive. • 354,050.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (wins in bold) 1999 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel – 2nd in GTS
2000 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Andy Pilgrim – 2nd in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Justin Bell/Kelly Collins – 4th in GTS
2001 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS
2002 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell – 5th in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS
2003 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins – 3rd in GTS
2004 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell – 1st in GTS (O’Connell fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GTS (Beretta pole)
2005 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)
2006 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell – 3rd in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 2nd in GT1 (Beretta fastest race lap)
2007 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1
2008 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1
2009 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GT2 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 10th in GT2
2010 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 6th in GT2 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT2
2011 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 7th in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 5th in GT
2012 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)
2013 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 9th in GT
2014 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
2015 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 7th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM
2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM
2017 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 8th in GTLM
2018 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM (Gavin pole)
2019 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)
2020 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 6th in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)
2021 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap)
2022 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 4th in GTLM
CORVETTE RACING AT SPA: What a Drive Back to Second Place!
Late heroics by Catsburg, team effort secure runner-up finish heading to Le Mans
FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (April 29, 2023) – It wasn’t a victory, but Corvette Racing earned the next best thing Saturday with a rallying drive to a runner-up class finish at the Six Hours of Spa in the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone finished second in GTE Am with their No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – a remarkable result given some of the hardships working against the Corvette Racing team.
The team came back from 12th place early in the race along with the addition of 45 kilograms of success ballast for this race to keep its perfect run of podiums intact through the first three races – and more importantly keep its early-season momentum headed into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For the second race in a row, Catsburg took a starring role late. After a stellar defense two weeks ago to win at Portimão, Catsburg held off the faster car of Charlie Eastwood for second place. The result means that – against all odds – the Corvette team increased its GTE Am championship lead unofficially from 31 points to 39: 82 points compared to the No. 83 Ferrari team with 43.
Keating started fourth in class, but the big story even before the race began was the weather. With the track damp and mist falling, the Corvette team elected to start the race on wet-weather tires. Numerous cars on slick tires went off-track and race officials elected to begin the race behind the safety car.
The additional formation lap allowed the dry-tire cars a chance to get their tires up to temperature, putting the Corvette and other cars that began on rain tires at a distinct disadvantage once the race went green and the track began to try.
Keating made a pit stop for dry tires at the 30-minute mark to fall down the order, and the Corvette team caught another bad break when the pits closed for another safety-car period as Keating was set to come in again for fuel, tires and a driver change. Instead he had to stop for five seconds of emergency fuel near the one-hour, 45-minute mark and came in a lap later for the scheduled service.
Varrone took over for a double-stint from seventh place and steadily worked his way up into the top-five through a full-course yellow and the race’s third safety-car period. The initial stint on his tires was difficult to manage as the team chose to try a harder compound in his run, but changing to a softer tire put him back on the pace of the leaders heading into the final two hours.
That set the stage for Catsburg’s double-stint to the end. A fourth safety-car period brought the Corvette back to the lead pack, and he managed to find himself in first before the final stop with 54 minutes remaining. A fierce duel over the final 40 minutes began with Catsburg getting around Eastwood on the latter’s out-lap and racing out to a nearly eight-second advantage. It didn’t take long for the lighter and quicker Aston Martin to find its way back to Catsburg’s rear bumper.
The final 14 minutes saw the two cars run nose-to-tail with Catsburg keeping the Corvette ahead despite traffic from the overtaking prototypes. He crossed the line with a 0.249-second gap to third place.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the FIA WEC is the 24 Hours of Le Mans on June 10-11. It is an event that Corvette Racing has won eight times.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTE AM: “Somehow we managed to find ourselves in the top-five or top-six before I jumped in the car. The Corvette Racing guys did great work again in the pitlane. We were in the mix with the front-runners, and I was able to pass some on the out-lap. I knew we didn’t have the pace to challenge for the lead, and I was never expecting to keep P2. But it worked out. It was déjà vu back to Portimão! I was struggling a lot to keep the Aston Martin behind. Charlie did a great job. He didn’t make any crazy moves and it was super-nice racing. An awesome feeling of two races in a row getting a good result. Great job to Ben doing the start in insanely difficult conditions. Nico… what people don’t know is that Nico had to drive on the worst tire compound we had available because we used him as a guinea pig to test! So it was very difficult for him, and hats off to him for keeping the car on the track and keeping it in contention. I’m super happy with the work they are doing and the team is doing. It’s super nice to have these big points.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTE AM: "This is another team win. Even though we came home second, with 45 extra kilograms this feels like it's better than a win. I came into Sebring with the idea that maybe we could win. I came into Portimao with the idea that a podium would be a success. I came into this race thinking a top-five would be good. I never dreamed we would be second. It's an unbelievable finish, especially given how we started.
“Normally in these races, you don't get the opportunity to make up lost time. We had three different times where we got a pass-around around the safety car. We were a lap down a couple of times because I made the choice to go out on rain tires at the start because I thought it was the conservative, safe choice. It turned out to be the wrong choice and had to come in for an early stop. Because of that, we were off-sequence with everyone and kept going a lap down. The safety cars came out exactly when we needed them to and we were able to get our laps back. It was a crazy race. It's hard to think that it was even crazier than Portimao! I'm just glad I have a good heart! This has been unbelievable to watch. The whole team was fantastic. Nico did a great job. I don't know how Nicky stayed in front of the Aston Martin because they were so fast all weekend. It's just an incredible job by Nicky two weekends in a row. I'm ready to go to Le Mans!"
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – SECOND IN GTE AM: “This was a really hard race. From the beginning, we weren’t looking to be on the podium. A top-five would have been mega. But again the Corvette Racing team did a great job. We were lucky with the pass-arounds to get us back in the fight for the win. Nicky had great pace and did a great job defending again as in Portimão. Today was just fantastic. I can’t really believe it yet! It was a bit crazy. Big thanks to Ben and Nicky for the great job and to Corvette Racing for amazing pit stops and the engineers on the strategy. Everything was perfect.”
Stellar start to WEC season for No. 33 C8.R team with back-to-back GTE Am wins
CORVETTE RACING AT SPA: Three in Row? Stellar start to WEC season for No. 33 C8.R team with back-to-back GTE Am wins
DETROIT (April 25, 2023) – Two wins, one pole position and a 31-point lead in the GTE Am Drivers and Team championships. Any way you put it, it’s been a dream start to the FIA World Endurance Championship for Corvette Racing.
Less than two weeks after a stunning triumph in the Six Hours of Portimão, the No. 33 Corvette C8.R is back in action Thursday through Saturday at famed Spa-Francorchamps for the Six Hours of Spa – the team’s final WEC race before the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The championship-leading trio of Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone will share the wheel of the Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, which will race at Spa for the third time.
While each of the drivers have been fantastic in the two wins so far this year – Catsburg’s final hour in Portimão is an early leader for drive of the season – the results are equally due to the work by the Corvette Racing pit crew and engineering team.
The strategy calls through two rounds has been spot-on with precise decisions on race and pit stop strategy. Once in the pitlane, the Corvette Racing crew has been a difference-maker. That was never more evident than on the final stop in Portugal when the Corvette crew completed their final stop five seconds faster than the runner-up Ferrari with a margin of 0.260 seconds at the finish.
That result means that regardless of what happens at Spa, Corvette Racing will enter Le Mans – a double-points event – with the championship lead.
It also means the No. 33 C8.R will carry 45 kilograms of “rewards weight”, per the GTE Am sporting regulations. Cars that finish the previous two races first, second or third must on-board additional weight on a sliding scale of 15-10-5 kilograms. In addition, the same amounts of ballast apply to the top-three entries in the GTE Am championship standings.
The Corvette ran with 30 additional kilograms at Portimão, but it didn’t deter Keating from taking pole position – his first in the C8.R. While the task will be that much tougher to repeat at Spa, Corvette Racing can take lessons it learned from the previous two years in the Six Hours of Spa with the mid-engine C8.R. Aside from the additional ballast, the C8.R will race in much the same shape as 2021 and 2022 – similar engine power, same mechanical configuration and Corvette-specific Michelin tires.
The Six Hours of Spa for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 6:45 a.m. ET / 12:45 p.m. Central European time Saturday. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of qualifying and the race. Live streaming video of qualifying and the race also is available through a subscription on the FIA WEC app.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Spa is one of my favorite tracks. Compared to Portimão, we have a lot more information from the last two years. But we also will have a very heavy car due to the rewards weight, so it will be difficult for us there. It’s also a good sign though; it means we have won two races, which is the best thing you can do at the start of the season. So I’m looking forward to going to Spa. It’s an amazing track with high speeds. I don’t think I’ve raced a mid-engine car around Spa, so that will be a new thing. But I’m looking forward to this event. It’s almost like a home race for me, so it should be a good weekend.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "Going into Spa, it's my favorite track on the WEC schedule. I really love Spa. I qualified very well last year and put together a really good lap. Based on what I know about the track and the characteristics of the Corvette, I expect us to be strong. Both of my co-drivers have a lot of experience there so it should be good. Because we won Sebring and Portimão, and we're still leading the points, we'll still have more weight in the car than anyone else. But the Corvette manages the weight very well. I have a ton of convince in the team and my teammates. We all love the track. Usually, the track you love ends up loving you back! We hope that's the case at Spa."
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m really looking forward to this race. Spa is one of my favorite tracks in the world. It will be really nice to drive the C8.R there and I know I’ll love it. We’ll see how it goes. We will have more success ballast but we’ll do our best and get the maximum result and points as possible. It would be good to arrive at Le Mans with good points in the championship. Let’s see what happens first at Spa.”
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After two of seven events) Driver Standings 1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 64 2. Christian Ried/Julien Andlauer/Mikkel Pedersen – 33 3. Simon Mann/Stefano Constantini/Ulysse De Pauw – 28 4. Davide Rigon/Francesco Castellacci/Thomas Flohr – 27 5. Daniel Serra/Scott Huffaker/Takeshi Kimura – 24
Team Standings 1. No. 33 Corvette Racing – 64 2. No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing – 33 3. No. 21 AF Corse – 28 4. No. 54 AF Corse – 27 5. No. 57 Kessel Racing – 24
CORVETTE RACING AT SPA: By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years of racing: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette. • 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its 24 previous years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta (later this year). • 4: Generations of Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2020-present). • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001. • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portimão, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 124: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans. • 271: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 354,050.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at Spa-Francorchamps 2021 No. 63 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Oliver Gavin – 4th in GTE Pro (Gavin’s final Corvette race)
2022 No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 4th in GTE Pro
Motor Trend TV Channel (showing 3 hours out of the 6 hours) Saturday April 29 Part 1: 6:30 to 8:00 am EDT Saturday April 29 Part 2: 11:30 to 1:00 pm EDT
Other online sources: Motortrend Plus Saturday April 29 6:30 to 1:00 pm EDT
Garcia, Taylor battle to the front to second-place class finish in California street fight
CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Hard-Fought, Runner-Up Finish Garcia, Taylor battle to the front to second-place class finish in California street fight
LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 15, 2023) – Some second-place finishes are better than others. That was the story for Corvette Racing on Saturday as Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R earned a runner-up GT Daytona (GTD) PRO result in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
On a day where nothing came easy and passing was limited, the Corvette team – drivers, crew and engineers – made the most of its opportunities to claw forward two spots from the start and earn valuable points in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD PRO standings.
Garcia started the race in fourth after Friday’s qualifying but ran the first 10 minutes of Saturday’s 100-minute sprint under full-course yellow due to a crash involving two GTP cars. Once the race went back green, he was able to stay within reach of the four lead GTD cars – three PRO entries and one regular GTD competitor – as the pack began to run up on lap traffic.
The first pit stops began near the 35-minute mark, and the No. 3 C8.R team brought in Garcia to swap over to Taylor after 40 minutes and running third in class. A quick service of a full fuel load and four fresh Michelin tires, plus a stellar out-lap by Taylor meant the Corvette didn’t just hold on to third place, it gained more than three seconds on Klaus Bachler in the second-place Porsche.
After some hard, side-to-side racing, Taylor stayed within one second of the No. 9 and made a strong, decisive move into Turn Six with a huge dive to the inside of the Porsche – straight out of his recent experience in the NASCAR Cup Series – with 40 minutes left to take the second-place spot.
GTD lap traffic and faster GTP cars going by meant that Taylor had to spend the rest of the race with Bachler right on the rear bumper of the Corvette. Taylor stayed tough and held the position as the race ended during another full-course caution.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the IMSA championship is May 12-14 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “Starting where we started, it was really difficult to do something super-crazy to gain positions. On pure speed, we had no real advantage to make a move. The only way was to do it by strategy as we did and then play the traffic like Jordan did to gain those spots. I think we had a fourth-place car and we finished second, so we can be happy for once at Long Beach! We didn’t have the pace to win or really fight for it like we have had in the past. It sounds strange, but I’m happy with second.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “We had a good Corvette – maybe a fourth-place car on pace. Antonio did a good job from fourth in his stint, which is where we were speed-wise. The guys made a good call in the pits to try and jump some guys. We came out even with the Porsche, and they were pretty aggressive on their out-lap and pushed me wide at the fountain. Once he pushed me once, I knew it was fair to push him back. Once I got close enough, he defended pretty aggressively and I wasn’t going to let up. I gave him a little tap from the NASCAR world and was able to get by. It was difficult to defend the rest of the race. I’m glad traffic worked out relatively well to keep him behind us, so a great day for us points-wise. We had a fourth-place car and to come away with second and beating two guys who probably should have been on the podium, we can be proud of that. At the end of the year when we look back on the championship, hopefully this is one we count for some good points.”
Ryan Smith Judy Kouba Dominick
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CORVETTE RACING AT PORTIMÃO: Two Wins in a Row! Strong driving, stellar pit work nets unexpected GTE Am victory for No. 33 C8.R
PORTIMÃO, Portugal (April 16, 2023) – Corvette Racing has gone back-to-back in the FIA World Endurance Championship with a stunning GTE Am victory in the Six Hours of Portimão for Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
The win was a tense one as Catsburg held off in an intense final-hour fight with Ferrari’s Alessio Rovera by just 0.260 seconds. It increased Corvette Racing’s lead in the Driver and Team championships in the GTE Am category heading to the next race at Spa-Francorchamps in two weeks.
Just as in the season-opening victory in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring, Corvette Racing made zero mistakes on the track or in the pitlane. The team’s pitwork, especially, was a key difference in the result as it offset a pace difference due to 30 extra kilograms of success ballast due to the Sebring victory and championship lead.
That was never more clear than on the race’s final pit stop with 50 minutes remaining. Catsburg came in with the Ferrari hot on his heels but left with a nearly 10-second advantage after a fast tire change by the Corvette Racing crew and a quick out-lap by Catsburg. As evidenced by the winning margin, every second counted.
Keating began from pole and slid down to third during his first stint on a softer, more worn set of tires. The impact of the Corvette pit crew became evident on the initial stop by picking up a spot to move Keating up to second for his final stint on a better set of tires.
He stopped again at the two-hour mark from fifth place due to higher-ranked drivers getting in their cars during the second hour. Varrone took over and cycled the C8.R back up to third not long into his first run as the skill levels of the drivers continued to vary mid-race.
That mix plus the amount of inter-class traffic made things tough during Varrone’s opening stint but he persevered to move up to second place before he brought the Corvette back in just past the three-hour mark. Another stellar stop and another fresh set of tires gave Varrone track position and eventually the lead once the GTE Am field finished its pit stop cycle.
Catsburg got in the car for the final two stints with a little less than two hours to go, and a ferocious fight developed with Rovera and his rapid Ferrari. The two cars were separated by less than a second before the race’s lone safety-car period bunched up the field. Both the Corvette and Ferrari stopped one lap after the race resumed with Catsburg greatly benefitting from the aforementioned strong Corvette pit stop.
He made the most of it, holding off the Ferrari multiple times inside the final five laps for the victory.
Corvette Racing returns to action April 27-29 for the Six Hours of Spa – the final race before June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM RACE-WINNER: “It takes two drivers in order to do that (on the finishing battle). Hats off to Alessio for being a clean racer. He was way faster than we were today and had a big pace advantage. It’s one thing to get close in order to close the gap, but it’s another thing to pass someone. I noticed he got a little bit of understeer when he got close to me, so luckily we managed to keep him behind. Some of the traffic made it extra-interesting, I would say, in the last few laps. But it’s a mega result for us and unexpected. I really struggled to match the pace that he was doing but somehow we managed. The team was amazing today. Every pit stop, we gained six or seven seconds. This is an amazing feeling!”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM POLE-WINNER: “Totally impressed today with the Corvette Racing team. I was completely blown away by their speed on the tire changes, and they did it all day long. Everyone on the whole team did an incredible job. I’m obviously delighted the result but didn’t expect it. That makes it even sweeter. “It was an interesting start for me. I didn’t mind not maintaining the lead with some of the mayhem in the P2 field. I just wanted to stay close up front, which I was able to do for the first 12 or so laps. I struggled with my tire choice after that. I also had four track-limit warnings so if I had one more we would have ended up with a penalty. I was really worried the whole time that I'd have some accidental track limits. I had to really change the way I drove and be a little more conservative, going down a gear. That’s hard for a racer to do. Thankfully, I feel like I did what I needed to do. Unbelievable stops! This team is so incredible. I don't know how far ahead Sarah (Bovy, No. 85 Porsche) was from me in the first stint but we came out ahead of them... just an unbelievably great stop and great job by the team."
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m really happy. Thanks to Nicky and Ben for a great race and to the Corvette Racing team. They were the quickest in the pitlane today and was the main difference and why we won in the end. On every stop it was like we would have something like six seconds (of a gap) out of the pits, so I’m really happy for them. The end of my first stint was good and we got back into the lead. From that on, it was a bit difficult with the tires and the heat. We struggled a lot at the end of that stint. In the second one, I managed to be more consistent, and the car was feeling better and more balanced. I managed to build a gap to hand it to Nicky for the end of the race. It was really stressful to watch it from the outside! It was really nervous but he did a great job, and I was sure he was going to do it. Two wins to start this season is pretty good.”
LAURA WONTROP KLAUSER, GM SPORTS CAR RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “It was a great day for Corvette Racing. The team did a phenomenal job, the drivers did a phenomenal job, everyone hit their marks and working through it with great pit stops. Nicky fighting and defending the lead at the end was so exciting to watch. We’re all incredibly pleased with today’s results and the start of our first season in GTE Am with two victories for the Corvette C8.R.”
CORVETTE RACING AT PORTIMÃO: Pole Run for Keating, No. 33 C8.R
Dynamic qualifying session ends with American out front for start of 6 Hours of Portimão
PORTIMÃO, Portugal (April 15, 2023) – Following up on a stellar showing to open the FIA World Endurance Championship a month ago at Sebring, Ben Keating put Corvette Racing on pole position in GTE Am for Sunday’s Six Hours of Portimão – a new event to the powerhouse GT racing program.
Keating saved his best lap for last in Saturday’s 15-minute session with a 1:41.362 (102.713 mph) pass around the 2.891-mile, 15-turn Autodromo Do Algarve circuit in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R that he will share with Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone. The trio already has made a splash this season with a home victory in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring in the first GTE Am event for Corvette Racing.
Algarve is the only one on the WEC calendar that is new to Corvette Racing, although Keating helped team engineers establish a couple of baseline options during his first session at Chevrolet’s DiL (Driver in the Loop) simulator at the GM Technical Center two weeks ago.
Those efforts proved valuable as the team was able to quickly work though some predetermined chassis tuning options throughout the three practice sessions to get the Corvette in shape for Keating’s magical pole run. The work also secured one additional championship point for the No. 33 Corvette team in the GTE Am Driver and Team championship standings.
The Portimão track isn’t the only new element to the weekend. The C8.R is running with an extra 30 kilograms (approx. 66 pounds) of success ballast: 15 kilos for winning the season-opening 1,000 Miles of Sebring and another 15 kilos for leading the class championship, per the GTE Am sporting regulations.
The Six Hours of Portimão for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET / noon Western European Time on Sunday. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of the race.
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM POLE-WINNER: “I expected the Ferraris to be up front. In all the practice sessions they were the quickest car, and we weren’t quite sure what we were going to be able to do. I have to give so much credit to the Corvette team. The C8.R has never been to Portimão, and neither has the team. This is not a place where you show up and do well from the beginning. We’ve been making unbelievable, big improvements in the car every time we go out. I couldn’t believe how well the car was set up for qualifying. It’s going to be a big job of managing the tire wear. We made the gamble of qualifying on the soft tires, which we can’t race on but it’s nice to have that little bit of extra grip when you’re doing a 15-minute session for a qualifying lap. It was an exciting qualifying for me, as well. I went across and did what I thought was about as good a lap as I could do, and it was on the pole. I decided to do a cool-down lap because my tires had gotten hot. Then I think (Diego) Alessi in the Ferrari got in front of me and maybe Sarah (Bovy) also. I knew I had to do another big lap, and it was an incredible feeling to put it all together after letting my tires cool back down and put in another great lap. Before the session, Martin (Haven, WEC TV) we talked about if it was going to be another battle between Sarah and myself. I said no way and that Ferrari was going to be up there, and neither Sarah nor I would be up there. I got to the end of qualifying and saw we were P1 and P2; my first thought was that Martin was going to call me a liar!”
Race outlook and starting out front: “That was our decision to go with the soft tires because track position is so important here. I have found that I may be a half-second quicker than the car in front of me, but I can’t get around them. The series also has changed the rules for track-limit violations compared to what we’ve had previously, so I believe track-limit penalties are going to play a big role in the race. It’s really difficult in a GTE car to follow another car and not get track limits in Turn One or Turn Four, especially. So starting up front is going to be a big advantage by just being able to manage your own track limits and control your own race.”
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s gone pretty well. I don’t think it will be as easy as it looked like at Sebring, because it wasn’t easy. We have 30 kilos extra now, so it will be difficult. But if we do the same as in Sebring, make no mistakes and be the best by far in the pitlane then I feel we can get away with a podium here. It’s not going to be easy. The track limits situation will make things harder. If we can manage not to have any penalties for that and the others will, that always helps. Let’s see. We need to keep our nose clean and be focused on the bigger picture.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “This is a really different track from Sebring, to be honest. Sebring has a lot of bumps and this track is a bit more smooth, so that’s a big change. I think we’ve done a great job since FP1. We had big understeer and we needed to straighten that out. The engineers did a great job to turn around how the car is handling. We have a great car right now for the race. They were all productive practice sessions for us. We’re going for the win, but if not we will take the maximum points possible. For sure the aim is always to win and we will give it our best shot.”
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After one of seven events)
Driver Standings
1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 38
2. Christian Ried/Julien Andlauer/Mikkel Pedersen – 27
3. Daniel Serra/Scott Huffaker/Takeshi Kimura – 23
4. Simon Mann/Stefano Constantini/Ulysse De Pauw – 18
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.
• 19: Number of street circuit victories for Corvette Racing – more than any other IMSA entrant at the circuit.
• 26: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 123: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
• 269: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 353,311.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Time to Make Some Magic
Garcia, Taylor aim to charge forward in street fight with No. 3 C8.R
LONG BEACH, Calif. (April 14, 2023) – Corvette Racing will start fourth in class and fifth among all production-based GT cars Saturday for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach following Friday’s qualifying session for the Acura Grand Prix.
Antonio Garcia set a best lap of 1:18.329 (90.449 mph) in a tough-luck, 15-minute qualifying for GT Daytona (GTD) PRO cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Driving the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with teammate Jordan Taylor, Garcia finished the session a half-second off the GTD PRO pole time.
He lost two of his best laps in the qualifying due to cars spinning ahead of him, which meant the Corvette had to bail out on those flying laps. Still, Garcia will look to make up spots early and often at the tight and twisty 1.968-mile, 11-turn circuit. The race likely will feature one planned pit stop, so the potential is there for the stellar Corvette Racing crew to gain spots in the pitlane.
Long Beach is an intense 100-minute dash for the Corvette program and the rest of the WeatherTech Championship teams. It’s an event that Corvette Racing has won more than another team in series history – four times since 2014 – to go along with four more victories in the American Le Mans Series era from 2007-2013.
The event is, of course, miles different than the team’s first two races of the season – the Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Due to the 100-minute race time and no margin for error with concrete walls lining the circuit, qualifying and track position are everything.
That meant a dual-focused approach in Friday's two practice sessions for establish the best qualifying and race setups in order to not just earn track position in Friday’s time trials but to also keep and improve it Saturday in the race.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. ET / 2:05 p.m. PT on Saturday. The race will air live on USA Network from 5-7 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock. IMSA Radio will carry the race at IMSA.com along with Sirius 217, XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED FOURTH IN GTD PRO: “It was a difficult session in a way. It was difficult to gauge the traffic and when people were going to spin. So far we have been struggling to put temperature in the tires. We definitely needed more laps. It’s a shame I only got one good-ish lap. Maybe it should have been better than that but it’s a shame that a 15-minute qualifying went down to five or six laps total around here.
“The McLaren spun in front of me in Turn Five, and I had to bail on that lap. Then we there was another crash at Turn Eight. Those may have been good laps there. I’m not sure they would have been good for pole, but the car and the rhythm were still coming in. But that’s Long Beach.”
2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After two of 11 events)
Driver Standings
1. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon/Maro Engel – 708
2. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 682
3. Klaus Bachler/Laurens Vanthoor/Patrick Pilet – 659
4. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Tommy Milner – 643
5. Jordan Pepper/Romain Grosjean – 612
Team Standings
1. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 708
2. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 682
3. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 659
4. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 643
5. No. 63 Iron Lynx – 612
Manufacturer Standings
1. Mercedes-AMG – 708
2. Lexus – 682
3. Porsche – 659
4. Chevrolet – 643
5. Lamborghini – 612
CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: By the Numbers
• 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 16 years at Long Beach: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette.
• 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Long Beach since 2007 – Corvette C6.R (2007-13) and Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2021-current). All three generations have won at least once at Long Beach.
• 4: Number of Long Beach race victories for Corvette Racing’s duo of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor.
• 8: Number of drivers who have competed at Long Beach for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Nick Tandy and Jordan Taylor. Each driver won at least once at Long Beach.
• 8: Number of Long Beach victories in 15 appearances for Corvette Racing – more than any other IMSA entrant at the circuit.
• 10: Number of Long Beach sports car victories for Chevrolet. Throw in 12 IndyCar wins, and Chevrolet has claimed 22 victories in the event’s two premier races.
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001.
• 19: Number of street circuit victories for Corvette Racing – more than any other IMSA entrant at the circuit.
• 26: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 30: Number of wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014.
• 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship.
• 123: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans.
• 269: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999.
• 4,081.61: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 15 previous trips to Long Beach. That represents 2,074 laps around the 1.968-mile street circuit.
• 353,311.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at Long Beach
2007
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen fastest race lap)
Motor Trend TV Channel (showing 3 hours out of the 6 hours) Sunday April 16, 2023 Part 1: 6:30 to 8:00 am EDT April 16, 2023 Part 2: 12:00 to 1:30 pm EDT
Team looking to extend southern California success after bizarre 2022 race
CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Expect the Unexpected Team looking to extend southern California success after bizarre 2022 race
DETROIT (April 11, 2023) – With its two longest races of the season in the rear-view mirror, Corvette Racing now faces its shortest contest of the season as it heads west to southern California for its only street race of the season.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is an intense 100-minute dash for the Corvette Racing program and the rest of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It’s an event that the team has won more than another team in series history – four times since 2014 – to go along with four more victories in the American Le Mans Series era from 2007-2013.
The familiar pairing of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor will pilot the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class. The two finished third in last year’s Long Beach race – the first street race for the GTD-spec C8.R – despite a bizarre pitlane incident that took the Corvette out of contention for the victory.
Taylor was the class pole-winner after a last-lap flyer and led the entirety of his first stint. A loose wheel nut during the pit stop escaped the Corvette pit, hit a stone and flew into the radiator of another car – a one-in-a-million occurrence that unfortunately netted the Corvette a drive-through penalty.
Aside from that round of bad luck, there is reason to be confident again. Corvette Racing has a full year of data on the GTD-spec configuration, most notably the customer Michelin tire that all GTD teams must run in IMSA competition. Simulation tools aided the team’s preparation last year, and expectations are that 12 more months of work in the virtual world – plus sessions in the Chevrolet Driver in the Loop simulator – will put the C8.R in contention again.
The results through the first two races are encouraging for this weekend. Garcia and Taylor – along with Tommy Milner – finished second in class to open the season in the Rolex 24 and ran out front most of the Sebring 12 Hours before late-race contact and on-track chaos meant a fifth-place result.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. ET / 2:05 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 15. The race will air live on USA Network from 5-7 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock. IMSA Radio will air qualifying and the race at IMSA.com along with Sirius 217, XM 207 and SiriusXM Online 992.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s been a long time since I’ve won at Long Beach. I feel like I’ve been through more ways of losing this race than winning it! There was a crash in the Hairpin that blocked the track one year, I had a shifting issue on the restart another and then last year with the wheel nut coming off in pitlane and going into another car… I’m ready for one normal year! But this is a fun event that is very unique. The fans are great and there are so many that come to watch us race. I hope we can give them a good show and finally another win for the 3 Corvette. We are due for it.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “It’s always nice to go back to Long Beach. It’s the first sprint race of the year. We’ve settled in with Daytona and Sebring with endurance races, and the end of those races gets pretty intense. But Long Beach, the whole event is intense, right from the start with practice. Last year we had a great car. We were on the pole and led for the whole first stint and then had a that crazy fluke incident on pitlane which kind of put us out of contention for the win. It would be nice to go back there and be as competitive as we were and execute as well as we did last year. Having a year under our belt with this car and this class, we learned a lot throughout last season that already has been beneficial this year.”
2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After two of 11 events) Driver Standings 1. Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon/Maro Engel – 708 2. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 682 3. Klaus Bachler/Laurens Vanthoor/Patrick Pilet – 659 4. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Tommy Milner – 643 5. Jordan Pepper/Romain Grosjean – 612
Team Standings 1. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 708 2. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 682 3. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 659 4. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 643 5. No. 63 Iron Lynx – 612
CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 16 years at Long Beach: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette. • 3: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Long Beach since 2007 – Corvette C6.R (2007-13) and Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2021-current). All three generations have won at least once at Long Beach. • 4: Number of Long Beach race victories for Corvette Racing’s duo of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor. • 8: Number of drivers who have competed at Long Beach for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Nick Tandy and Jordan Taylor. Each driver won at least once at Long Beach. • 8: Number of Long Beach victories in 15 appearances for Corvette Racing – more than any other IMSA entrant at the circuit. • 10: Number of Long Beach sports car victories for Chevrolet. Throw in 12 IndyCar wins, and Chevrolet has claimed 22 victories in the event’s two premier races. • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001. • 19: Number of street circuit victories for Corvette Racing – more than any other IMSA entrant at the circuit. • 26: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 30: Number of wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing since the start of 2014. • 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 123: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans. • 269: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 4,081.61: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing in its 15 previous trips to Long Beach. That represents 2,074 laps around the 1.968-mile street circuit. • 353,311.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
Corvette Racing at Long Beach
2007 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin pole)
2008 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 (Magnussen pole) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)
2009 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell – 2nd in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GT1 (Beretta pole, fastest race lap)
2010 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT2 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 9th in GT2 (Gavin fastest race lap)
2011 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner – 5th in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT (Magnussen fastest race lap)
2012 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)
2013 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 5th in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 4th in GT (Gavin fastest race lap)
2014 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GTLM (Magnussen pole) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GTLM (Milner fastest race lap)
2015 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 7th in GTLM
2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 9th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 2nd in GTLM
2017 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 5th in GTLM (Magnussen pole) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM
2018 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 4th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM
2019 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia – 2nd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 3rd in GTLM
2021 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM (Tandy fastest race lap)
2022 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 3rd in GTD PRO (Taylor pole)
No. 33 Corvette looks to continue early-season momentum after Sebring win
CORVETTE RACING AT PORTIMÃO: What to do for an Encore? No. 33 Corvette looks to continue early-season momentum after Sebring win
DETROIT (April 10, 2023) – It’s a new track for Corvette Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship this weekend, but the team is hoping for a familiar result in its second race of the season.
Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone will look for consecutive GTE Am victories in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R when Corvette Racing visits Portugal for the Six Hours of Portimão.
The trio of drivers claimed a convincing victory in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring in their first race together to grab the early-season lead in the GTE Am Drivers Championship. It also was Corvette Racing’s first win in its first season of GTE Am competition. But rather than a familiar track where the program has thousands of miles of testing under its belt, Portimão is an unknown commodity.
The 2.891-mile, 15-turn circuit is new to the Corvette Racing team but not new to the WEC calendar, having played host to the championship in 2021. It’s also not new to the three Corvette Racing drivers, each of whom have competed previously at Portimão in WEC competition and other racing championships.
Varrone is the most recent driver having time at Portimão, having contested the European Le Mans Series in 2022 at the circuit. Keating was part of the GTE Am field at the circuit in the 2021 WEC event. For those who enjoy trivia, Catsburg drove a Corvette C6.R in the 2011 FIA GT1 Championship.
Although there is no real-life experience at Portimão from a team perspective, the Corvette program has done its homework in the virtual world with Driver in the Loop simulator sessions at the GM Tech Center in Charlotte with Keating getting a couple of days work in during the last two weeks.
After Portimão, Corvette Racing will contest the final five rounds on the WEC on tracks where it gained valuable experience in last year’s championship with the mid-engine C8.R.
The Six Hours of Portimão for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for 7 a.m. ET / noon Western European Time on Sunday, April 16. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both live television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of qualifying and the race.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Portimão for us will be a huge challenge. It’s a new track for the team. Usually some of the teams that have had cars there before in other championships like ELMS may have a bit of an advantage. It will be a steep learning curve for us. There won’t be as much practice time as there was at Sebring. Nico was there last year so he will be someone Ben and I can learn from. We’ve had the best season start possible so we’re all very much looking forward to seeing what we can do at Portimão. It will be more difficult here. Some of our competition at Sebring eliminated themselves, and I don’t think that will happen again. We need to be on-point but I feel like have the right team and right drivers for this race. Let’s continue where we left off at Sebring.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’ve only been to Portimão once for a race event. It was a track that was very hard for me to feel like I had learned it and was up to speed. After the three practice sessions and qualifying, I still didn’t feel that way. I remember getting on the radio after my first stint and saying that I’d like to start the whole weekend again right now. That’s how long it took me to be comfortable. It’s not an easy track to learn. It’s very different. We will put more energy into our tires at this track than any other track we go to by a significant amount. There is a ton of elevation change, a ton of off-camber and blind corners. It takes a long time as a driver to feel like you have this place figured out. But that’s also what makes it fun. “Every car has a track that it likes and doesn’t like. I just think the handling of the Corvette and where we can carry a higher minimum speed around these low-speed, technical corners. We can carry the momentum better, we can handle the elevation change better and can handle the off-camber and off-balance corners better. I’m really excited about going to Portimão in the Corvette and having one race weekend there under my belt.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m really looking forward to the second round of the WEC at Portimão. We had a great start to the season at Sebring in our home race and on home soil for the team. Getting the victory there is the perfect start to our season. I really want to thank everyone at Corvette Racing for the amazing welcome at Sebring. The first race was special. There were a lot of nerves but everyone on the team – the engineers, the mechanics, everyone there – made me feel really comfortable. Now we’ll go for more at Portimão! “Portimão for me is a track where I have a lot of good memories in my short career. The circuit is very much like a roller coaster, so I think for every driver it’s fun. As a team, we have a lot of confidence. Based on what I know, I think this should be a good track for us. We have the success ballast for being the championship leaders and winning at Sebring, so that will be a little bit of a disadvantage for us but we have a great team and great lineup. I’m really confident. The aim is to try and score the most amount of points possible. For sure, we are going for the win but if we can’t do that then we will maximize our result and keep getting points for the championship.”
2023 FIA World Endurance Championship – GTE Am (After two of seven events) Driver Standings 1. Ben Keating/Nicky Catsburg/Nico Varrone – 38 2. Christian Ried/Julien Andlauer/Mikkel Pedersen – 27 3. Daniel Serra/Scott Huffaker/Takeshi Kimura – 23 4. Simon Mann/Stefano Constantini/Ulysse De Pauw – 18 5. Davide Rigon/Francesco Castellacci/Thomas Flohr – 15
Team Standings 1. No. 33 Corvette Racing – 38 2. No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing – 27 3. No. 57 Kessel Racing – 23 4. No. 21 AF Corse – 18 5. No. 54 AF Corse – 15
Corvette Racing By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for 25 years: Corvette Racing, Chevrolet and the Chevrolet Corvette. • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001. • 19: Number of street circuit victories for Corvette Racing – more than any other IMSA entrant at the circuit. • 26: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 34: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone joined that list with their participation – and victory – in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 123: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America and eight at Le Mans. • 269: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 353,311.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon… and then some!
CORVETTE RACING AT LONG BEACH: Jordan Taylor Zoom Transcript
Ahead of season’s first street circuit after bizarre finish one year ago…
Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor participated in a media availability Wednesday to preview next week’s Acura Sports Car Challenge for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at the Long Beach street circuit. Taylor and teammate Antonio Garcia will look to better their third-place finish last year in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R:
PREVIEWING THIS YEAR’S RACE AND FIRST SPRINT EVENT OF THE SEASON.
“It’s always nice to go back to Long Beach. It’s the first sprint race of the year. We’ve settled in with Daytona and Sebring with endurance races, and the end of those races gets pretty intense. But Long Beach, the whole event is intense, right from the start with practice. Last year we had a great car. We were on the pole and led for the whole first stint and then had a that crazy fluke incident on pitlane which kind of put us out of contention for the win. It would be nice to go back there and be as competitive as we were and execute as well as we did last year. Having a year under our belt with this car and this class, we learned a lot throughout last season that already has been beneficial this year. I’m looking forward to getting back there and seeing what we learned throughout 2022 and be able to put that to good use once the sprint races start.”
HOW HAS THE CORVETTE EVOLVED AFTER A YEAR IN GTD PRO?
“The car last year honestly was great to drive all year. We’d leave sessions and be nitpicking things to work on here and there… little bit of understeer, little bit of oversteer. We were just off the pace. It was hard to kind of exploit the pace of the car without taking huge measures. At some tracks we went to, we had big setup swings to try things, but for the most part it never really worked. I feel like we have our car in a great working window. It was competitive in GTLM (GT Le Mans); last year we had some competitive weekends but it depends on the track and the event to where we stack up. We still do a lot of work in the simulator prepping for each event. We always go into the weekends with a strong car. We saw last year that we’d go in with our sim setup and we’d be pretty much right in the window of where we wanted to be. Last year at Long Beach we had a great car there. We were on pole and led the whole first stint. When things are going well, they’re going very well. Last year we put ourselves in a lot of positions to win races. At Watkins Glen we were leading up until the last couple of stops and things out of our control put us out of contention. I have a lot of confidence going to Long Beach. We had a good car last year and have made strides since then. We should be right at the front of the pack.”
LOOKING AT THE VARIOUS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CARS IN GTD PRO, WHERE IS THE STIFFEST COMPETITION?
“The Porsche got a pretty big change for Sebring, and they were obviously super-fast. In Practice One, the GTD car was fastest overall and the 9 car never really showed speed until when it needed to. So I feel like they’ve got some stuff in-hand to show when they need to. The Mercedes was strong all year last year, so I’m sure they’ll be strong now that they have two proper pros in the car for the sprint races. When you look at Sebring and Daytona, a lot of different cars were competitive so our eyes are on everybody at this point.”
THE GTD AND GTD PRO CARS ARE MIXED A LOT ON-TRACK. HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR FOCUS AND STRATEGY?
“Not everyone is like Bill (Auberlen, a pro driver) in that class. Most of the guys don’t move out of the way that nicely. It’s the same thing Bill said – if there’s a guy in between you and someone you’re battling against, you’re going to fight that guy pretty hard just to have that buffer in-hand. We saw at the end of the Rolex 24 where there was GTD PRO, then GTD, then GTD PRO again. That kind of separates the race especially on those last restarts where it’s going to be difficult to see a proper battle in your own class. At the end of Sebring, we got hit by a GTD car going into Turn Seven on the last restart and put us out of contention. It’s difficult when you put everyone in the same situation without a class split, but it’s just the way things are right now.”
PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCES IN BEING OVERTAKEN BY GTP CARS THIS YEAR VERSUS DPI CARS A YEAR AGO?
“It’s much different. The way they make speed seems different. They come by you a bit quicker on the straights and then their cornering speeds – especially in the medium-speed corners – is quite a bit lower than back in the DPi days. At Sebring, I had a BMW come by me and it must have been on a double-stint on the tires. It passed me into 15 and was so slow at apex that I was actually able to drive back around him. It’s a much different car, it seems, for them to learn and adapt to. It makes the style of racing a bit different because now in GT, we know that they struggle on second-stint tires and it will put us in a position to probably want to be a little more defensive in those sorts of spots to not lose laptime when they go by us. It’s definitely a learning process. They come by you a lot quicker in the straights like at Daytona before the Kink and out of the Kink. They’d arrive much quicker and when you wouldn’t expect it from years past in a DPi. When we go to different tracks, it’s going to be learning where those places are, and where they can get by us and where they can’t compared to what it was like back in DPi.”
AFTER YOUR CUP PERFORMANCE AT COTA AND THINKING ABOUT A STREET RACE FOR CUP GUYS AT CHICAGO, HOW MANY TRIES WILL IT TAKE FOR THEM TO GET A CHECKERED FLAG?
“If it’s anything like COTA, they won’t have much green-flag running! When I got out of the car, Ricky (Taylor) was the first person I saw, and I was like, ‘Holy cow. That was ridiculous, what that was like on those last restarts just getting beaten around.’ I was glad to see that at least everyone else had same opinion, even in the paddock, saying that it was an especially aggressive finish to the race. I think it was a bit of wake-up call for a lot of the regulars to start thinking about it. Having those guys never been to a street course race and how strong those cars are, I think they’re going to be bouncing off the walls and probably doing more damage to the barriers than the cars themselves.”
WITH THE NEW GTP CARS A BIT BIGGER AND BEING SLOWER THROUGH THE CORNERS, DO YOU ANTICIPATE HAVING BEING A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE IN TAKING THE LINE AWAY BEFORE YOU GET TO A CORNER?
“I think so. We saw at Sebring that if you got passed in the wrong spot, you’d lose quite a bit of time. At Long Beach, especially, if they get by you at Turn One and they can’t really get away from you all the way through Four or Five, it could be a pretty big loss. I’m sure you’ll see guys getting pretty aggressive. Now there are also a lot of new drivers in GTP that are young and hungry to show what they can do. At Sebring and Daytona, some of those guys would come by you and were pretty aggressive even in endurance races and taking a line away from GT cars kind of unknowingly. We need to be a little more proactive in showing some of those guys our intentions as well entering the corner. For sure, I think you’ll see a lot of the guys near the front of the GT pack being especially aggressive, especially late in the runs, when those guys are on used tires.”
Corvette Racing showed strong early but was left wondering what might have been at the end of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday.
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Fifth in Late-Race Carnage
SEBRING, Fla. (March 18, 2023) – Corvette Racing showed itself strong early but was left wondering what might have been at the end of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday.
The No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R – with Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner sharing the wheel – placed fifth in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO class after the second race of this year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
After fighting back first from an untimely full-course yellow early and then a mechanical problem with four hours remaining, Corvette Racing appeared to be in a great spot for a second straight Sebring class victory until late-race chaos that started with the GTP-class fight with 20 minutes to go undid all the team’s good work at the end.
The Corvette had the race going its way in the opening eight hours. Garcia began from pole position and steadily increased his advantage through the first hour. The first bit of misfortune struck at the race’s second full-course yellow just past the hour mark as the Corvette couldn’t make its first stop before the pits closed. As a result, it had to enter the pitlane for five seconds of emergency fuel and pit again for full service when the GT pits opened.
Garcia fell to eighth in class but carved his way back toward the front with a dynamic drive through traffic in the span of 25 minutes. He moved up to second by the time the race went yellow again at the two-hour mark.
Taylor got in the Corvette for almost three hours as the Corvette Racing crew got him out ahead of the No. 79 Mercedes for the GTD PRO lead. It was a spot that Taylor held for most of his triple-stint before he handed the C8.R to Milner, who rejoined with the lead.
The Corvette continued to lead out front despite the air and track temperatures climbing during the hottest part of the day. Still while leading, Milner radioed to the Corvette Racing pitbox for the crew to check something at the rear of the car. On his final pitstop with about four hours left, the crew found and replaced the C8.R’s left-rear damper. The fix cost Corvette Racing a lap but Taylor got in for his second run in the car still with good pace but needing a yellow.
Nearly 2.5 hours later, the yellow flags flew again to solidify the Corvette getting back on the lead lap. Taylor stayed in until the 10-hour mark when Garcia re-entered the race for the final stints to the end. A series of additional full-course yellows and some sharp strategy calls moved the Corvette as high as third and first among the GTD PRO cars that made their final scheduled stops under yellow with about 50 minutes to go.
On the subsequent restart, however, Garcia was hit from behind and knocked off track. The contact sent the C8.R down to sixth place. The final blow came with 17 minutes to go when Garcia and the No. 62 Ferrari were involved in a crash instigated by the overall leaders. Despite the second spin, the Corvette did gain a spot to its final fifth-place finishing position.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the WeatherTech Championship is Saturday, April 15 in Long Beach, Calif.
Photos: Richard Prince, Chevrolet Racing
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO:“I’m really disappointed with the finish, but it has nothing to do with the team. They did a great job all weekend with the car, our strategy and helping to keep us in the race when things weren’t looking so good. We kept waiting for a long time for a yellow to get back with the main GTD PRO group, and it finally came our way not long after I got in. I felt like we were in the best shape of all with about an hour to go before all the chaos broke out. I really don’t know what to say. All I know is that I was spun twice and it ruined our race and our car. I understand that this is an important race but there is no call for what happened late. It was careless and reckless driving by a lot of guys who should know better. I don’t know if we would have won, but I do know that we had that chance taken from us. I’m not happy.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: "A disappointing finish. The guys did an amazing job. We were up front and in control for a majority of the day before our mechanical issue. I'd say driving standards for today were pretty sub-par from the whole field. There were so many yellows early on and the end of the race was embarrassing to be part of, to be honest. It's disappointing to finish fifth after how strong we were, but we'll move on to Long Beach."
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO: "The start was great from Antonio. The first stint from Jordan was awesome. The car was very, very good. At some point in my stint, we had our issue and it looked a little grim for awhile. Then it looked like we would have an opportunity and a chance to race for a podium, which I think we certainly deserved as we had the car to beat. At the end, you had a lot of guys who were driving over their heads and there was a lot of that today. Unfortunately we got the worst of it. I feel for the rest of the guys in GTD PRO to have to deal with Antonio for the rest of the year. He's going to be fired up."
Catsburg, Keating, Varrone lead total team effort in WEC victory
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Emphatic Win in GTE Am Debut Catsburg, Keating, Varrone lead total team effort in WEC victory
SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2023) – Corvette Racing made an emphatic statement with a convincing GTE Am class victory in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring to open this year’s FIA World Endurance Championship.
Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone drove the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R to a two-lap victory at Sebring International Raceway to start its new program in the class. It was the 14th win for Corvette Racing at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn rough-and-tumble circuit since 2002.
Friday’s victory also was the second for Corvette Racing as a full-time WEC entrant, the first coming last season at Monza in the GTE Pro class. The team now has 123 worldwide victories.
That number is easy to understand when looking at the totality of Friday’s race. Each of the three drivers drove error-free stints with no contact and no risks taken. The engineering team rotated the three drivers through consecutively in order of ranking so neither Keating, Varrone or Catsburg had to get back in the Corvette.
The Corvette Racing crew also was the fastest of the GTE Am teams in the pitlane with a six-second advantage on the next-quickest team.
"No one at Corvette Racing could ask for a better start to our FIA WEC program than this win at Sebring for Ben, Nicky and Nico,” said Laura Wontrop Klauser, GM Sports Car Racing Program Manager. “All three put in excellent drives, the crew was the best throughout the class in the pitlane, and our engineers called a perfect race strategy. Ben really set the tone for this race with his opening three stints, and the performance continued from there with an incredible mid-race triple stint from Nico and then Nicky's drive to close it out. Winning the first race of the season, in the United States and at Sebring is a storybook start that we will remember for a long time!"
The fight of the race early was Keating’s battle with Sarah Bovy in the No. 85 Porsche. Familiar competitors from last year’s WEC, the two swapped the lead in the opening laps before the Corvette settled in to a close second position for the first couple hours.
The Porsche gained a slight advantage by making its second stop near the 90-minute mark during a full-course yellow period while the Corvette made its second stop under green. Undeterred, Keating clicked off consistent, fast laps to keep the C8.R in the hunt and never dropped lower than second in class.
Last year’s winner in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the reigning GTE Am WEC champion, Keating made quite the debut in his first race with the Corvette program. He drove two hours, 40 minutes before handing over to Varrone for a triple-stint and nearly three hours in the C8.R.
He moved the Corvette into the lead when the 85 Porsche suffered rear damage and lost multiple laps. From that point on, Varrone increased his pace and more often than not was the fastest driver during his time in the C8.R. His only challenge came from the No. 77 Porsche, which got as close as 14 seconds to the lead after gaining a similar pit stop advantage under yellow as the No. 85 earlier in the race.
Varrone pressed on and continued to pound out sub two-minute laps while the Porsche’s pace fell off during its mid-race driver rotation to its Bronze-ranked driver. By the time of his iron-man three-plus hour stint, Varrone gave Catsburg the No. 33 Corvette – and a 90-second lead – for the final two hours.
It wasn’t a coast to the end, however. Catsburg had to contend with the usual late-day Sebring sunset and Hypercar entries that attempted to make desperate moves to keep track position in their own race. Like his teammates, he drove clean and measured stints to deliver an undamaged C8.R to victory.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the FIA World Endurance Championship is the Six Hours of Portimão on Sunday, April 15.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM WINNER: “There’s so much to say about today. If you look at the execution, it’s not like we were out-pacing everyone by so much. We just made zero mistakes. In the pitlane, I feel like we were by far the fastest team, which is a big credit to the guys. They’re working out so much… four days per week. It pays off. It’s super-nice to start the season off like this. Those guys (Keating and Varrone) in their first race for Corvette and their first win, I think that’s pretty cool. They did a flawless job so big hats off to everyone!” More on Keating and Varrone: “This was the plan. But for them to do triple-stints in your first race with Corvette, it’s a lot more difficult than you think. It’s three hours in the car and it’s going to hurt at some point! But they each did a fantastic job.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM WINNER: “It was mayhem out there, really. I started in second place, was able to gain the lead and then gave it up again. We got the early safety car that kind of changed the strategy up a little bit for us. It was not easy, for sure. Our car was sliding a lot more than it had in practice, so it was a lot more to handle and I think that was true for the other GT cars that I was watching while I was either following or looking in my camera to the back. “I’m really proud of the way we won the race today. If you look across the field and you look at how we got to be two laps up on the field. It wasn’t because we were the fastest car. It was because we stayed out of trouble. Almost everybody had some sort of issue, and it was really tough with all the traffic. I’m sure (the other winners) would say the same thing. Especially as the race wore on, it really got into one line and the track got more difficult. I’m just really proud of all three of us that we were able to have a clean race. “It’s really special for me to be driving something I sell and to be representing an American brand and winning the only American race for the World Endurance Championship and taking advantage of what I feel like is a home-field advantage. It was a really great job by everyone at Corvette.” More on the win: “This is the only WEC race in the United States, so it's really special here! The guys, the team did a great job. All the drivers just didn't make any mistakes, which is pretty tough to do with all that traffic out there. And like I said with, I guess, five hours to go, I said it's mayhem. And so we just stayed out of it. And pretty much everybody else ended up having some problem or another. And so it's a nice way to win and also it's really special. Hearing the American National Anthem and being under an American flag... I couldn't ask for more. To all the fans, I would say thank you!"
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTE AM WINNER: “What a dream. At Sebring with Corvette and winning the 1,000 Miles of Sebring, I’m super happy. I couldn’t ask for a better debut with the brand. A big thank you to all the guys, all the mechanics, all the engineers. Corvette Racing did a great job all week long. Ben did a great job with the start and in his first three stints. He got us to P2. Then I jumped in the car for three hours, which was tough. Then I handed it over to Nicky, who is a legend. We all know that he knows what to do. He brought it home safely and now I can’t be happier! “This was a very difficult race for me. I had to do a triple stint in the middle. I’ve had to do a triple stint at Le Mans, but I have to say that Sebring is much more difficult! Ben did a great job at the start to get the car to me. The track was changing a lot during the whole race, so we had to figure out what was happening. Corvette Racing did a great job with that. They did a great job all week long. It’s a dream come true.”
No. 3 C8.R starting out front in shot for back-to-back GTD PRO victories, team’s 12th class win in 12 Hours
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Garcia Takes GTD PRO Pole!
SEBRING, Fla. (March 17, 2023) – In defense of its class victory from a year ago, Antonio Garcia and Corvette Racing will start from pole position in GT Daytona (GTD) PRO for Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Garcia, in the No. 1 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, set a best time of 1:59.315 (112.843 mph) just before a red-flag period ended Friday’s 15-minute qualifying session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He and teammates Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner will look to give the Corvette Racing program its 13th victory in the Florida endurance classic and second in a row.
Garcia’s qualifying effort continued a strong pre-race program for Corvette Racing, which posted the fastest GTD PRO times in the final two of Thursday’s three practice sessions around the 3.74-mile, 17-turn circuit. Pre-event work – including significant work in Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop simulator – helped establish an early baseline with the results validating the virtual efforts.
Garcia, Taylor and Milner finished second in GTD PRO to open the season at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. They have combined for eight class wins in the 12 Hours – nine when adding a sprint-race victory for Milner and then-teammate Oliver Gavin in the 2020 season.
The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday. The race will air on USA Network from 4:30-10:30 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock at 10:05 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will stream the race at IMSA.com with radio coverage also on SiriusXM 392, SiriusXM Online 992 and 100.9 FM at the circuit.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “The car felt really good. A good thumbs-up for the team. We were not here for the (IMSA February) test but so far things have been really good through practice. Even warmup just before qualifying felt really, really good so we just went for it and it was enough. Luckily enough I was just across the line before the red flag because I just messed up the previous laps. I’m very happy for Corvette Racing. I’ve had a few pole positions here and I love this race and love this track.” More on pole position: “Things felt really good. I have to say that after Practice One, we were not where we wanted. But from Practice Two onward, everyone seemed to be faster… Tommy, Jordan… so we have a good package, for sure. Last night felt good. We tested in the little warmup before qualifying and the car felt good. I had in the back of my mind that this Corvette was good and I would have a chance be on pole.” His Sebring success: “That is true. In GTLM, I was on pole the last two times and now today. The car really suits this racetrack and I think there is more to come because we love racing here. I’m looking forward to the rest of the race. I wouldn’t mind to race in an hour! So it’s a long wait until we start. There are a lot of things to think about, but obviously the car is good so maybe we should just clean it and put it in the truck!” Outlook for the race from pole: “It’s confidence. We have confidence that we have a good Corvette. We knew from practice last night that the car was good, but we didn’t know where it was for a quick, quick lap but we were up there. Tomorrow is a long one but I’m already looking forward to those last two hours of the race.”
No. 33 Corvette C8.R to start second in GTE Am debut at Sebring 1,000 Miles
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Keating Puts Corvette on Front Row No. 33 Corvette C8.R to start second in GTE Am debut at Sebring 1,000 Miles
SEBRING, Fla. (March 16, 2023) – In his first qualifying session as part of Corvette Racing, Ben Keating qualified second in a stacked GTE Am category Thursday ahead of the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 1,000 Miles of Sebring.
Piloting the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, Keating posted a best lap of 1:59.345 (112.841 mph). He will team in Friday’s season-opening race with Corvette Racing veteran Nicky Catsburg and fellow newcomer Nico Varrone.
Only 0.784 seconds separated the four fastest cars in qualifying. Keating was never lower than second and swapped provisional pole position multiple times in the 15-minute session.
The Corvette program is easily the most experienced team in the WEC paddock at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway circuit. It has 25 years of racing experience at the historic track, which sits on the site of an Army airbase from World War II.
In addition to two previous starts in GTE Pro at the Sebring WEC round – including a runner-up finish last year for Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy – Corvette Racing has 13 victories at the track with 12 coming in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
On the driver front, both Catsburg and Keating have previous starts in the Sebring WEC round. Catsburg finished second in GTE Pro in 2019 while Keating placed third a year ago in GTE Am on his way to the class championship. Meanwhile, Varrone will make his first full-season start as a WEC competitor in the 1,000 Miles.
The 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for noon ET on Friday, March 17. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both level television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage the race.
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTE AM: “It was really interesting. We did mock qualifying this morning, but I had much more grip in the car. I don’t know if our tires don’t like the Carrera Cup tires or what, but I had a lot more grip this afternoon. It was much of a handful than I expected in qualifying. I was really wheeling the car around there. With less grip, it was more work. I thought I may be able to compete with the time that Sarah did to be on the pole. I did three laps that were almost exactly the same. I think she got ahead of me by four-thousandths and then I got ahead of her. It was fun to go back and forth. We’re starting on the front row for our home race. I know that the Porsche is really different when it gets full of fuel. So qualifying is one thing and racing is another. I’m excited to go out there and race with her. We’ve been on the front row most of last season together, so it’s not unfamiliar territory. We’ll be OK.”
March 17, 2023 IMSA 12 Hours of Sebring Qualifying: GTD Pro - 9:15 am-9:30 am EDT Watch live IMSA TV https://imsatv.imsa.com/
Television/Online Broadcast:
WEC: Friday March 17 USA: TV-Motortrend channel and MotorTrend Plus 11:30 am -3:00 pm ET part 1 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm ET part 2 6:00 pm-7:00 pm ET part 3 7:00-7:30 pm ET part 4 (1000 miles or 8 hours)
No. 3 C8.R going for back-to-back GTD PRO victories, team’s 12th class win in 12 Hours
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Adding to a 25-Year Legacy No. 3 C8.R going for back-to-back GTD PRO victories, team’s 12th class win in 12 Hours
DETROIT (March 14, 2023) – For 24 years, Corvette Racing has written chapter after chapter in its lengthy storybook of success at Sebring International Raceway. It’s a book that covers thousands of laps and tens of thousands of miles around the historic road course in central Florida.
Now Corvette Racing returns to contest the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for the 25th time in search of its 13th victory in the event. The most recent came a year ago in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category with the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
Full-season teammates Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor were part of the stunning 2022 class victory, and they will team this year with Tommy Milner in the 12 Hours. It will be the second of two enduros for Corvette Racing this week at Sebring as it also contests the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the FIA World Endurance Championship in the GTE Am category.
The three Corvette drivers have combined for eight class wins in the 12 Hours – nine when adding a sprint-race victory for Milner and then-teammate Oliver Gavin in the 2020 season. The No. 3 C8.R trio and team also are coming off a runner-up finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona to open the season.
There are eight entries from eight manufacturers in GTD PRO for this year’s Sebring 12 Hours with a total of 28 GTD cars total when combining with the race’s regular GTD class.
Chevrolet Motorsports Display, Ride and Drive Return to Sebring In addition to the many happenings on the racetrack at Sebring, fans will have plenty to see and experience from Chevrolet. That’s because two locations at the circuit – Chevrolet’s Motorsports Display and the Chevrolet Ride and Drive – will be full of Chevy vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend.
The Chevrolet Motorsports Display opens at 9 a.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday in the Sebring Midway. Numerous Chevrolet vehicles and other highlights include:
• The 2023 Corvette E-Ray and a rolling cut-away example of the E-Ray • The 2023 70th anniversary Corvette Stingray • Additional Chevrolet products such as Silverado ZR2, Blazer RS, Colorado ZR1 and Bolt EUV Premier • A Corvette Racing C8.R showcar • The Garage 56 Next Gen Camaro ZL1 • An opportunity to receive a 2023 Corvette Racing t-shirt
Also beginning Thursday, fans visiting the Sebring Skidpad outside of Turn 17 can sample a Chevrolet vehicle for themselves at the Ride and Drive event. Starting at 9 a.m. each day, spectators have the chance to test a wide variety of Chevrolets including Blazer RS, Bolt EUV Premier, Camaro Convertible SS, Silverado 1500 and 2500, Tahoe High Country, Traverse High Country and Trailblazer RS.
The Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring is scheduled for 10:10 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 18. The race will air on USA Network from 4:30-10:30 p.m. ET with full streaming coverage on Peacock at 10:05 a.m. ET. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions beginning at IMSA.com along with SiriusXM 392, SiriusXM Online 992 and 100.9 FM at the circuit.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “We have a year advantage against last year going into Sebring with the GTD PRO Corvette. So I’m sure we will be OK. Sebring always has been a track where we have tested and raced many times, so we know it well. It’s still early in the year so you don’t know how competitive everyone else will be coming into that race with still-new cars. Those should be stronger than last year. Those are just some of the question marks. Until we get there, we’ll wait to see where we are. “Sebring is one of the premier events we do at Corvette Racing each year. It seems the event gets bigger each year, especially now with WEC again. The track is special for us as a team with the history and race wins we have achieved over the years with our Corvettes. We have many miles of testing and competition to draw from for both the IMSA and WEC events. It will be tough on all of us, but that is why we come to Sebring.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Last year’s race was unexpected for us to be as competitive as we were. When we left Daytona last year, we had a lot of question marks but we did a test at Sebring and learned a lot about the tire we were on there. That was a big kick-start to our season and winning the 12 Hours was proof of our development in that short span of time. From the 12 Hours on, we learned a lot more and that showed at Daytona. I think we’ve learned a lot through 2022 that was successful at Sebring, so hopefully we can go there with a little stronger package. It seems like the competition is just as strong if not stronger so it will still be a tough event. “Corvette Racing has been so successful at Sebring over its 25 years of existence. I’m glad we were able to check that box. It’s a race that you could do 100 times and not win. There are so many little things that can go wrong to prevent you from winning or even getting on the podium. For everything to go right was amazing. We pretty much had a flawless performance. We didn’t have the fastest car throughout the day. We just stayed out of trouble and the guys called a great strategy and executed the plan. It was a classic Corvette Racing win.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Corvette Racing has always been fast at Sebring. It’s a track that has been very good to us over the years, and this car won last year in this current spec of car. We’ll go back and try to defend the race win. It will be difficult as always. We saw at Daytona that the competition in both GT classes is tough, and it’s an uphill battle with just the one Corvette but we’ll show up and do our best as we always do.” “The most fun race I can remember at Sebring is 2013 when we came from way back on the Ferrari and made a pass for the lead with about 20 minutes to go in the race. We lost a couple of laps early but kept at it. The Corvette that year was very, very good in the evening, and that’s what you want at Sebring. That’s one I’ll remember for a long time.”
Photos: Richard Prince, Chevrolet Racing
2023 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – GTD PRO (After one of 11 events) Driver Standings 1. Cooper MacNeil/Daniel Juncadella/Jules Gounon/Maro Engel – 385 2. Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Tommy Milner – 348 3. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth/Mike Conway – 330 4. Andrea Caldarelli/Jordan Pepper/Mirko Bortolotti/Romain Grosjean – 306 5. Klaus Bachler/Laurens Vanthoor/Patrick Pilet – 284
Team Standings 1. No. 79 WeatherTech Racing – 385 2. No. 3 Corvette Racing – 348 3. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 330 4. No. 63 Iron Lynx – 306 5. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports – 284
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for the 25th year at Sebring: Corvette Racing and the Chevrolet Corvette. • 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its previous 23 years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. • 4: GT class pole positions at Sebring for Oliver Gavin and Ron Fellows, tied for most in event history. • 8: Sebring victories – a race record – for Johnny O’Connell, a Sebring Hall of Famer who drove for Corvette Racing from 2001-10. It includes one overall and seven class wins. • 13: Number of Sebring victories for Corvette Racing – the most of any venue in program history. Twelve of those have come in the 12 Hours, including last year in GTD PRO. • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001. • 26: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 29: Number of wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing, including last year’s Sebring 12 Hours • 32: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone will join that list with their participation in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 122: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, eight at Le Mans and one in WEC (outside of Le Mans). • 267: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 53,631.76: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing at Sebring. That’s more than two full trips around the Earth at its equator (approx. 24,900 miles). • 351,351.25: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon!
Corvette Racing at Sebring International Raceway 1999 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/John Paul Jr. – 4th in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Scott Sharp/John Heinricy – 7th in GTS (Pilgrim fastest race lap)
2000 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 6th in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 5th in GTS
2001 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Chris Kneifel – 3rd in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2002 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 4th in GTS
2003 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 3rd in GTS (Gavin pole)
2004 No 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 1st in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 6th in GTS (Gavin fastest race lap)
2005 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT1
2006 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 4th in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1
2007 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 1st in GT1
2008 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)
2009 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)
2010 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell/Antonio Garcia – 8th in GT2 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Emmanuel Collard – 9th in GT2
2011 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GT
2012 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GT (Magnussen pole) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 3rd in GT
2013 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 11th in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 1st in GT
2014 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 8th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Robin Liddell – 6th in GTLM (Gavin fastest race lap)
2015 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 1st in GTLM (Daytona/Sebring double) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Simon Pagenaud – 9th in GTLM
2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 9th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 1st in GTLM (10th Sebring team win)
2017 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 1st in GTLM (3rd straight Sebring team win) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 10th in GTLM
2018 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 6th in GTLM
2019 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 3rd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTE Pro (FIA WEC)
2020* No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM
2020 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 5th in GTLM (Garcia pole, Catsburg fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 6th in GTLM
2021 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 4th in GTLM (Taylor pole, Garcia fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 5th in GTLM
2022 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 1st in GTD PRO No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTE PRO (FIA WEC)
PRESS RELEASE: GTE Am campaign for No. 33 C8.R starts at lone FIA WEC American stop
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: No Place Like Home GTE Am campaign for No. 33 C8.R starts at lone FIA WEC American stop
DETROIT (March 9, 2023) – For the second straight year, Corvette Racing begins its globe-trotting venture in the FIA World Endurance Championship at an all-too-familiar place, albeit in an unfamiliar category.
The 1,000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, March 17 kicks off the seven-round WEC season, which sees Ben Keating, Nicky Catsburg and Nico Varrone team in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. It’s the first race together for the trio and the first for Corvette Racing in the GTE Am category, which will feature 14 entries in the event.
The entire class and the 37-car field will take part in this weekend’s two-day Prologue test session ahead of the first official practice session on March 15.
The Corvette program is easily the most experienced team in the WEC paddock at the 3.74-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway circuit. It has 25 years of racing experience at the historic track, which sits on the site of an Army airbase from World War II.
In addition to two previous starts in GTE Pro at the Sebring WEC round – including a runner-up finish last year for Tommy Milner and Nick Tandy – Corvette Racing has 13 victories at the track with 12 coming in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
On the driver front, both Catsburg and Keating have previous starts in the Sebring WEC round. Catsburg finished second in GTE Pro in 2019 while Keating placed third a year ago in GTE Am on his way to the class championship. Meanwhile, Varrone will make his first full-season start as a WEC competitor in the 1,000 Miles.
In addition to Sebring, the Corvette lineup will content the full GTE Am championship including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where the No. 33 C8.R will be among 21 entries in class for the French endurance classic.
The 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the FIA World Endurance Championship is scheduled for noon ET on Friday, March 17. MotorTrend and MotorTrend Plus will provide both level television and streaming coverage. Radio Le Mans will stream audio coverage of all practice sessions, qualifying and the race.
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m massively looking forward to Sebring. It’s the start of a new program for us in GTE Am together with Ben and Nico. I feel like we have a very strong lineup and I cannot wait to get started. We can build on strong results from last year after winning there in IMSA and the guys in the WEC finished P2, so the car obviously has good potential around Sebring. “The plan is to stay out of trouble and focus on the championship right from the start. I’m looking forward to getting back together with the team and looking forward to going over the IMSA paddock and see everyone on that side again. It’ll be a big weekend, and I’m ready to get started.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’ve said over and over again how excited I am as an American to drive for an American team in an American brand, and I’m excited to be racing in a brand that I sell. Not only are we going to be racing this American brand with an American team all around the world, but the first race in the USA, which is special. There is one race in the United States for the World Endurance Championship, and clearly we want to show well on our home soil. As a team, Corvette Racing has thousands of laps around there during the last 25 years, so I expect the team, the car, the drivers and everyone is going to be well tuned up and ready to go for this race. “My first laps in the Corvette were at the WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain, and it was different enough there that I left thinking that I had a lot to learn about this car. Then we did the test at Sebring and it was a totally different experience. That left me thinking, ‘Wow… this is a really special car.’ Not only is it special from my standpoint of racing it, but the performance level around Sebring is awesome. Sebring is unlike anywhere else in the world – very flat, very bumpy and very different from a typical FIA circuit that we go to in WEC. This is not that; this is an old, historic circuit and the Corvette performed amazingly well at the test. It set my expectations really high for the race. It handles the bumps extremely well, and it’s very comfortable to drive. I don’t know if there’s such a thing as an easy car to drive around Sebring because it’s such a physical track. It will beat you up a little bit. But “the Corvette is such a delight to drive, and it’s easy on the driver. This also is the first race for me to do with Nico and Nicky. I’m super excited about my teammates. We’ve all gotten along exceedingly well. There are no egos. No one is out there trying to prove what they’re capable of doing as an individual. It’s a great feeling of being great teammates – not just for this race but the whole World Endurance Championship. I couldn’t imagine having a better group of teammates going into the season, and I’m super excited to go racing with these guys.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m really excited to start this new program with Corvette Racing. It’s my first time racing for a factory team so it’s a dream for me, and to do it with this great brand makes it even better! Teaming up with Nicky Catsburg and Ben Keating is a great chance for the whole team to achieve some good things in the GTE Am class. Speaking personally, I can learn a lot from them and keep growing as a driver. I simply can’t wait! “Sebring is really special. I did some laps in the C8.R with Corvette Racing in December and I really enjoyed the track. I cannot think for a better place for my debut with this team than to do it at this legendary track where Corvette has achieved so much success.”
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: By the Numbers • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car for the 25th year at Sebring: Corvette Racing and the Chevrolet Corvette. • 3: Tracks where Corvette Racing has competed in each of its previous 23 years: Sebring, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. • 4: GT class pole positions at Sebring for Oliver Gavin and Ron Fellows, tied for most in event history. • 8: Sebring victories – a race record – for Johnny O’Connell, a Sebring Hall of Famer who drove for Corvette Racing from 2001-10. It includes one overall and seven class wins. • 13: Number of Sebring victories for Corvette Racing – the most of any venue in program history. Twelve of those have come in the 12 Hours, including last year in GTD PRO. • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001. • 26: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 29: Number of wins in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing, including last year’s Sebring 12 Hours. • 32: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. Ben Keating and Nico Varrone will join that list with their participation in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring for the World Endurance Championship. • 122: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, eight at Le Mans and one in WEC (outside of Le Mans). • 267: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999. • 53,631.76: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing at Sebring. That’s more than two full trips around the Earth at its equator (approx. 24,900 miles). • 351,351.25: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles. That means Corvette Racing has raced to the moon!
Corvette Racing at Sebring International Raceway 1999 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/John Paul Jr. – 4th in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Scott Sharp/John Heinricy – 7th in GTS (Pilgrim fastest race lap)
2000 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 6th in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 5th in GTS
2001 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Chris Kneifel – 3rd in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 2nd in GTS
2002 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Oliver Gavin – 1st in GTS (Fellows pole) No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 4th in GTS
2003 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Oliver Gavin/Kelly Collins/Andy Pilgrim – 3rd in GTS (Gavin pole)
2005 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 3rd in GT1
2006 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Max Papis – 4th in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1
2007 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 2nd in GT1 (Magnussen pole, fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 1st in GT1
2008 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Jan Magnussen – 1st in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Max Papis – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin fastest race lap)
2009 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell/Antonio Garcia – 1st in GT1 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Marcel Fässler – 2nd in GT1 (Gavin pole, fastest race lap)
2010 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O'Connell/Antonio Garcia – 8th in GT2 No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Oliver Gavin/Emmanuel Collard – 9th in GT2
2011 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Olivier Beretta/Tommy Milner/Antonio Garcia – 3rd in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Jan Magnussen/Richard Westbrook – 4th in GT
2012 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GT (Magnussen pole) No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 3rd in GT
2013 No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 11th in GT No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Richard Westbrook – 1st in GT
2014 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 8th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Robin Liddell – 6th in GTLM (Gavin fastest race lap)
2015 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 1st in GTLM (Daytona/Sebring double) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Simon Pagenaud – 9th in GTLM
2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 9th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 1st in GTLM (10th Sebring team win)
2017 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 1st in GTLM (3rd straight Sebring team win) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 10th in GTLM
2018 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 6th in GTLM
2019 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 3rd in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM No. 63 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 8th in GTE Pro (FIA WEC)
2020* No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM (Taylor pole) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 1st in GTLM
2020 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 5th in GTLM (Garcia pole, Catsburg fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 6th in GTLM
2021 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 4th in GTLM (Taylor pole, Garcia fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 5th in GTLM
2022 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 1st in GTD PRO No. 64 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 2nd in GTE PRO (FIA WEC)
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: WEC and IMSA ANTONIO GARCIA Zoom Transcript
Media Q&A with Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating, Nico Varrone
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: WEC Zoom Transcript Media Q&A with Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating, Nico Varrone
Corvette Racing FIA World Endurance Championship drivers Nicky Catsburg, Ben Keating and Nico Varrone answered questions today from media members ahead of this weekend’s WEC Prologue at Sebring International Raceway. They will open the season in the 1,000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, March 17 in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R as part of the GTE Am field. Full transcript:
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R AFTER WINNING LAST YEAR IN THE SEBRING 12 HOURS, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT TO REPEAT THAT IN THE WEC ROUND? “Last year was super nice, winning the race. I also remember the year before, we were incredibly close in winning it that year as well but a late-race crash with another competitor took us out of the lead. I cannot wait to drive the GTE-spec car again. I personally like it a little bit better than the GT3-spec. I cannot wait to try and win it without ABS; in general I just enjoy driving the GTE car a lot, so hopefully we can repeat that win from last year.”
THERE’S ONLY AN HOUR OR SO OF DARKNESS IN THE SEBRING RACING, BUT CAN YOU GO THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF RACING IN THE DARK AT SEBRING AND OTHER PLACES? “Some places are more difficult than others, and I would say Sebring is one of the more difficult ones. Specifically, kind of Turn 10 through Turn 14 gets really, really dark and there’s one part where you really struggle to see how close to the outside of the track you are. Navigating there with traffic makes it very, very difficult because you just don’t see so much. We have great lights on the car but it’s not nearly enough to really see what’s going on. Then you have a lot of bright headlights in your rearview mirrors constantly flashing, which makes it very, very hard to see where you’re going. I must say that doing it more often does help you get better at it and to remain more calm. “For example in the Sebring 12 Hours, you would kind of keep one driver for the end of the race and that driver would then also do more in the night practice so he is more prepared for finishing the race in the dark. I would say it’s the most difficult part of the race to do. If I had to compare it, the (Nürburgring) Nordschleife is very dark but somehow not as dark as Sebring, which is hard to imagine! The same goes for Le Mans. I always find that relatively easy in the dark. Spa-Francorchamps is more difficult again. I don’t know really why this is, but some tracks are just more difficult in the dark than others. Sebring has a lot of bumps everywhere. Already in the daylight it is difficult to see sometimes where you are, let alone in the dark. So Sebring is definitely difficult.”
ON BEING THE TEAM LEADER AS THE MOST EXPERIENCED DRIVER IN THE CORVETTE. “It’s definitely going to be different. I was always the third driver at Corvette so I was filling in for the few endurance races – Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans and Le Mans. So this is the first time I’m doing a full season with Corvette Racing with two new teammates. I feel like I’m the one with the most experience in the car, which is a first for me. It’s definitely going to be a change. But I feel with this team and the support I have from my teammates in the past years, I hope I can do the same job now for Ben and Nico. Ben is incredibly experienced in these races and Nico – I don’t want to raise the expectations too much! – but he was nothing but amazing in the tests that we did. I don’t feel like they will need too much help from me. It is a bit of a change for me, but we will be fine.”
BEN KEATING, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R HAS YOUR ANTICIPATION LEVEL FOR THIS RACE CONTINUED TO BUILD OVER THE MONTHS AND WEEKS? “No, not at all. I would even say it’s greater than it’s ever been for several reasons. One is that it’s obviously my first race with Corvette Racing, and that’s enough anticipation on its own. Then in addition to that, it’s the only WEC race that is on home soil in the US, which puts a little more importance up there for me. Lastly, I would say that last year doing the double between the Aston Martin and the LMP2 in the 12-hour race, it was one of the most difficult and physical endeavors I’ve ever done. I’m hoping I prepare a little bit better for it this year. But I still have a little bit of that anticipation for how I will feel in the 12-hour. I’m not worried that much for the WEC race. So there are a lot of different reasons for all the anticipation building up.”
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IN TESTING PREPARATIONS WITH THIS CAR AND ADAPTING TO THE C8.R? “I got to do a few laps on the Rookie Test Day after Bahrain. I got to do 10 laps exactly; we were more focused on testing Silvers and watching Nico go fast around Bahrain. When I first got in the car at Bahrain, I know looking at it that it’s a mid-engine car, so I kept trying (think about) how I’m supposed to drive this car. Am I supposed to drive it like a Ford or like the Porsche or like the Ferrari, those being other mid-engine cars. I will say that I was quite disappointed with my performance in Bahrain. I came back and looked at the data and realized that you drive this car completely differently than any of those. So while I was leaning on my experience of how to go fast in all those other cars, I wasn’t able to find it. Then fast-forward another couple of months and we went testing at Sebring. It was incredible. The speed came pretty quick for me, I would say. I felt very comfortable in the car, and I feel like I made some huge steps in learning how this car likes to be driven. It’s significantly different than all the others. For me personally, it’s taken a little bit to get used to. I’ve been in a turbo car for the last couple of years, and the big V8 has a lot more torque instantly at low RPMs than having to wait for that big turbo to wind up, so you don’t have that lag which takes a little while to get used to. The year before, I was in the Porsche RSR and again it doesn’t have the same level of torque that a big V8 has. They all have slightly different handling characteristics. “After Bahrain I was worried, but after Sebring I’m excited! I made the transition and was really happy with my performance after the test. After that, I’ve been testing in the LMP2 there as well, and I feel there is a decent crossover between the two cars at this particular track. I’m ready.”
AT THE SEBRING TEST, HOW MUCH TIME DID YOU GET IN THE CAR? “I don’t remember a specific lap count. The three of us were all there, and we all got quite a few laps.”
TALKING ABOUT THE PROGRESSION OF THE GTE FORMULA SINCE YOU STARTED RACING IN GTE AND HOW THE CARS HAVE MOVED ON. “I’ll say this specifically for GTE Am, because that’s what is important to me and that’s what makes this class special. As all of you are aware, in every GTE Am car it requires one Bronze, one Silver and one either Gold or Platinum (driver). What I love about the GTE Am class and racing the GTE car is that it doesn’t have ABS, as Nicky started talking about. It really separates the Bronze drivers between those who can drive well without ABS and those who can’t or struggle with it. The difference in laptime gets to be larger based on the skill that you acquire over time. That’s one big piece of it for me, specifically in GTE Am. I don’t think you saw that big of a difference in GTE Pro. The thing I’ve loved about it for years… what really got to me about racing in GT3 is that there were all these BoP changes all the time. You never knew if you were going to have a chance or not to do well in the race. I didn’t like spending dollars, and blood, sweat and tears at a track not knowing if we weren’t going to have a chance. “What I really love about the GTE Am setup has been that all of the BoP is set off the Pro class from the previous year. We’re racing a previous year’s car so we rarely get BoP changes in GTE Am, and they allow the rewards weight or success ballast to level the playing field. Clearly if you get 40 kilos in the car, it’s going to cost you a half-second a lap at most of the tracks we go to, but you can still have a chance and you can have a competitive car. Lastly, I love racing with a confidential tire. The Michelin confidentials are just that good. It’s so nice to race with a tire that has been built and designed around your car and different circumstances. I’m going to be sad to see it go, is my answer. I’m sad to see GTE go. For me personally, it doesn’t have anything to do with the GT3 cars. It just has to do with the class. I think you’re taking something away when you add ABS and every driver out there can be a hero in every brake zone.”
YOUR TIME WITH TF SPORT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHILE MOVING ON TO CORVETTE RACING. “That team is special. They are great people. That’s hard to walk away from. It’s hard to walk away from that much success… second place at Le Mans and second place in the championship (in 2021) and then a win at Le Mans and winning the championship in the second year. Clearly we were on a roll. But I pay for all this by selling cars, and I don’t sell Aston Martins. I’ve got nothing bad to say about TF Sport other than they are not racing a Corvette!”
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN RACING A GT CAR AND AN LMP2 CAR IN THE DARK? “There are three major things that make Sebring difficult at night. One is it is so flat that it’s hard to get a reference of what you’re looking at it. Yes it’s dark, but it’s no more dark than any of the other tracks that Nicky mentioned. It’s just really flat, which makes it hard to get a reference of knowing exactly where to turn in, exactly where the brake point is, exactly where the exit of the corner is and those kinds of things. The other two things that come to mind is that we are going to have the largest Hypercar field that we have ever seen in the World Endurance Championship. My only protest in the Hypercar class is that the LED lights that they have when they flash are unbelievably bright; they’re ridiculously bright and they will blind you. It’s not as bad when you had three or four cars there to contend with. Knowing that we are going to have eight or 10 of those going around the track, it’s going to mean that you’re going to have one of those behind you more often. That is going to make it quite a challenge. “The other thing that isn’t thought of very often is that there are quite a few pavement changes at Sebring. It goes from concrete to asphalt to sealed concrete. It’s one thing when the bright Florida sun is shining down on all the track, it can get really hot. But when the sun goes down, each one of those pavement surfaces changes quite a bit. I think it changes the handling of the car quite a bit. The only thing that matters obviously is the end of the race. This is more of an issue on the IMSA side of things because of the safety cars and more time in darkness. But I think it’s wise to do a lot of setup work and a lot of running night practice specifically because you have to make sure you have a car that is set up to do well when the sun goes down because the track changes a lot more than you might think.”
ON WEC BANNING TIRE WARMERS FOR THIS YEAR WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE OF NOT HAVING THEM IN IMSA. DOES THAT GIVE YOU AN EDGE OVER THE OTHER BRONZE DRIVERS? “I hope so but we will see. I think everybody is going to be learning a lot, and it’s a great question. It’s going to be one of the major challenges for all teams in WEC. I feel like the confidential tire we are running is designed to be heated, and it’s designed to be warm when you take off. I think about at Le Mans in the night when it’s cool outside and you have a safety car period or a long full-course yellow, it’s really, really difficult to get those tires back up to temperature and back up to where they’re hot enough that they are in the right operating window. Sometimes I wasn’t able to get them there, especially at Le Mans where you have the long straightaways. It can be a big challenge to get the heat back in the tires. So when you’re starting off from ground zero of having an absolutely cold tire, it will be a big challenge for all the teams to get those tires up to temperature. Yes, I think it’s an advantage for me. I enjoy watching all the European teams, especially in LMP2, come in for the 24 Hours of Daytona. They’re all used to having tire warmers and they go out and spin in Turn Three very often because they’re not used to what it takes to deal with cold tires. I think it’s easier on the GT cars than the prototypes, but I think we’re going to see quite a few more issues and incidents with all the classes as everyone gets used to what it’s like to go out and deal with cold tires. It’s a significant change. It’s interesting to me that we’re getting this significant change in the last year of the class; maybe they’re saying it’s the first year of Hypercar. It’s interesting. I think it’s less of an issue, in my opinion, with the customer tire that a lot of the teams are running. It might be less of an issue with the Goodyears on the LMP2. I don’t know. I just know that my experience in the night at Le Mans would suggest that it’s pretty difficult to go out on a confidential tire that’s cold. I think we’ll see more teams running a softer compound, seeing if they can get away with doing a double-stint on a softer compound just because that may be the only tire they can figure out how to get heat in over a stint. It’s going to be an interesting change for this season.”
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R EXPECTATIONS FOR SEBRING IN YOUR FIRST RACE IN THE CORVETTE C8.R. “First of all, this will be one of my best experiences ever. To be joining Corvette Racing is a dream for me to be part of a factory team with Ben and Nicky. It will be amazing. I’m really excited about it. I did some laps in Bahrain and Sebring, and I was really comfortable with the car. I personally enjoyed driving the Ferrari GTE, but with the Corvette I feel there is something special in the first moments. It suits really well my driving style. We have a really good lineup and a really good car. I hope we can have a clean race, a clean weekend and take the most out of it.”
YOU COME OFF WINNING LMP3 AT DAYTONA, SO HOW DIFFICULT WILL IT BE LEARNING ALL THE PROCEDURAL CHANGES LIKE FULL-COURSE YELLOWS AND CAUTIONS WITH THE WEC VERSUS IMSA? “That’s a good question. Last year, I raced in the ELMS and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, so I have experience. I didn’t do a full season in WEC but doing races in both championships helped me quite a lot. I don’t think it will be a big change for me. I feel ready for the challenge. I think I will have to learn a bit more on my side to know more about the car and to know what the car likes, setup changes and other stuff that will be new for me. We have a long season ahead and the Prologue this weekend, so that will help me a lot to get up to speed and try to be the best version of myself.”
COMPARING AND CONTRASTING THE CORVETTE AND FERRARI GTE CAR THAT YOU’VE DRIVEN BEFORE. “I was really impressed at the Bahrain test. As Ben said, I was trying to use all my experience with the Ferrari and put it in the Corvette, and it wasn’t working on the first outing I did. I was really struggling with low-speed corners with some oversteer. I worked with the engineers on the data, and they told me it was a completely different way of driving. Once I started working on it through the laps and over the runs, I really improved on it. I have to say it’s a different concept to drive it and you have to get used to it. And when I got to Sebring, I already had this experience from Bahrain and I got used to it. It wasn’t a big challenge for me because I got used to it really quickly. Because of my driving style, I liked the way of driving it. But it’s really different to other cars I’ve driven in the past.”
Ryan Smith Judy Kouba Dominick xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Media Q&A ahead of Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for defending GTD PRO co-winner
CORVETTE RACING AT SEBRING: Antonio Garcia Zoom Transcript Media Q&A ahead of Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring for defending GTD PRO co-winner
Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia was part of a media Zoom today to talk about next week’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and the second round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. He will team with Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R. The trio finished second in the GTD PRO class to open the season at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT HISTORY AT SEBRING. WHAT DO YOU EXPECT NEXT WEEK? “Coming from a good race at Daytona, we should be up there. Corvette Racing always has had quite a bit of success in this race. We weren’t there (at Sebring) for the last (IMSA) test but we were there in December. Although it was with the new GT3 car, we still got some good information. It’s a new year and we had a lot of data to analyze from last year’s race. It was kind of a surprise for us to be that good, especially in the day. So I’m looking forward to getting back there. I’ve always loved this race. The Corvette fans will be out there, too. It’s always a great event for us as Corvette drivers and another one for me.”
BEFORE THE FIRST TIME YOU RACED AT SEBRING, WHAT DID A FELLOW DRIVER OR TEAM OWNER TELL YOU ABOUT THE TRACK? WAS IT THE BUMPS OR SOMETHING ELSE? “It was 2006 or 2007… I definitely was younger! I think it was the bumps, mainly the trickier parts of the racetracks. Everyone tries to explain to you where to go and what to hit or not to hit, but it’s almost impossible to figure out what to expect until you do a few laps. It’s a tricky track to learn. After a few laps, it doesn’t feel like you can go around fast but then you get in a groove and everything comes easier. Now that I’ve done it for so many years, it feels like I know every single bump around the track. It’s much easier now.”
DO YOU APPRECIATE THAT THE TRACK HAS THIS KIND OF CHARACTER TO IT? “I think you do. It’s the whole environment there. You start early in the morning almost with the sunrise for warmup. Most of the race is super-hot in the middle of the day and then you go straight into the night with a classic March sunset where you don’t see a thing going into Turn 17 and Turn Seven. Every single aspect of that race is unique. Even if at times it feels like it is undriveable, it’s one of my favorites if not my favorite race of the year.”
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE TRACK AND YOUR LEAST FAVORITE PART OF THE TRACK? “At sunset and going into Turn 17 and Turn Seven, you’re hoping (the sun) gets in the clouds. With a full bright sky, you know it’s going to be really, really tough. At times, I got into the car with three hours to go so that means you get the sunset and then you go full into the dark. You need to pick the right visor and everything needs to be perfect. I’ve been in every single condition around there but for sure in the sunset – if it’s full bright – it’s tricky. That’s a time where you don’t want to be fighting too much with somebody or if traffic gets very, very tricky in those conditions because someone may not see you. It’s only 20-25 minutes, but it’s very, very tricky.” “But I love the whole racetrack at night. When it’s full dark and you know it’s coming to the end of the race, the grip is usually back in the car. That’s the most joyful time of the race. No matter how tired you are, if you are in contention for the win then that’s when the whole magic of Sebring comes. That’s what we all remember… those last stints at Sebring and when you are in contention or winning the race.”
WHICH RACE IS TOUGHER TO GET ON THE PODIUM: DAYTONA 24 HOURS OR SEBRING 12 HOURS? “I think probably Sebring is a bit tougher to get everything in the right spot. Everything is different. You finish in the dark, which is tough for everybody. Traffic is really bad at that point. For me, it seems like I’ve had more success at Sebring, but I think I would consider Sebring a little bit tougher than Daytona. If you have the pace at Daytona, it’s easier to pace yourself to be in contention at the end of the race. At Sebring, it’s not only pace. The weather changes more. You’re finishing in the dark, and you only run that for two hours. It’s a bit trickier, I think.”
PRESS RELEASE: Garcia, Taylor, Milner fight from behind to challenge for GTD PRO class win
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Close… but Second in Rolex 24 Garcia, Taylor, Milner fight from behind to challenge for GTD PRO class win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 29, 2023) – Corvette Racing started its 25th season of competition with a runner-up class finish Sunday in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner teamed up for the second-place GT Daytona (GTD) PRO result in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
After a drive back from two laps down in the middle of the night – due to a flat left-rear tire and a rear brake change – the No. 3 C8.R moved back to not just contention for the Rolex victory but to the lead just before sunrise Sunday morning.
The chaotic events of the middle eight hours looked like they would give way with a caution-free run of more than five hours into mid-morning. Taylor drove a double-stint for his final laps in the car and led the class multiple times. At that point and with a little more than three hours to go, Milner took over from Taylor and drove two stints of hard, intense racing that saw the Corvette and two other competitors swap the GTD PRO lead.
Milner gave way to Garcia for an even more chaotic final one hour, 45 minutes. The top three cars – the 3 Corvette, the 14 Lexus and 79 Mercedes – swapped back and forth through three full-course caution periods in the span of an hour and 20 minutes before a final 26-minute run to the flag with Garcia coming home second in class.
An up-and-down middle eight hours saw Corvette Racing re-emerge from two laps down and back into contention for a class victory as daylight arrived Sunday. The three Corvette Racing drivers each drove triple-stints through the darkness as they rotated through the C8.R for the second time.
Garcia, who started the race Saturday, worked with the Corvette Racing engineers to improve tire performance through his three stints. By the time he handed over to Taylor a little before the 10-hour mark, the C8.R was in a better state than when Garcia took over as Taylor left the pitlane in the class lead thanks to a solid stop by the Corvette pit crew.
Things began to look dire near the 10.5-hour mark when the No. 3 Corvette suffered a left-rear flat tire just before Taylor came on the Turn 1 speedway banking while running second in class. He nursed the car back to pitlane even as the tire came off the wheel before the Corvette made it back to pit entry.
The team quickly changed tires but had to stop a lap later to change the Corvette’s rear brakes due to damage from the flat tire. It dropped the No. 3 C8.R to two laps down.
Critically, Taylor was able to stay ahead of the GTD PRO leader and not lose another lap before a full-course yellow just before the halfway point of the race. The Corvette Racing crew got a lap back during a pass-around before stopping for fuel and tires, and then the crew changed the front brakes a lap later to return the Corvette to full strength – and the lead lap – with just over 11-and-a-half hours to go.
Taylor gave way to Milner from the sixth position in class about an hour later with the Corvette rejoining in fifth. Less than an hour into his opening stint, the race’s eighth full-course caution drew Milner closer to the front. He ran third in class and seven seconds from the lead as the race entered the final eight hours.
Corvette Racing’s next event in the WeatherTech Championship is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 18.
Photos: Richard Prince, Chevrolet Racing
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “P2 at Daytona… it was a bit crazy out there. With the P3 cars ahead of us, it was a lottery especially in turns One and Three. Everybody was getting super crazy. When you have a car with ABS, you can just go for it and that’s what people are doing. But we did all we could. That was all we had. A lot of times, I was very surprised to be where we were. We seemed to be good on fuel, which seemed to be our only chance. We just didn’t have the outright pace.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO:“The Rolex 24 is always kind of a stand-alone race for us every year. If you look at our race as a whole, we had some adversity during the night but came from two laps down. Everyone executed well. We were in the hunt most of the way. We didn’t have the outright pace, but it was a true Corvette Racing race where we battled our way back to second. We started with a third-place car and finished second, so that’s a win in our book.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – FINISHED SECOND IN GTD PRO:“Based on how everything was going in practice and in the Roar, I think P2 in the end is quite good. When you have a chance to fight for the win like that and for us to run up front for so much of the race, to miss it by that much at the end is tough. We knew going in that the Mercedes guys were quick, the Aston was quick, the Lexus was quick. It was a great job by the team to persevere and to keep pushing all throughout the race. My teammates did a great job. We were just missing a little bit of pace at the end. It was a good race for all three of us. We were racing super-hard and pushing super-hard. We just came up a little short.”
No. 3 Corvette C8.R moves toward the front in GTD PRO in opening hours of Rolex 24
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Eight-Hour Update No. 3 Corvette C8.R moves toward the front in GTD PRO in opening hours of Rolex 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2023) – Corvette Racing opened the Rolex 24 At Daytona in strong style Saturday as the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R spent ample time out front during the first eight hours.
Antonio Garcia was in the middle of a triple stint in his second round in the GTD PRO challenger. All three drivers – Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner double-stinted in their initial rotations in the Corvette. As the clock moved past the eight-hour mark, Garcia ran fourth in class and fifth of all GTD cars.
The No. 3 C8.R started fourth in GTD PRO and 11th among the GTD category. Garcia wasted little time in moving forward and gained eight overall positions and ran third in GTD PRO by the time he made his first stop shy of the one-hour mark. He continued strong pace in the daytime and moved to second in class before he stopped to swap over Taylor.
The No. 3 Corvette benefitted from a full-course yellow just after Taylor got in the car, and he moved into the lead shortly after the restart. He drove just shy of eight hours before Milner drove in the race for the first time. The pace of some of the competing cars increased in the dark and colder temperatures but Milner kept the Corvette clean and in contention as the driver rotation began again.
Corvette Racing’s next update will come at the 16-hour mark.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "It's been good so far. The pace was really good. I don't know who was starting in every car. It's tough to judge who was driving and how aggressive you could be. I tried to be careful on the start but lost the right-hand mirror anyway. The pace seems to be really good. I was able to pass people; the infield seems OK and the slipstream seems to be doing the job to get by. Of course once you get to the front, the slipstream goes away and you're pretty much stuck with that you have. But it looks pretty good but there are many hours to go.
"Coming into the race, we didn't know the pace we would have. At the start, I kind of pushed and was a little bit aggressive. I could get closer and closer to other cars and could pass them. That was something new compared to last year when we were basically just hanging around on the oval. It's good to know we can pass cars. Let's see... it's still too early into the race but we have pace and we are up there. Now it's time to start tuning everything we have toward tomorrow and let's see where we are. Tomorrow is a different day and it's supposed to be hotter so we'll see where everybody stands."
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: "The stint was OK. I think we were expected pace-wise. We don't have the outright pace to compete with the top guys. I think we cycled through the front through some strategy and some slower guys getting in the car. We fought to the front in my last stint. The LMP3 cars on the restarts are as we thought. I was able to make some moves and pass some LMP3s to gap myself to the GTD field, and that helped us keep that lead through the stint. The name of the game right now is staying out of trouble, which is difficult in traffic but so far so good."
MORE ON THE OPENING RUN: "So far so good. Antonio was able to get up to P3 in his stint and then we were able to cycle to the lead and stay there for a couple of hours. The competition is tough. We don't have the fastest car right now, but I think through pit stop cycles and strategy, we can stay out front. There's a long way to go. Hopefully come tomorrow morning, we'll be in a good spot."
DEALING WITH GTP TRAFFIC AND COMFORT LEVEL: "It's not bad. I think most of those guys are somewhat conscious as opposed to previous years with the cars maybe not as reliable. So you can tell they're a little more hesitant, which is nice for us. The closing rates at places like the Kink are a little faster but nothing too crazy. It's usually the LMP2s or LMP3s that kind of cause more issues for us."
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “The first stint for me went OK. We were close to the front when I got in but dropped back a little bit throughout. My first stint was difficult; the tire pressure was a little too high so that was tricky at first. The second was a lot better. Right now the name of the game is keeping the car in one piece and making sure we get the strategy right. We’ll see how Antonio does in his run. It seems like we were quite quick in the warmer temperatures and maybe not so much in the cooler stints, so we’ll see how it goes through the night.
RETURNING TO IMSA: “I’m back with Brian (Hoye) again. I’ve spent a lot of year with Brian as my crew chief so that feels very normal. I’ve been with this program for many years; I think this is my 13th season with Corvette Racing. We have a lot of new faces in some ways but some familiar ones as well. It feels like home no matter who’s on the car and who’s engineering the car. The formula at Corvette Racing is shared among everyone. It doesn’t matter who’s putting on tires, who’s putting in the fuel, who’s engineering or who’s driving. We’re all trying to do the same job, and that’s to put our Corvette out front.”
PRESS RELEASE: Celebrating the start of a landmark season at Daytona, surrounded by Chevrolet vehicles
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Twenty-Five Years and Counting Celebrating the start of a landmark season at Daytona surrounded by Chevrolet vehicles
DETROIT (Jan. 25, 2023) – Twenty-five years ago, no one knew what to expect when two Chevrolet Corvette C5-R racecars showed up at Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24 At Daytona – the first event for the then-new factory sports car program.
The volumes of stories and successes that came after that first race are enough to fill up multiple books. That’s what happens when a single program with the same manufacturer, the same team and the same car wins 122 races around the world – including four at the Rolex 24 – to go along with 15 Team championships, 14 Manufacturers and Drivers titles in North American competition and more than 350,000 racing miles covered.
Chevrolet and Corvette Racing leaders, current and past drivers offer their thoughts on this monumental achievement and what Corvette Racing has meant to them personally…
JIM CAMPBELL, CHEVROLET U.S. VICE PRESIDENT, PERFORMANCE AND MOTORSPORTS: "Twenty-five years of Corvette Racing is a remarkable achievement. I remember being part of our first race at Daytona in 1999 and the excitement around our first race. Now 25 years later, that level of anticipation and thrill remains for everyone within our team and our Corvette owners and supporters. This program is a benchmark in our company for technology and development transferring from racetrack to showroom. Engine technology, advanced aerodynamics and light-weighting materials are hallmarks of how Corvette Racing has influenced Chevrolet vehicles for 25 years. I can't thank the team members, our Corvette owners and our Corvette fans enough for their 25 years of loyalty, and we look forward to many more."
LAURA WONTROP KLAUSER, GM SPORTS CAR RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: "Corvette Racing is very special to me personally. Coming from the production side of Chevrolet, I saw first-hand the influence that our motorsports participation – Corvette Racing, in particular – had in design and development. It was nothing new as the program already had established itself as a leader in technology transfer. But seeing that in real-life was very cool, especially given the Corvette I had in my garage. Moving to competition and working close with the Corvette Racing team – the crew, the engineers and the drivers – and meeting so many of our passion Corvette owners and fans has been an absolute thrill of a lifetime. As exciting as that is, I'm even more excited for what the future holds for Corvette Racing."
ANTONIO GARCIA, CURRENT CORVETTE RACING DRIVER: “I knew when I joined Corvette Racing that my goal was to be here long-term. I’m really happy that it worked out that way. When I joined in 2009, I had the option to stay with another manufacturer, but I had discovered American racing a few years before that and my choice was to join what I thought was the best team, and I still think we are the best. I’m very thankful. It’s quite unique to see a 25-year relationship at this level. I’m happy to have driven Corvettes for 14 years and going on 15. “The first time I saw Corvette Racing was watching footage of the win at Daytona in 2001. Even though I wasn’t racing in sports cars then, I still saw a lot of the Le Mans 24 Hours. You knew those yellow cars were going around and winning races. When I moved to GT in 2006, we knew that the bigger battles would be in America with Aston Martin vs. Corvette. I was on the other side then and experienced how hard those battles were when we would race at Le Mans and Sebring. My eyes were really opened to how hard Corvette Racing competed. The relationship between the two teams was great always. “This is part of the Corvette Racing environment: My family has always been welcomed in and it is an extended family. During the week at home, I have my own family and on the weekends I have Corvette Racing. When I joined, I was 28 and was probably one of the youngest members of the team. Now it’s the complete opposite! I don’t know how many people on the team are older than me now! But I’m happy I can still provide experience and speed to the team. Consistency is big here and so is experience.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, CURRENT CORVETTE RACING DRIVER: “It’s amazing. In motorsports, I don’t know how many relationships make it to 25 years. For GM, Chevrolet, Pratt Miller and Corvette Racing to be this family for so long, it comes down to success. If they weren’t successful, I don’t think this relationship would still be going on. It speaks volumes for everyone involved. For me to be part of it for all these years is a very special feeling and something I’m very proud of. The last few years as a full-time driver have been amazing with winning a couple of championships and winning races like Daytona and Sebring and all the special ones that everyone talks about is huge, and that’s what Corvette Racing is known for. “I was 10 years old at Le Mans watching my dad for the first time, and we shared hospitality with Corvette Racing. So I saw it first-hand back then seeing all the Corvette Racing guys on the biggest stage against the biggest manufacturers. It was always the goal back then to be in that position so for all of that to come full circle, it’s almost impossible to believe that it’s happened. It’s hard to picture that I was once a kid watching the team back then. It’s super special and something I’m always thankful for. I know the opportunity could have never come and I could have been doing something way different with my life. It’s always something I’m thankful for.”
TOMMY MILNER, CURRENT CORVETTE RACING DRIVER: “Twenty-five years is incredible for a team and car manufacturer partnership. To last that long is unheard of. It’s a testament to how well the foundations of the program from Day One have allowed it to continue this long. Each year, the team and Chevrolet grow that relationship and partnership with closer links to racecar and production cars. In many ways, it starts with the commitment that Chevrolet has toward sports car racing – not just in the United States but around the world. “Car manufacturers oftentimes love to play for a little bit and then take a break or go somewhere else. But Chevrolet and Corvette have been consistently here for 25 years. Any car manufacturer looking at going racing needs to look at what Corvette Racing has done. The production cars have transformed from what they had been in the late 1990s when this program came about to where the eighth-generation Corvette is now. In terms of being faster, better handling and everything you want in a car, the Corvette has improved over the years. The racecars have gone hand-in-hand with those production cars as well in improving over the years. It’s a good mirror of having a great product for the road and a great product on the racetrack. I feel very fortunate to have been part of this program for as long as I have, and hopefully that continues on in the future.”
RON FELLOWS, CORVETTE RACING DRIVER FROM 1999-2007: "It's amazing. I sat down with some of the Chevy leadership in September of 1997 and they talked about taking a Corvette to Le Mans. I was dumbfounded! But they were serious about it and said they wanted me to be part of it and lead the program as a driver. I couldn't say yes fast enough! “It's great to see not only the success of Corvette Racing but also the development of generations of production Corvette. They both improved hand-in-hand. To see how both have evolved is awesome to look at. "We certainly learned a ton at that first Rolex 24. And we continued to get better throughout 1999 and into 2000. When you look at how long development occurred, you realize how much work went into it. In 2000, we knew we had a fast car and it was a matter of putting all the pieces together to finish it off. But the evolution of the cars and people was phenomenal. There were tough times but everyone kept digging and we were all better for it."
OLIVER GAVIN, CORVETTE RACING DRIVER FROM 2002-2020: “When I first tested for Corvette Racing in 2001, the team already was established and it was a force in the paddocks of the American Le Mans Series and at Le Mans. When you get into three or four years of a program, you think that something will change and something will happen to move on to the next thing. But it was amazing to see how Corvette Racing grew from C5-R to C6.R through the different competition we faced. The racing back then, thinking about it now, makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was fantastic fun and great, intense racing. “You get to 2010 and I'd been there for nine seasons. You think how this keeps building and building every year. The competition level in any form of GT racing is so high, no matter where you go. But this team has constantly been running at the front. Part of that key is building on the foundation of the road car, and you see that from generation to generation. You see the lessons that have been learned and how they are applied in production and with the race team. It shows how hard everyone works together and the overall effort of the individual groups. Everyone is pulling in the same direction and wanting to keep progressing and continuing the level and standard that Corvette Racing has established for so long.”
Chevrolet on Display All Around Daytona · Exciting Chevrolet products won’t be found just on the track at the Rolex 24. Starting Friday fans, can check out a large variety of Chevy models at three locations around Daytona International Speedway. The Chevrolet Experience Center, the Chevrolet Injector and Chevrolet Motorsports Display each will be full of Chevrolet vehicles that spectators can learn more about throughout the weekend.
Each location will open at 9 a.m., Friday and Saturday; and 8 a.m., Sunday.
The Chevrolet Experience Center is located next to Victory Lane. The main attraction for Corvette enthusiasts is the 2024 Corvette E-Ray – Chevrolet’s first electrified, all-wheel drive Corvette. In addition, multiple versions of the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will be on display alongside Blazer RS, Corvette Stingray, Tahoe RST and Bolt EUV Premier.
The Chevrolet Motorsports Display in the Fan Midway will have a number of attractions: • Production vehicles such as the Corvette Z06, Corvette Stingray with the Z51 package, Tahoe Z71, Colorado ZR2, Blazer EV RS, Silverado 1500 Crew ZR2, Camaro ZL1 a Corvette C8.R showcar and the Garage 56 Camaro ZL1 test car. • Samples of Chevrolet engines, performance parts and accessories available to fans for purchase from local Chevrolet dealers • Corvette Racing t-shirts for fans who sign up with Chevrolet
At the Chevrolet Injector, nearly 20 different Chevrolet vehicles are on display throughout the four levels of fan access. Models include Corvette Z06 and Stingray, Silverado ZR2, Corvette Z06, Bolt EV and EUV, Tahoe RST, Blazer Premier and RST, Camaro ZL1 and SS, Suburban Premier and multiple variants of Silverado: 1500, 2500, ZR2 and TrailBoss.
As at the Chevrolet Motorsports Display and Chevrolet Experience, Chevrolet product specialists will be on-hand to answer questions on each model of Chevrolet vehicle throughout the weekend.
PRESS RELEASE: Garcia fourth-fastest in GTD PRO qualifying with No. 3 Corvette C8.R
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Positive Steps Forward into the Rolex 24 Garcia fourth-fastest in GTD PRO qualifying with No. 3 Corvette C8.R
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2023) – A new season – and Corvette Racing’s 25th – will see Antonio Garcia and the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R start fourth in class for next weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.
During Sunday’s 15-minute qualifying session, Garcia posted a best lap of 1:48.077 (118.582 mph) around the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course to slot into the top-five in the GT Daytona (GTD PRO) class and 12th among all GTD entries for the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
The No. 3 Corvette – with Garcia teaming with Jordan Taylor and Antonio Garcia – completed 146 laps for nearly 520 miles across the three-day Roar Before the 24 test days. The focus now turns to adding a sixth class win at the Rolex 24, the last coming in 2021.
As is traditionally the case, exploring different mechanical setups and aero configurations were the most important items to cross off during the Roar. Aside from a steering issue in Friday’s opening session, the Corvette spent minimal time in the pitlane, which helped maximize the amount of data gathering for next week.
This is the second year for Corvette Racing in the GTD PRO class, which is comprised of GT3-level cars from multiple manufacturers. Corvette Racing won one race in 2022 and finished third in the GTD PRO championship.
Corvette Racing returns to the track for the first official Rolex 24 practice at 11:05 a.m. ET on Thursday.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R – QUALIFIED FOURTH IN GTD PRO: “It was a little bit messy. I didn’t know which cars had Pro drivers and which had Bronze drivers. I got caught out a few times but that’s just the way it is. Whatever I lost behind in traffic is what I gained on the draft so it was a trade-off. The track changed a little bit with the rain yesterday but it was pretty much the same in the end. The wind was pretty strong so the car felt a little slower. We will see what we can find in the data to try and be a little quicker next week.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “From a pace perspective, it’s hard to tell where we’re going to stack up next week. For us, we’re focusing on what we can control. We’ve made a lot of headway, especially since 2022. When we hit the ground here last year, we were guessing on what was going to work and what wasn’t going to work. Coming in this year, I feel like we are so far ahead of where we were last year. This weekend went smoothly other than one incident we had. Now we’re fine-tuning the car and making small changes here and there to make all three drivers happy. It’s nice to have three guys who agree on what the car should feel like. We’re all heading in the same direction from a setup point of view. This weekend was about doing the little things – not just the driver side but also on the crew side and engineering side with things like pit stop practice and driver change practice. We’re very much prepared for next week.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Last year was very different with the required changes we had to make for the GTD spec. From a driver’s perspective, we need to be diligent with our preparation into next week. The car was really good yesterday in both the wet and dry conditions. We made some progress there and we’ll come up with a plan to get more speed out of it if we can. Having had a full year on this car and tire combination, the crew has the car already in a better place than last year. We have the knowledge and experience from last year, which is helpful. The goal obviously is to win this race, so we’ll take whatever we can from last year’s race and last year’s season to apply it to this year’s Rolex 24.”
No. 3 Corvette C8.R begins another full-season championship challenge in GTD PRO
CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: 25th Year Starts at a Familiar Place No. 3 Corvette C8.R begins another full-season championship challenge in GTD PRO
DETROIT (Jan. 17, 2023) – Corvette Racing is back where it all started a quarter-century ago as the team returns to Daytona International Speedway for its two-week, season-opening event in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
First up is the Roar Before the 24 – three days of official testing that culminates in qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Roar runs from Friday through Sunday with practice starting for the Rolex 24 on Thursday, January 26.
This season marks the second for Corvette Racing in the GT Daytona (GTD) PRO category. This year’s lineup features the two-time IMSA championship-winning pair of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor – challenging for another full-season title – and fellow Corvette Racing veteran Tommy Milner in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
While this is the first race together for the trio, one has shared the cockpit of a Corvette with the other on multiple occasions. While Garcia and Taylor are full-season teammates, Milner was a full-time Corvette driver in 2011 with Garcia as his long-distance teammate. Coincidently, they went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year.
Fast-forward to 2015 and Taylor was the third driver at Le Mans with Milner and Oliver Gavin as the trio won their class in a storybook ending for Corvette Racing.
Daytona was the site of Corvette Racing’s first event in 1999. In its 12 Rolex starts since then, the program has won the race four times – the most recent coming in 2021 when Garcia, Taylor and Nicky Catsburg led a 1-2 Corvette Racing finish in the final Rolex 24 for the GT Le Mans (GTLM) category.
There are eight entries from seven manufacturers in GTD PRO for this year’s Rolex 24. Combined with the regular GTD field, Corvette Racing will be in a fight among 23 production-based cars around the 3.56-mile, eight-turn circuit that combines Daytona’s super-speedway oval with its infield road course.
The Roar Before the 24 is set for Friday-Sunday with GTD qualifying for the Rolex 24 scheduled for 1:25 p.m. on Sunday. The session will stream live around the world on IMSA.com.
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Going for the second time in GTD PRO at Daytona will be a little bit different. We have a year of experience now. A year ago, it was hard for us and hard for IMSA to know what to expect from the performance of our car. I hope we are in a better position this time around, especially at Daytona. We were lacking a ton of performance and we were not competitive and couldn’t fight for wins. I hope things change. The team has one year of experience in this category. We know our weaknesses and where we are strong. I hope we have a chance to win.”
“For Corvette Racing, Daytona is a key part of our season. We’ve been lucky enough to win it a few times. Last year wasn’t a great year for us but I hope we have a chance to be up there, work for it and maybe win the Rolex again.”
“It’s great to have Tommy back. I was still a third driver when he joined the team and I was able to be in the car with him for a year. We won Le Mans together, so I think it’s a good moment to get together again and win all the other big races we can win. I haven’t won Daytona or Sebring with him, so this is a good chance to try for that.”
JORDAN TAYLOR, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “Heading into the season, the motivation is win as much as we can. That starts with the Rolex 24. Last year we had a tough race in our first event in GTD. Getting an understanding about what the car needs and what the drivers need is a lot to learn. Having done the whole season a year ago, we can take what we learned into practice and hopefully we can hit the ground running strong at Daytona.”
“With the GTD PRO class growing as much as it has, Daytona will be such an important event for us. We’ve got so many manufacturers from around the world, and it’s a big deal to represent Corvette and Chevrolet on our home turf. We won the race in 2021 and hopefully we can come back with a strong car in GTD after learning what we did a year ago. We’re definitely hoping for another watch this year.” “It was kind of sad not having Tommy in the IMSA field last year. He’s been a staple in this sport for so many years. I know he enjoyed WEC and exploring the different tracks. For us, it’s nice to have him back home. The last time we drove the same car, we won Le Mans back in 2015 so we have a lot of good history and good memories. We had a good battle back in 2021 around Daytona. He’s one guy you’d rather have in your car than racing against. Hopefully we can go win some more races together.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “The team had a pretty tough year last year. They won at Sebring and were competitive at some places, but for the most part the first year bringing a GTLM car down to GTD was challenging, for sure. I would say expectations for Daytona, we go there to win. That’s why we race. Last year was a big challenge for us. We were very slow in a straight line, hopefully that will be better. The goal is to win the race and winning a championship.
“Daytona itself is a huge part of the IMSA championship and endurance racing around the world. It kicks off the racing season around the world. The track itself is not crazy difficult, but the race itself is challenging. You have to have a car that is good in all kinds of conditions. It can get pretty hot in the daytime and also super cold at night. The oval itself poses its own challenges. It’s one car from each manufacturer and great driver lineups with great teams. So it’s a challenge for all of us as drivers and a team to compare ourselves to some of the best in the world. It’s a challenge that Corvette Racing is always up for. No matter what hand we’re dealt, we’ll work our magic to get our Corvette up front.”
“I enjoyed my time last year in WEC to go all around the world and represent Corvette Racing. To go around the world and show off this Corvette to a lot of fans who have never seen the car before was special. As an American kid, being at home is quite nice and the chance to race the three major races in the IMSA championship is fantastic.”
Photos: Richard Prince, Chevrolet Racing
CORVETTE RACING BY THE NUMBERS AT DAYTONA • 0.034: As in seconds – the winning margin of victory in Corvette Racing’s 1-2 finish at the 2016 Rolex 24. It is the closest finish in race history. • 1: As in one team, one manufacturer and one model of car going on 25 years: Corvette Racing and Chevrolet. • 2: Number of the overall winning Corvette C5-R in the 2001 Rolex 24. Ron Fellows, Johnny O’Connell, Chris Kneifel and Franck Freon completed 656 laps for 2335.36 miles in the winning effort. • 4: Rolex 24 wins for Corvette Racing: 2001 overall, 2015 GTLM (Antonio Garcia/Jan Magnussen/Ryan Briscoe), 2016 GTLM (Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler) and 2021 GTLM (Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg) • 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001. • 24: Drivers who have driven for Corvette Racing at Daytona – Justin Bell, Ryan Briscoe, Nicky Catsburg, Kelly Collins, Dale Earnhardt, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Marcel Fässler, Ron Fellows, Franck Freon, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, John Heinricy, Chris Kneifel, Robin Liddell, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Simon Pagenaud, John Paul Jr., Andy Pilgrim, Mike Rockenfeller, Scott Sharp, Alexander Sims, Marco Sorensen, Nick Tandy and Jordan Taylor. • 27: Tracks at which Corvette Racing has won races – Baltimore, Charlotte Motor Speedway, COTA, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park/Mosport, Daytona, Detroit, Fuji Speedway, Houston, Laguna Seca, Le Mans, Lime Rock, Long Beach, Miami, Mid-Ohio, Monza, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen • 32: Number of drivers for Corvette Racing since 1999. • 70: Years since Corvette was introduced to the world on Jan. 17, 1953 in New York City. A total of 300 cars were produced that year. • 122: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 113 in North America, eight at Le Mans and one in the FIA WEC • 266: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999 • 54,436.60: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing at Daytona. That’s more than two full trips around the Earth at its equator (approx. 24,900 miles). • 348,756.01: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing since its inception. To put that in perspective, Corvette Racing is more than halfway to the distance traveled by Apollo 13 – the longest manned spaceflight in history: 622,268 miles.
Corvette Racing at Daytona 1999 No. 2 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/John Paul Jr. – 3rd in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Scott Sharp/John Heinricy – 12th in GTS
2000 No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel/Justin Bell – 2nd in GTS No. 4 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Franck Freon – 10th in GTS
2001 No. 2 Corvette C5-R: Ron Fellows/Johnny O'Connell/Chris Kneifel/Franck Freon – 1st in GTS (overall win) No. 3 Corvette C5-R: Andy Pilgrim/Kelly Collins/Dale Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 2nd in GTS
2014 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 10th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Robin Liddell – 5th in GTLM
2015 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Ryan Briscoe – 1st in GTLM (Magnussen fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Simon Pagenaud – 3rd in GTLM (Gavin pole)
2016 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 2nd in GTLM (Garcia fastest race lap) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 1st in GTLM (Winner by 0.034 second)
2017 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 4th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 9th in GTLM
2018 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 3rd in GTLM (Magnussen pole) No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 4th in GTLM
2019 No. 3 Corvette C7.R: Jan Magnussen/Antonio Garcia/Mike Rockenfeller – 6th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C7.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 8th in GTLM
2020 (Rolex 24 – January) No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 4th in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner/Marcel Fässler – 7th in GTLM
2020 (WeatherTech 240 – July) No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 1st in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Oliver Gavin/Tommy Milner – 5th in GTLM
2021 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 1st in GTLM No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims – 2nd in GTLM
2022 No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg – 6th in GTD PRO No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy/Marco Sorensen – 10th in GTD PRO
Corvette Racing Rounds Out FIA WEC Lineup in No. 33 C8.R
Nico Varrone joins Keating, Catsburg for seven-round GTE Am championship
DETROIT (Jan. 13, 2023) – Corvette Racing is completing its lineup for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship with young Argentinian driver Nico Varrone joining Ben Keating and factory driver Nicky Catsburg. The trio will team together in the No. 33 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C8.R in the GTE Am category.
It’s the second straight full-season program in the FIA WEC for Corvette Racing, which celebrate its 25th season of competition in 2023. The campaign will be the first for the Corvette program in GTE Am, where the sporting rules require at least one Bronze-level driver, as rated by the FIA. One professional-level driver is allowed along with a second Bronze or Silver-rated driver.
The combination of Catsburg, Keating and Varrone will contest the full seven-race WEC calendar including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. The season begins with the 1,000 Miles of Sebring on Friday, March 17.
Although he’s new to Corvette Racing, the silver-rated Varrone got an early taste of the mid-engine Corvette C8.R during testing following the 2022 WEC finale at Bahrain and in a private test at Sebring in December.
Although his early racing focused on karting and single-seaters, Varrone’s most recent success has come in sports cars with victories in both prototype and GT cars. Among them are wins in the GTE Am category of this year’s European Le Mans Series along with a victory in the 24H Series’ round in Barcelona earlier this season.
This is the second consecutive year that Corvette Racing will compete in multiple GT championships around the world. Its campaign in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship begins in two weeks with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
NICO VARRONE, NO. 33 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C8.R: “I’m really, really happy and over the moon for this opportunity. It always was my dream to be at this level and be on a team with a magnificent brand like Corvette Racing. To be paired with two legendary drivers like Ben and Nicky also is very special. I have to say a big thank to you to Jeroen Bleekmolen for recommending me. He is close to both Ben and Nicky so it’s quite a nice feeling. I can’t wait for us to start with this program.”
“It’s really special at Corvette Racing. I’ve never been inside a factory team, and I was expecting things to be kind of quiet and different. But it’s such a nice feeling because Corvette Racing is a big family. You have fun with the crew guys, the engineers and the drivers. They are so open to talking about things that it’s really special. Nicky and Ben also are guys who have always watched on TV. To share a car with them is something I never could have imagined.”
“I’ve driven other GT cars but the Corvette is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had in a racecar. It’s a natural and proper racecar, for sure. The confidence it gives in the high-speed corners, the traction and the braking of the car is amazing. It fits me just right. I felt comfortable almost right away. I was expecting it to be like other GT cars I’ve driven, but to me it’s more similar to a prototype. It’s a mega sensation for the drivers. I enjoyed every lap I’ve done so far. I can’t wait for more.”
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