IMSA Rolex 24 Hour Race

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A new season of racing marks a new start to the Corvette Racing program. The three-day Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway is the annual preview ahead of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, which will look very different for familiar with the Corvette brand.
Instead of one or two Corvette GT cars running around the 3.56-mile infield road course as has been tradition for the 25 years, a quartet of the new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R racecars are set for the Roar – one week before the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The quartet of Corvettes will be spread out in two classes of the WeatherTech Championship: Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD (GT Daytona) PRO and AWA in GTD. Nine GM factory drivers dot the roster of four cars.

• Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Daniel Juncadella (No. 3 Oshkosh / Mobil 1 Corvette); Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg, Earl Bamber (No. 4 Oshkosh / Mobil 1 Corvette)

• AWA: Orey Fidani, Matthew Bell, Lars Kern, Alex Lynn (No. 13 Corvette); Anthony Mantella, Nico Varrone, Thomas Merrill, Charlie Eastwood
The official competition debut of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R comes almost 15 months from the first time the initial test car turned its wheels for the first time on a track. Since that time, continued testing and development has come at circuits around the United States and at Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop (DIL) simulator.

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R is Chevrolet’s first car built to global GT3 regulations. It’s based on the production Corvette Z06 supercar with the two sharing a significant amount of DNA.

The racecar is built on the same production aluminum chassis frame from Chevrolet’s Bowling Green (Ky.) Assembly plant – as the road-going Z06. Similar carbon-fiber splitters for front downforce, and the surface area from the top of the windshield to the rear of the Z06 remained intact on the Z06 GT3.R. That includes side air ducts behind the doors directly inspired by Z06 production road car that help to cool the engine, transaxle and rear brakes.

The similarities carry over to the hand-built 5.5L, flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine in the Z06 GT3.R. Both original from the Bowling Green factory with the racing version sharing 80 percent of the production content from the Z06, including the crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, gaskets and a variety of other sensors.

Corvette’s latest racing challenger benefits from a legacy of previous race- and championship-winning racecars. Three previous generations of Corvette – C5-R, C7.R and C8.R have visited Victory Lane at Daytona with the program claiming four previous class victories.
The goal for this year’s Rolex is to claim Victory No. 5… and No. 6.

The Roar Before the 24 is set for Friday-Sunday with GTD PRO and GTD qualifying for the Rolex 24 scheduled for 1:55 ET p.m. on Sunday. The session will stream live around the world on IMSA.com.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’ve raced the Rolex 24 many times but I think I’m looking forward to this year more than almost any previous ones. Obviously we have the new Corvette to debut in a race for the first time, and that is exciting for all of us. It’s a new chapter for us as drivers and everyone at Corvette and Pratt Miller.
The Z06 GT3.R has a lot of potential as we’ve seen in testing so let’s see how things play out first at the Roar. Sharing the No. 3 car with Alexander and Dani also is something new for me, and I’m very happy about it. Of course Alex has a good history with this team, and Dani is a very tough and fast competitor as he has proven against us in the past. I’m happy to race with him and not against him!”

ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’ll be great to do some more laps in the new Corvette and get a better feeling for it following the testing we’ve already had. We keep improving things, which is what you want. There are some things that I’m still trying to get my head around like the ABS, so having some more laps is always a good thing. It’s cool and exciting to get the season kicked off.
The Roar is a nice, soft start to the year with three days at Daytona. Hopefully the weather is friendly for us. It should be nice. Overall I’m looking forward to getting everything kicked off with Antonio, Dani and the team. I’ve never worked directly with Antonio, Dani or Andy Ramsey, our engineer. So it will be nice to start working together in a more competitive environment as the season progresses. So far it seems like it is a recipe for good things to come.”

 

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DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s a very special week coming up for me. It’s a new challenge and new beginning in my career to join one of the biggest brands in the racing world. Being part of this lineup in the No. 3 Corvette and all the legacy behind being a Corvette factory driver and joining such an experienced and successful team like Pratt Miller Motorsports is very special and very unique. I’m massively excited for everything.

The year starts with a big highlight because you could say this is our biggest race of the year. That makes it even more exciting on top of it. Also with the Z06 GT3.R… when you add all these things together, I really have to come into these weeks controlling my expectations and motivations. It’s like when you’re young and back for the first day at school. I have to control this excitement and focus and go day by day.
I’ve enjoyed this process and working with this group that I got to know in December. I feel very good within the team. I’m excited and looking forward to jumping on track and seeing how things are at this Roar.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’m ready to go racing. With 2023 being a little bit different year for me with more testing and less racing, coming to Daytona I’m even more anxious and geared up to go racing full-time. There has been a lot of simulator testing just about a year before the car first hit the track which is similar to what we did with C8.R. The level of anxiousness for me is a little higher because I’ve not raced full-time for more than a year.
This should be a fun year racing with Nicky and adding Earl at the longer races. This team operates as one team and there’s always been collaboration between both cars. It’s a great atmosphere within the team, and I’m happy that’s continuing with the guys we have this year.”

NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’m ready to go racing. With 2023 being a little bit different year for me with more testing and less racing, coming to Daytona I’m even more anxious and geared up to go racing full-time. There has been a lot of simulator testing just about a year before the car first hit the track which is similar to what we did with C8.R.

The level of anxiousness for me is a little higher because I’ve not raced full-time for more than a year. This should be a fun year racing with Nicky and adding Earl at the longer races. This team operates as one team and there’s always been collaboration between both cars. It’s a great atmosphere within the team, and I’m happy that’s continuing with the guys we have this year.”

EARL BAMBER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’m ready to go racing. With 2023 being a little bit different year for me with more testing and less racing, coming to Daytona I’m even more anxious and geared up to go racing full-time. There has been a lot of simulator testing – just about a year before the car first hit the track which is similar to what we did with C8.R. The level of anxiousness for me is a little higher because I’ve not raced full-time for more than a year.

This should be a fun year racing with Nicky and adding Earl at the longer races. This team operates as one team and there’s always been collaboration between both cars. It’s a great atmosphere within the team, and I’m happy that’s continuing with the guys we have this year.”

AWA PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES

ALEX LYNN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’m really looking forward to the Roar and the Rolex 24. Of course it’s the racing debut of the new Corvette, and there has been a ton of work put in by Corvette, Pratt Miller and GM. It’s a thrill to play a small part of it and get the enjoyable job of driving.
It’s a fantastic car, and we’re excited to start off 2024 with one of the biggest races in the world. It’s a huge honor. Every time you drive in a Corvette, you fight for the win. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going there with the dream of coming home with a new watch.
Going into the Roar, there is still a lot to learn and see and size up the competition. The emotions are a lot of excitement of getting Stateside and getting going.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 17 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I’m super excited to go back to the Roar – this time with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. It’s the first time for us in official sessions, and it will be awesome to see the results of the work of a lot of people over the last couple of years.
As a team, AWA we haven’t had as much running as we would have wanted, but the car is well-developed with a lot of running and testing. For us, both the Roar and Rolex will be races against the clock to find out what the car likes and doesn’t like in terms of setup, electronics and other things we need to work on and catch up in order to be a contender. But this will be an exciting challenge and super fun.
I like our lineup. so everything goes well, we should have a good couple of weeks.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 17 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“For both AWA and myself, we’re still relatively new to the Z06 GT3.R. We still have plenty to run through. Ultimately the Roar is an event in its own right, but really it is a test item for the big one the next week for the Rolex 24.
We have plenty of testing items to go through, all the drivers need more time in the car, but already things are in a fantastic place from the test we did before December. I’m looking forward to getting back into the car and into my first event and race weekend as a Corvette factory driver. It should be a good one.”

Team's Websites

https://www.tfsport.co.uk/
Pratt Miller Motorsports
Professional Race Team – IMSA IWSC LMP3 Competitors
Home - Corvette Racing
DXDT Racing | Professionals with Championship Winning backgrounds.

 

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The Corvette Z06 GT3.R has big shoes to fill as it follows up the successful C8.R model that dominated the final year of the World Endurance Championship’s GTE Am class. But the move away from GTE rules to GT3 has required a rethink that make the newcomer different in several key respects
The Daytona 24 Hours later this month will herald the global competition debut for the latest GM sportscar to follow in the long line of successful Corvette Racing machines dating back to the C5-R from the last millennium.

Following the demise of the GTE rules, the Corvette C8.R that debuted in 2020 will be replaced in this year’s World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship among other international series – by a new GT3 model that’s been in development for over two years.
The product of a collaboration between Pratt Miller Engineering and GM’s Competition Motorsports Engineering division, the Z06 GT3.R was conceived in the virtual world in 2021 through driver-in-the-loop testing before first making it onto a track in September 2022.

“Our relationship between the constructor and GM is primarily on the powertrain side,” says Pratt Miller motorsports technical director Ben Johnson. “But with a greater user base of the car and worldwide adoption of the car by multiple teams, we wanted to make sure to take advantage of that relationship as much as possible to take any learnings that they had from NASCAR, IndyCar, prototype racing and our long history at Corvette.”

Different Ethos

Due to be operated by Pratt Miller’s factory-supported team and customers alike, it takes lessons learned on the C8.R that was converted to race against purpose-built GT3 cars in IMSA’s GTD Pro class after GTLM was dropped for 2022.
But the Z06 is a fundamentally different car to the C8.R and incorporates a significant number of shared components from the production model – thought to be the most of any previous Corvette racer – to reflect its need to be priced competitively on the customer car market.

“There’s market targets for it that GM wanted to obtain and we worked very hard to get to that while still being able to be as performant as the car needed to be in all the different places it’s going to race,” says Johnson. Indeed, where the “most of the parts were re-designed” on the racing C8.R due to the framing of GTE regulations, Johnson notes that is not the case for GT3.

Where the C8.R was devised to be fielded solely by Pratt Miller, the second mid-engined Corvette has been designed with customers in mind to be much more user-friendly. Compromises on serviceability and stability made on the C8.R to chase outright performance have been re-examined in the knowledge there would not always be a team of 10 professional racing mechanics to work on the Z06 GT3.R, or be raced by factory-level pros.

“It has to be easy to work on,” explains Johnson. “It has to be something that can be operated at a professional, factory type of level but then also a team that has different budget constraints or mechanics that aren’t full time, it has to be a logical vehicle for them to work on so people can pick it up and use the provided information to extract the most out of it without much experience.

“The C8.R has been hugely successful, so we certainly wanted to retain all of the learnings that we had from that vehicle, bring over the concepts, bring over the rationale of why a design was selected, but re-engineer it for cost, serviceability and to make sure it can work across multiple different championships with multiple different tyres.”

Chassis

The road-going Z06 chassis is largely unchanged in the GT3.R, which to Johnson is a testament to its “very well-refined” basis that “still hit all of our stiffness and mass targets”. Fewer modifications have been made relative to the more extreme C8.R due to a combination of regulations and cost, although he says “we do make some adjustments at the rear of the car for suspension mounting”.

A product of this is that the GT3.R “inevitably based on the construction techniques” has a slightly higher centre of gravity, although Johnson reveals that improvements in traction is “a big highlight”.

"We actively chose to extract as much performance from the diffuser, the front underwing, the floor of the car, as we could because those components have to be on the car, whether they’re complex or simple" Pratt Miller motorsports technical director Ben Johnson

“That was always a place on the GTE car that we were limiting and trying to find solutions for, so it’s a step forward,” he says. “New tires, old tires, the traction of the car is on average much better than the GTE car which is confidence-inspiring for pro and am drivers alike.”
Lengthening the wheelbase was considered in the design phase, but ultimately rejected as “a fairly complex and expensive” means of generating downforce and stability when Pratt Miller still managed to meet its targets using the production chassis.

Bodywork

“The regulations allow for a higher level of downforce” on the GT3.R than the C8.R, Johnson says, which has resulted in feedback that the Z06 “feels more secure where you have a bigger envelope to produce downforce and retain it through the corners”.

Among its notable features are a new rear wing, and new carbon fibre diffuser. Johnson explains: “We actively chose to extract as much performance from the diffuser, the front underwing, the floor of the car, as we could because those components have to be on the car, whether they’re complex or simple.
The difference in cost is relatively minor, the parts are made very similar regardless of their complexity.

Focus on the floor components also means it is less reliant on winglets and exposed parts that are prone to damage, evidencing its consideration of customers’ wallets. Among its cooling features is a side inlet inspired by the road car, reaffirming its stylistic resemblance.

 

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Tires and brakes

Whereas the C8.R was designed to run exclusively on Michelin tyres, the Z06 GT3.R has to be versatile. It will run on Goodyear tyres in the WEC, Michelin in IMSA and Pirelli in SRO-run series.
Johnson points out that tyres are one variable “that you can’t fully characterise the development process”, not least since the properties of the Goodyear used by LMGT3 teams including GM’s newly-affiliated partner TF Sport were only officially released recently.
“Knowing what that tyre was two years ago when the process started was not a reality,” he says.
As such, understanding the tyres has been the focus of significant attention, both in the real and virtual realms.

“We had to build in a range and a set-up of the car that it could handle a tyre that was more understeer-balanced or oversteer-balanced and from an aerodynamic perspective and a suspension set-up perspective, you could cope with both of those,” adds Johnson. “We did sweeps in the DIL environment of high-grip and low-grip and balancing that front-to-rear to understand how capable the set-up and the vehicle was to accommodating the different tyre characteristics.”
The past two years of running the C8.R to GT3 rules in IMSA has given Pratt Miller a head-start when it came to configuring ABS for the Z06.

“We wanted to develop a car that was similar to a GTE car that worked extremely well without ABS, and then use ABS to help tune the balance of the car, protect from flat spots and add that capability in wet conditions or mixed grip conditions,” Johnson says.
Engine and gearbox
Working with the first mid-engine Corvette in the C8.R gave Pratt Miller an understanding of how its weight distribution and packaging influenced aero and suspension geometry. “We knew quite well what worked and what was probably a gap for the C8.R,” reflects Johnson. “That was all brought forward for the GT3 car.”

As such, these elements were optimised early in the design process. The 5.5-litre engine itself starts life with the same architecture as the road car and borrows more than 70% of its parts including the crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, gaskets and a variety of sensors. The primary difference lies in the oiling system, Johnson explains.

“We really didn’t start testing that engine in that configuration until the GT3 project began,” he says. “But we were confident in it knowing that the road car had gone through strenuous production car requirements and the ultimate power output from the road car was quite a bit more than we’d anticipate to ever run in the GT3 competition.”

Indeed, the GT3.R produces 500 horsepower instead of the 670 of the road car, but in a category governed by Balance of Performance where engine power is one of the lowest hanging fruit to tweak, there is more to be gained lower in the rev range.

“With that much power overhead, you can make decisions to decrease the engine cost or make it such that it’s very drivable,” says Johnson. “It isn’t peaky, the engine response is linear and can be anticipated well by the driver.”

"With that much power overhead, you can make decisions to decrease the engine cost or make it such that it’s very drivable. It isn’t peaky, the engine response is linear and can be anticipated well by the driver" Pratt Miller motorsports technical director Ben Johnson
The engine is mated to a racing-spec six-speed manual-sequential transmission.

Cockpit

“The cockpit of the GT3 car and the C8.R don’t look tremendously different,” according to Johnson. He explains that the GTE model was designed to accommodate “some very tall drivers and some very short drivers”, which meant that Pratt Miller had “already kind of pushed the envelope to both ends”.
“We’ve maximised the total seat area and the leg-lengths as much as you can, [as well as] the helmet clearance within the confines of the base car which you ultimately have to respect,” he says.

There have been minor modifications elsewhere, with tweaks to its integrated steel roll cage to provide easier ingress and egress, while the control systems the driver interacts with have been simplified.
“But ultimately with the addition of ABS and electronically-controlled clutches, there is more systems on a GT3 car than there was on the GTE car,” Johnson adds.

Ready to race

Virtual processes used for the first time on the C8.R were refined on the Z06, and with all of the big architectural decisions done through simulation, development could focus on sub-system reliability and refinements resulting from feedback into ergonomics, performance and drivability.
As such, Johnson feels the car is ready for Daytona, though admits as its debut looms, “You’re always more nervous about what you don’t know than what you know."

“I think we’re in a spot where everyone is comfortable going into the race,” he says. “We’ll certainly learn something in our first 24-hour event that we’ll carry forward with us. But there’s been a tonne of work to bring ahead as much of the learning early in the process and be focused on the small details now.
“We assume that things were done correctly and positive news is good reinforcement of that. But also we want to know where it can be made better.”

 

[teamzr1]

Tommy Milner was the quickest of the GT runners, putting the No. 4 GTD PRO Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R on top with a 1m45.844s lap, the fastest GT time of the weekend so far.
He was followed by a trio of GTD entries, led by Kyle Marcelli as the No. 45 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 made its first appearance at the top of the class with a 1m45.986s lap. Thomas Preining followed by 0.144s in the No. 43 Andretti Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, with Julien Andlauer next in the No. 92 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche at 1m46.323s. Dennis Olsen (No. 55 Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3) and Charlie Eastwood (No. 17 AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R) completed the top five in GTD.

Harry Tincknell was second in GTD PRO in the No 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 with a best time of 1m46.357s. Michael Christensen was third, 0.045s off Tincknell’s best, in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche. Jack Hawksworth, doing double duty in Michelin Pilot Challenge, was fourth in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, followed by Frederic Verviisch in the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang.

No Idea why the #3 Z06 ended in last place having run only the first 12 laps

 

[teamzr1]

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS SATURDAY DRIVER QUOTES

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

"Overall, I'm pretty happy with how the Corvette Z06 GT3.R has been in both days of practice so far. Every time I've been in, it has felt very good, and I'm happy with the balance.
Realistically, at this point we're still trying some things to find some speed in a couple of the high-speed sections like the Bus Stop, so there is still work to do. All things considered, from where we were during testing in December to what things feel like now, we're very happy."

DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

"I'm loving it so far. It's great to be in a new environment. Everything that I have seen so far is very exciting. On the car side, the Corvette feels very good. There are still some miles to go and things we need to go through, but the first feeling is very good. We seem to be competitive as well.
On the team side and with our personnel, it feels great. This is a great environment. I feel very much at home so far. I don't want to get my expectations too high because it's a long race, it's still a long way away and many things need to go in your direction to have a chance. But so far so good."

AWA SATURDAY DRIVER QUOTES

ALEX LYNN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

"So far, so good, to be honest. I think we've had a really productive first couple of days at AWA. It's the first time we've really run the Corvette hard in anger. We've had a lot of help from Corvette Racing and Pratt Miller, which has been great. The team is finding its feet really well with this car. We're ticking boxes. We feel like we have a really great car under us and are just working through our stuff. It's going to be a big fight next weekend.
You can feel the intensity ramping up. There are a lot of great cars and a lot of great teams that are up for this one. I'm excited to get going."

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 17 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

"Yesterday was a steep learning curve for everybody. We did a test in December, but once you go into the pressure of a race weekend it all ramps up. I think we were all just finding our feet early. The transformation from yesterday afternoon to this morning in terms of car feel, performance and everything the team was putting together was incredible.

To be fair, in both the sessions today we looked quite strong. It's looking very positive, but we are continuing to go through all the normal procedures
For example, the guys have never changed a set of brakes, we've never done an oil dump.
Getting all these contingencies and what-ifs are things we continue to try to get through. That list of stuff that we needed to run through felt like it was endless, but we've gone through so much and I feel like within in the team we are confident in our own ability. To go through that in basically two race event days is pretty promising."

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. Up until last year’s LMP2 finish, it was the closest finish in race history

• 1: Rolex 24 class win for AWA; the team won in LMP3 in 2023. Current team drivers Nico Varrone, Anthony Mantella and Thomas Merrill were part of that lineup

• 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: Number of Corvette Z06 GT3.R entries for the 2024 Rolex 24 – two from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports (GTD PRO) and two from AWA (GTD)

• 4: Rolex 24 wins for Corvette Racing as an entrant: 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)

• 9: Corvette/General Motors factory drivers piloting the Corvette Z06 GT3.R in this year’s race: Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Dani Juncadella, Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg, Earl Bamber (Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller) plus Charlie Eastwood, Nico Varrone and Alex Lynn (AWA). Bamber and Lynn also are Cadillac Racing factory drivers in FIA WEC

• 14: IMSA 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

• 71: 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

• 127: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans and three in the FIA WEC

• 284: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999

• 99,600: Total number of racing laps completed by Corvette Racing entries since 1999. Barring any issues, the program will go over the 100,00-lap mark at the Rolex 24 of Daytona

• 361,990.52: Total number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries since 1999. 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

 

[teamzr1]

Roar for the Rolex 24 hour race qualify completed
Here how the 4 Corvettes will line up in GTD and GTD-Pro for the 24 hours of Rolex next weekend

An extended GT qualifying was topped by Seb Priaulx aboard the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

What was planned to be a 15-minute session was interrupted almost immediately by a crash for another Porsche, the No. 92 Kellymoss with Riley car of David Brule, at Turn 3, leading to a 12-minute suspension.

With the clock reset to the regulatory minimum 7:30 of green flag running, Priaulx set the quickest time of the session of 1:44.382, beating the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Jack Hawksworth to GTD Pro pole by just 0.080 seconds.

Lexus topped the times in GTD courtesy of Parker Thompson in the No. 12 RC F GT3, with Klaus Bachler his nearest rival in the No. 86 MDK Motorsports Porsche, 0.043 seconds behind.

Katherine Legge enjoyed a brief spell atop the times in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 but ultimately ended up third ahead of two Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2s, the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti car of Kyle Marcelli and Loris Spinelli in the No. 78 Forte Racing car.

Third in GTD Pro, but only ninth overall in GTD, was the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports machine of Antonio Garcia.

The new Ford Mustang GT3s proved off the pace, with the No. 65 car of Dirk Mueller ninth in GTD Pro and the sister No. 64 car of Harry Tincknell rounding out the class in 13th.

Both AWA Z06s from Canada did poorly

At least the new Mustangs also stunk

 

[teamzr1]

Garcia to start third in GTD PRO (6 cars behind faster GTD) ; Varrone paces AWA in debut of Corvette Z06 GT3.R

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 21, 2024) – The new Chey Corvette Z06 GT3.R will make its first race start from inside the top-10 of an extremely deep GT field in Saturday’s Rolex 24 At Daytona to kick off the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Antonio Garcia led the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports effort in Sunday’s 15-minute qualifying session to wrap up the Roar Before the 24 weekend. He set a lap of 1:44.786 (122.306 mph) in the No. 3 Oshkosh/Mobil 1 Corvette Z06 GT3.R during a red-flag interrupted run that saw the field get just eight minutes of green-flag running.

Teammate Tommy Milner, in the sister No. 4 Oshkosh/Mobil 1 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, wasn’t far behind at 1:45.215 (121.807 mph).
The depth of the class was evident in qualifying, with the first 10 GTD PRO cars within a second.
Further illustrating that, 23 GT cars were within the same margin.

Two of those belonged to new Corvette team AWA in the GTD class. First-year Corvette factory pilot Nico Varrone qualified ninth in class with the No. 17 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. He set a best time of 1:44.959 (122.105 mph) – one year after winning the Rolex 24 in with AWA in the LMP3 class.
Teammate Matt Bell was 14th in class in the No. 13 Corvette at 1:45.206 (121.818 mph).

The official competition debut of the Corvette Z06 GT3.R comes almost 15 months from the first time the initial test car turned its wheels for the first time on a track. Since that time, continued testing and development has come at circuits around the United States and at Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop (DIL) simulator.
The Corvette Z06 GT3.R is Chevrolet’s first car built to global GT3 regulations. It’s based on the production Corvette Z06 supercar, with the two sharing a significant amount of DNA.

The racecar is built on the same production aluminum chassis frame from Chevrolet’s Bowling Green (Ky.) Assembly plant as the road-going Z06. Similar carbon-fiber splitters for front downforce, and the surface area from the top of the windshield to the rear of the Z06 remained intact on the Z06 GT3.R.
That includes side air ducts behind the doors directly inspired by Z06 production road car that help to cool the engine, transaxle and rear brakes.

The similarities carry over to the hand-built 5.5L, flat-plane crankshaft V8 engine in the Z06 GT3.R. Both original from the Bowling Green factory with the racing version sharing 80 percent of the production content from the Z06, including the crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, gaskets and a variety of other sensors.

Corvette’s latest racing challenger benefits from a legacy of previous race- and championship-winning racecars.
Three previous generations of Corvette C5-R, C7.R and C8.R have visited Victory Lane at Daytona with the program claiming four previous class victories.
The goal for this year’s Rolex is to claim Victory No. 5 and No. 6.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona is scheduled to go green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 27 with the race broadcast beginning on NBC. USA Network and Peacock will also air coverage throughout Saturday and Sunday.

CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED THIRD IN GTD PRO:

“It was a bit stressful, but luckily I was in the right spot.
Basically, I had nobody in front of me or everybody was pushing in front of me, so I had nobody behind me. I could actually gauge that. We only had two good laps once the tire temps were up, so it was difficult to really nail both laps. But in a way, I think it was a decent qualifying considering it’s a 24-hour race.
We have a lot of GTDs in the mix with us. But it’s still the start of a long week. I’m happy with where we are, and we just need to go from there. It’s going to be a tight race.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED SEVENTH IN GTD PRO:

“We race hard no matter what, that’s for sure. It was definitely a weird little qualifying session there with the long red flag and then really having only two timed laps to really go for it. The good thing is the Michelin tire peaks early on, so realistically that is the best that the tire and car will be.
Still, I’m happy with our Corvette, happy with the balance.
Qualifying position isn’t crazy important for a 24-hour race, so I’m very pleased with our car balance and race car that we think we have going forward. I’m excited to go racing.”

AWA QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES

NICO VARRONE, NO. 17 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – QUALIFIED NINTH IN GTD:

“It was very nice actually to be the first one to have the honor of qualifying the new Corvette.
It was a super cool experience for us. About 30 seconds after we were on track, we had a red flag, so that complicated some things and shortened it quite a bit.

It was a bit tough to get everything working and in our range of tire pressures, temperature, etc. In the end, I think we did a good job. I’m happy with how we did. We improved from practice, where we were struggling setup-wise.

We still have to work on some things to get it ready for this race. But I would say with the new Z06 GT3.R, and also to the team and a new class, everything is working great. I’m looking forward to the 24.
We’ll have some days off and the guys have to work some on the car to get everything for Thursday practice, but I think we’re looking good.”

 

[teamzr1]

Today, two of the three practice sessions for this weekend's Rolex 24 hour race

Both sessions, the Z06s in GTD and GTD Pro have stunk

 

[teamzr1]

Another BoP was handed out today
The Porsche 911 GT3 R was hit with 20 extra kilos, but also received a one-degree reduction in minimum wing angle. The Ferrari 296 GT3 received an extra 10kg and a one-degree increase in minimum wing angle. The Ford Mustang GT3 will carry 15 extra kilograms, and the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 adds and extra 5kg.

The Corvette Z06 GT3.R will have one degree added to its minimum wing angle.
The only car that received no changes was the Lexus RC F GT3.

There was three practice sessions today, Thursday
First 2 sessions, both GTD Pro Corvettes had again engine problems as they did last week for the Roar before the Rolex

Third session, following their engine dramas earlier in the day, the two Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs led the way in GTD Pro with a one-two lockout, Earl Bamber setting the best of 1:46.770 to top the class in the No. 4 car ahead of Alexander Sims in the No. 3.

The 2 Corvettes in the GTD class ran badly for all three sessions

 

[teamzr1]

There is no discounting the challenges that Corvette Racing teams and drivers will face in this weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. For many reasons, this year’s race looks to be one of the most thrilling and action-packed thanks to a full field of prototypes and GT cars, with Corvettes well-represented in the latter.
Four of the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R racecars are set for the start of Saturday’s season-opener for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Two are fielded by Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports in GTD PRO with two additional Corvettes from AWA in the GTD class.

Between the two categories, there are 36 GT cars set for the Rolex 24 in addition to 23 prototypes 10 in GTP and 13 in LMP2. So for those looking for storylines, there is the challenge of debuting a new racecar, the depth and quality of the GTD classes and overall grid, plus all the dicing and fighting between classes for track position over the course of 24 hours.
Never a group to back down, the collection of Corvette Racing factory drivers are embracing the challenge of what could be an epic Rolex 24 At Daytona this weekend

The Rolex 24 At Daytona is scheduled to go green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 27 with the race broadcast beginning on NBC.
USA Network and Peacock will also air coverage throughout Saturday and Sunday.

DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 3 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“The race in this class will be really cool to see. Last year, the GTD PRO class had at most races five cars. So with an unlucky incident for a couple of your competitors, you were on the podium. Now it’s hugely different with 13 cars, most of them that will be in contention for the win. That will be very exciting for the fans but also us as drivers. We want to compete and want to beat the best.
We don’t want to have it easy. It’s going to be very exciting with some of the new cars.
We have the new Z06 GT3.R, of course, and there is a new Ford too. That’s exciting for any American fan to have both big brands fighting it out.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“When you look at just GTD PRO, the class is quite large compared to previous years. There are lots of very good cars, very good teams and drivers. Winning our class is a huge challenge. If you look at all the GT cars together, there are GTD driver lineups that are very good. You may have an amateur driver out there who may be off the pace, but the other guys are awfully quick.

We will mostly likely spend the majority of 24 hours racing a GT car, whether it’s a GTD PRO class car or not. I know it’s frustrating for some guys, but for me, I like the fact that there are 25 to 30 GT cars. There isn’t a winner for the overall GT category, but it’s bragging rights for the GTD guys if they can say that they won GT overall. It’s going to be a big fight for 24 hours; there’s no question about it.
But I’m looking forward to it all, and looking forward to racing some old friends very hard and some new faces pretty hard, too.”

EARL BAMBER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH / MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s the sheer competitiveness. I think, foremost, the big challenge for all of us is we are coming to a category of GTD PRO and GT that is highly competitive. You look up and down the pit lane, there’s Daytona 24-Hour winners, Le Mans winners, World Champions, there’s past IMSA champions

For Corvette to bring a new car here is a big, big challenge. But, I think, the Pratt Miller guys are up to that challenge. They’ve built a great car and a great platform, and I’m just excited to go out and finally race. After all the testing, and all the prep work, to finally see where everyone shapes up against each other is going to be cool.”

ALEX LYNN, NO. 13 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“I find that in 24-hour racing, you’re constantly chasing perfection, especially within a brand like Corvette. If we’re very honest, winning is what we want. We haven’t come here for anything less. To arrive at that point, it takes so many factors to go right. It’s also about teamwork and every single team member doing their job to arrive on Sunday afternoon with a chance to fight for the win.
If you do all the steps, you’ll more than likely have a chance. But arriving at that point is the hardest bit. You’re ticking off boxes as the week and the race goes along.

“With the amount of talent in the cockpits and crews, it’s getting ramped up and up and up. Manufacturers are bringing brand-new cars, ourselves included.
The work rate and effort to prove the product and us as a team is getting harder and harder and harder. But to be honest, that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning to win races like this. I know every crew member is the same.

You’re asking more of each and every crew member every day. Tomorrow and Friday are about the same things: keep building and sharpening that tool that we have in the car so we can arrive on Sunday afternoon with a chance.”

NICO VARRONE, NO. 17 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“For me, it will be different because now we are in GTD instead of LMP3.
Between GTD and GTD PRO, it’s the same regulations, and we have 35 cars across the two GT classes.
The racing will be very close with the draft and using of slipstreams along the banking. It will be a close battle for 24 hours, and there will be a lot of battles.
The key will be staying on the lead lap for the first many hours because you can gain position during caution periods.
The goal is to arrive with four hours to go in the best possible position.
Those will be flat-out to the end of the race. We’ll work from there to see where we can end up.”

CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 17 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R:

“It’s a huge number of GTD cars in this year’s race. It’s a tricky balance for us because the LMP2s aren’t so fast on the straights. In GTE or GTLM racing, we didn’t have ABS, and now we do with these GT3 cars.
Especially when it’s cold, we are braking later than the prototypes. It makes the traffic really challenging, and I think it’s the same case for them. They’re fighting really hard to pass us, but it’s all about timing, all of that.
Then, when you throw in 35 GTD cars that we have to stay ahead of, it’s going to be a challenge coming into the last few hours.”

 

[teamzr1]

This is total BS :-(
I sure hope the Corvette team in the UK is not going to be mindset like those up north of the USA

Why bother buying to race America's sports car by a team in Canada and not even care about winning
They kept both Z06s out of the one practice session today, with race tomorrow

AWA is not focused on results for its first weekend racing the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, with team owner Andrew Wojteczko saying “it’ll be a successful weekend regardless of where the car finishes” if the team is able to execute well in its first race in GTD.

The Canadian squad is fielding a pair of Corvette’s new-for-2024 GT3 challenger in this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, which will mark the first time it has competed in the GTD category after switching from LMP3.

AWA took delivery of its pair of cars last November and has seen its ranks bolstered by the addition of high profile drivers like Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood and Cadillac Hypercar star Alex Lynn for the Florida endurance classic.

Despite that, Wojteczko told Sportscar365 that the team is “process-focused” and not trying to look at targets to achieve for its first race outing with Corvette.
“I don’t set results as a goal because I don’t think that’s the right approach,” he said.
“We’re process focused and if we can go through and execute and carry out our processes correctly, then it’ll be a successful weekend regardless of where the car finishes.

“There’s a lot that can happen on the track that’s outside our control.
So we’re going to do what we do to the best of our abilities, and if we do that, then it’ll be a success.”
When asked if getting both cars to the finish on Sunday afternoon would be a strong outcome for the team, Wojteczko replied: “that would be lovely.”
Amidst its switch to Corvette, Wojteczko has bolstered the team’s ranks by recruiting several notable figures to key positions.

Keith Willis, co-owner of the AIM Autosport operation that was previously part of the Lexus GTD effort, was named team manager, while Jeff Braun has been appointed as competition director and race strategist for the No. 17 entry.
“My goal has always been to surround myself with the best people I can,” said Wojteczko.

“I think that’s one of the keys to succeeding. Having the most capable people around me is a big goal of the team, and that’s not new.
“I think one year at a time, we’ve been able to grow and build relationships and I think we create a great home that’s a culture based around respect.
“That makes for a great home for some of this talent to operate out of, and that they’re happy to be here.”

Despite the switch from running LMP3 to GT3 machinery, Wojteczko said that the team has had to make relatively few alterations from an operational perspective, adding that the move to Corvette ‘isn’t as much change as perceived.’
“We’ve expanded on our engineering depth, outside of that, it’s still the same,” he said.

“We’re still operating in the same series, running a similar schedule. I don’t think it’s as much change as maybe is perceived for us on a team side.
“The car itself, yeah, we need to learn that and understand it and that takes time and preparation. But as far as the team goes, our structure I’d say is still very similar to what we were doing.”

When it comes to learning the specifics about the new car, Wojteczko adds that they’ve been able to lean on support from GM and Pratt Miller in order to speed up the process of understanding.
“The team is very experienced, like the Pratt Miller guys and the GM guys,” he said.

“They’ve been very welcoming and helpful, getting us up to speed and getting the cars where we need to be ahead of the race.
“They understand the car very intimately. So as we have questions and learn the car, they’ve been very helpful getting us up to speed. So I’m grateful for that.”

 

[teamzr1]

If you can get US channels starting at 1:30 PM ET
USA:

1:30 pm ET- 11:59 pm ET Peacock TV
1:30 pm ET -2:30 pm ET NBC
2:30 pm ET- 8:00 pm ET USA
10:00 pm ET-11:59 am ET USA

International:
1:35 pm ET- 11:59 pm ET IMSA TV

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28, 2024 (All times ET)

USA:
12:00 am ET- 1:40 pm ET Peacock TV
6:00 am ET-12:00 pm ET USA
12:00 pm ET -2:00 pm ET NBC

International:
12:00 am ET- 1:40 pm ET IMSA TV

LIVE TIMING: Scoring | IMSA

 

[teamzr1]

Hour three saw both GTD PRO Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3s suffer the same affliction, a loose trunk lid.
Both appeared to have come loose at the front and then blown back with the airflow and broken. Each car required unexpected visits to the pits to replace the lid.

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports led the GTD Pro category in 1-2 formation for a short time with the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Alexander Sims at the head of the class.
Sims was separated from the No. 4 sister machine of Nicky Catsburg by the GTD class leader, which was the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Parker Thompson.
Paul Miller Racing and SunEnergy1 Racing ran third and fourth in class, with Neil Verhagen and Maro Engel behind the wheel of the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 and No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, respectively.
The No. 19 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, which led the class early on with Andrea Caldarelli at the wheel, has dropped back after incurring a drive-through penalty for a failure to adhere to the minimum full refueling time.
The No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus, meanwhile, has rejoined the track after it was eliminated from the lead in GTD Pro in an earlier incident, running in 57th position overall.

Both Z06s from the Canada team have performed poorly and both are laps down with the #13 being like 25 laps down

 

[teamzr1]

Three cars moved to the front of the GTD Pro field by opting not to stop under caution, with Tommy Milner leading the class aboard the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsport entry from the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Seb Priaulx and the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 of Christopher Mies.

The No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 that had been leading the class prior to the latest caution was shuffled all the way back to eighth, with nine cars still on the lead lap.

With nine hours completed

 

[teamzr1]

18 hours completed

The No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 of Neil Verhagen paced GTD Pro, ahead of the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
The sister factory supported Corvette, meanwhile, ran fourth despite smoke and brief bursts of flames coming from the right-rear of the car.

Both Canada Z06s in GTD running many laps down

 

[teamzr1]

The No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R spent 10 minutes in the garage with an unknown issue, mechanics working furiously in the engine bay. The car returned to the track, eight laps down to the GTD PRO leader.

Just before the 19th hour came to an end, the No. 4 Corvette also headed to the garage, the crew investigating something at the front of the car.
The No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R was the first to go behind the wall to address a fluid leak, while the No 4 machine followed suit some 40 minutes later with a broken power steering pump.

That’s left two cars fighting on the same lap in GTD PRO, the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW and the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296.

Thus, both GTD Z06s and both GTD Pro Z06s are out of a reach to win or even take a top 12 finish

 

[teamzr1]

The Rolex 24 hour race is completed

There were 54 total cars overall
GM Pratt/Miller GT3.R Z06s came in 5th & 8th in the GTP Pro class but only 30th & 37th overall

Almost get beat by Mustang

 

[teamzr1]

• Corvette Z06 GT3.R made its worldwide competition debut to open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Daytona.
• Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports No. 3 and No. 4 Z06 GT3.Rs combined to lead 118 of 773 laps in incredible GTD PRO fight
• Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims, Daniel Juncadella led the Corvette Z06 GT3.R runners with a fifth-place finish in No. 3 Oshkosh/Mobil 1 Corvette.
• New Corvette showed impressive performance in deep GT field with 36 entries from 11 manufacturers
• Despite retirements, first Corvette Z06 GT3.R customer team AWA logged a considerable number of laps and miles in first race with the Corvette brand
• Focus for Corvette Racing program is to learn from Daytona experiences ahead of FIA WEC race in Qatar and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in IMSA competition

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2024) – The Chevy Corvette Z06 GT3.R showed promise during its competition debut in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, with four of the Corvette GT3 cars in the hands of teams Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA.

Although Sunday’s checkered flag flew without a Corvette win, there are plenty of positives and lessons to carry forward to the Z06 GT3.R’s upcoming events in IMSA, the FIA World Endurance Championship and GT World Challenge America.
Both Corvettes from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports completed the full 24 hours with the No. 3 of Antonio Garcia, Alexander Sims and Daniel Juncadella led the way with a fifth-place finish.
The trio led 118 laps during Saturday and Sunday with the sister No. 4 Z06 GT3.R of Tommy Milner, Nicky Catsburg and Earl Bamber leading 38 additional laps.

Both of the Pratt Miller Corvettes experienced separate mechanical issues, the No. 3 had a cracked oil tank and the No. 4 had to replace a power steering pump inside the final six hours.

In GTD, AWA decided to withdraw the No. 13 Corvette (power steering) and the No. 17 Corvette (electrical), also in the last quarter of the event. The team and Chevrolet Competition Engineering will work together to determine the root causes and address ahead of the next race at Sebring. Chevrolet thanks the AWA team for its hard work and collaboration leading up to and during the Rolex 24.

Despite missing out on a fifth class victory for the Corvette Racing brand since 2001, the competition groups learned a considerable amount while running all four cars in the season-opening race.
Throughout its history, Corvette Racing has prided itself in taking lessons away from the racetrack and making its racecars – and production vehicles, better. That will continue being the case as the Corvette Z06 GT3.R moves forward.

The next race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R is the Qatar 1812 Kilometers to open the FIA World Endurance Championship on Saturday, March 2. TF Sport will field two of the Corvette GT3 racecars for the full season. Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and AWA will next compete at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on Saturday, March 16.

ANTONIO GARCIA/ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 OSHKOSH/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R FINISHED FIFTH IN GTD PRO:

“This is always a tough race, and this one was flat-out. The Rolex 24 is hard on equipment, and unfortunately we had our one issue.
It is always great to be in the hunt and put pressure on our competitors so they may make mistakes. It’s a shame, for sure.
I would have loved to be in contention late with the new Corvette. We learned a lot that we can use to push the Z06 GT3.R forward.
We will use all those lessons to improve for the next race, Sebring. It’s a classic event for us, and we’ll definitely try to go for the win there.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 OSHKOSH/MOBIL 1 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – FINISHED EIGHTH IN GTD PRO:

“Overall, I’m proud of our effort today and what we showed with this new Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
The pace was good, and the balance was good. I think all of us as drivers were happy.
Unfortunately for us, we had one main item that set us back and cost us time. But this is a new car, and we’ve never seen that problem in testing.
That’s why these 24-hour races in some ways feel like sprint races. This is a great learning opportunity for us, as well. There are things we will find and be better for the rest of the year.

Realistically, when you look at all the cars in the GT classes today, I don’t think anyone had a clean run. It shows how hard everyone was pushing, especially us. So yes, it’s somewhat disappointing because both cars led and were in the top-three for most of the race.
These require perfection from everybody. Our race wasn’t perfect, but it was close. We can be proud of that.”