C8 Corvette Won’t See Motorsports Action ‘for a While’
The roadgoing C8 Corvette is right around the corner. But that doesn’t mean a C8.R will follow in the near future.
It’s been four years since the C7.R Corvette racer debuted at both Le Mans and IMSA. Which is obviously a very long time in the world of motorsports. As the C7 road car winds down and we prepare for the arrival of the all-new C8 Corvette, one might assume that we would also see a C8.R as well. But apparently, we’d be wrong. Because according to Corvette Racing’s program manager Doug Fehan, the C7.R will soldier on indefinitely.
Which should come as no surprise, really. The C6.R campaigned from 2005-2013. And it’s not like the C7.R hasn’t enjoyed its fair share of success, going 8-for-18 at Le Mans. Thus, Fehan didn’t seem to concerned with the car’s age at the historic race, telling Motorsport.com that he’s content soldiering on with the “old” car.
“I think we’ll continue to see the same [C7.R] version for a while. Eventually there will be an eighth-generation Corvette. When they introduce that car, we’ll be racing it. But I don’t think that’s going to be for a while.”
However, Fehan sees the C7.R’s age and experience as a positive thing. “I don’t like to refer to it as an old car,” he said. “But it has many years of participation here at Le Mans, which is not a bad thing. We went faster last night in this car than we’ve ever gone before, which means that development pays off. Improvement in tires, aerodynamics, chassis – all those things.”
It makes perfect sense in a sport constantly seeking to level the playing field. Plus, durability and reliability are just as important as all-out speed in endurance racing, after all. “We know time and time again that the team that spends the least amount of time in the pit box is most likely the team that’s going to win the race. Not necessarily the fastest car,” Fehan added.
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