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CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: Doubling Up in GT World Challenge
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: Doubling Up in GT World Challenge
Milner, Udell set for DXDT Corvette Pro-class debut in Z06 GT3.R
DETROIT (May 15, 2024) – The next phase of Corvette Racing’s expansion into GT World Challenge America and SRO Motorsports competition starts this weekend as DXDT Racing ventures into the series’ Pro class with a second Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
The Milner/Udell Corvette is the eighth different Z06 GT3.R that will race around the world this year. Its debut comes two weeks after DXDT’s first race with the Corvette brand at Sebring. Adding the No. 63 entry will allow DXDT to double-up on its preparation and work throughout the weekend to make both Corvettes contenders in their respective classes.
While Milner – making his SRO debut – and Udell – a past World Challenge America Am champion – will team together for the first time, Sellers and Smithson will arrive at COTA with positive momentum from their Corvette debut in Sebring.
The potential of the duo in the Z06 GT3.R was evident in the second of two races where Sellers started and Smithson ran down the lead pack in the race’s second half before a late-race spin.
A return to Circuit of The Americas has been a few years coming for the Corvette brand. The factory Corvette Racing team previously competed there in both the FIA WEC and IMSA with two class victories in the latter.
DXDT Racing and the Corvette GT3 program will continue in GT World Challenge America this weekend at COTA. Race One is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CT on Saturday with Race Two at 2:15 p.m. CT on Sunday.
DXDT RACING PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “In many ways, there is a lot of new for me in racing for DXDT Racing. It’s new series for me and a new team. Obviously there are a lot of familiarities also with the Corvette, the engineering support from Corvette Racing and also my sister Erin (Gahagan) as team manager… a pretty fundamental part of the team! I’m excited to do some more racing. The last couple of years for me has by no means been a bad program. There was just less racing. Even though I was testing a lot and driving a lot, I missed the race weekend atmosphere and things like that. I figured why not double up on some of it now. But I’m excited for a new challenge and looking forward to racing with the Z06 GT3.R a bit more. There’s still a lot to learn on the team side, the crew side and the driver side. More racing for these cars is better.”
ALEC UDELL, NO. 63 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: I’m excited to be starting the campaign with DXDT and the Corvette Z06 GT3.R at COTA this week. Coming off a good test, I’m feeling gelled with the team and each time out there’s more knowledge gained with the car. We're looking to carry the momentum from Tommy bringing the car to its first podium last week!"
CHRISTIE BAGNE, CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R PROGRAM MANAGER: “The addition of a Pro-class Corvette Z06 GT3.R in GT World Challenge America is a key part of our first year as a customer program. This an exciting opportunity for DXDT Racing to showcase its capabilities as a top-level team and also for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R as a contender for overall wins in GT World Challenge America."
PRESS RELEASE:
CORVETTE RACING AT DETROIT: Home Sweet Home
First event on downtown streets of Detroit for GTD PRO squad, Corvette Z06 GT3.R
DETROIT (May 28, 2024) – Chevrolet and Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports are in their own backyard this week for the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic – the first appearance in the Motor City for the program since 2021.
The pair of yellow Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are part of an 11-car field in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD PRO class. Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg will team in the No. 4 Corvette and are coming off the first podium finish for the Z06 GT3.R in the last GTD PRO race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
Of note, Milner also was part of the Corvette’s first victory – two weeks ago at Circuit of The Americas for DXDT Racing in GT World Challenge America. Not to be outdone, Catsburg drove the Z06 GT3.R to its first IMSA pole at Laguna Seca.
In the No. 3 Corvette, Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims sit fifth in GTD PRO points and just ahead of their teammates. The pair was in prime position to contend at Laguna Seca before an ill-fated safety car that came out on Garcia’s in-lap barely an hour into the race.
Milner and Garcia are the only Corvette drivers who have contested Detroit, albeit on the Belle Isle circuit. They were part of a non-points GT Le Mans race in which the Corvette Racing factory team brought two Corvette C8.Rs to the island. Before that, and owing to the closeness of the Detroit race and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Corvette team’s two other appearances on Belle Isle came in 2007 and 2008 as part of the GT1 class.
The downtown Detroit circuit, which runs around the Renaissance Center and the global headquarters of General Motors, is the shortest on the calendar at nine turns and 1.654 miles around. Neither GTD PRO nor the GTP categories raced at Detroit last year (it was the same weekend as the Le Mans Test Day), so very few drivers in the field have any experience at the circuit.
To help the team prepare, Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports engineers leaned on the learnings of Chevrolet’s NTT INDYCAR program to help establish a baseline for a handful of sessions on Chevy’s Driver in the Loop simulator. That should allow the Corvette team to roll right into its setup program to be in the best possible position for Friday’s qualifying and Saturday’s race.
The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1. The race will air live on USA Network with full streaming coverage also on Peacock. IMSA Radio will air all on-track sessions at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.
CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS
PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We want to do well in Detroit. For sure the target is to win. We are running around the RenCen, so obviously it will be very important if we can win there. So I’m looking forward to it It’s a new track for me and most of the other drivers. I had a chance to do a few laps in the simulator and it looks very stressful. But I’m sure it will bring a lot of action and tight racing. I don’t know the weather is going to be, but it will be good to our own street race because I did miss racing at Long Beach this year. So I am looking forward to getting back to a street track.”
ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “We did an initial run on the simulator some time ago – just to get a read on it and check to see if the track model was working and behaving itself. The Corvette felt reasonably sensible around there. It’s definitely a very bumpy circuit, as you would expect with a street track. A bit of undulation, couple of rises and slightly blind corners. It’s a busy little track and not a huge amount of speed anywhere outside the long straight. Overtaking will be pretty tough. It’s going to be pretty crazy with the GTPs. I’ve not been to Detroit before and didn’t do the previous Detroit races. It will be a cool thing for all of us. It will be nice to be there and to have a completely new experiences. Some of those are few and far between for me, so I’m looking forward to it.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I’ve driven in it in person in a rental car and some sim work also. It’s exciting to be in the downtown part of Detroit. Racing in the shadow of the RenCen is very cool. It’s going to be a challenging race track, for sure. It’s short but like any street track, there are a lot of places where you can get yourself in trouble. It’ll be a lot to learn as it’s a basically a new track for everybody. As with any street tracks we’ve done in the past, it’s great to be in the city and on top of everything that is happening around the race. Detroit does some unique things with free viewing areas for fans, which is something you don’t see anywhere in the world. I’m excited to go back to Detroit.”
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I raced at Belle Isle in a Lamborghini in World Challenge many years ago. It was a cool track then. This is a home race for the team, so it makes it extra cool to go to. Some families of the crew will be out, and we’ll have some things to do around the race as well. The added pressure of it being a home race will for sure make it a very tough event. In IMSA, the practice times are always quite limited. On a street course, that makes it extra hard. It’s hard to explore the limits there. On other tracks you can go over the limit and dial it back a little bit, and then you’ve found your speed quickly. Hopefully it will be a weekend of more positive results for the Corvette.”
2024 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Points
GTD PRO Drivers Standings
1. Laurin Heinrich/Seb Priaulx – 981
2. Ben Barnicoat/Jack Hawksworth – 925
3. Bryan Sellers/Madison Snow – 888
4. Mario Farnbacher/Ross Gunn – 867
5. Alexander Sims/Antonio Garcia – 812
6. Nicky Catsburg/Tommy Milner – 808
GTD PRO Teams Standings
1. No. 77 AO Racing – 981
2. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan – 925
3. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing – 888
4. No. 23 Heart of Racing Team - 867
5. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 812
6. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports – 808
GTD PRO Manufacturers Standings
1. Porsche – 1003
1. Lexus – 947
3. Aston Martin – 880
4. Chevrolet – 877
5. McLaren – 851
GTD Drivers Standings
1. Philip Ellis/Russell Ward – 1367
2. Patrick Gallagher/Robby Foley – 1154
3. Adam Adelson/Elliott Skeer – 1059
4. Parker Thompson – 1038
5. Mikael Grenier/Mike Skeen – 1033
13. Matthew Bell/Orey Fidani – 830
GTD Teams Standings
1. No. 57 Windward Racing – 1367
2. No. 96 Turner Motorsport – 1154
3. No. 120 Wright Motorsports – 1059
4. No. 32 Korthoff/Preston Motorsport – 1033
5. No. 43 Andretti Motorsports – 952
12. No. 13 AWA – 830
GTD Manufacturers Standings
1. Mercedes-AMG – 1457
2. Porsche – 1208
3. Lamborghini – 1199
4. Lexus – 1178
5. Aston Martin – 1059
6. Chevrolet – 1026
CORVETTE RACING BY THE NUMBERS: Detroit
• 2: Generations of Corvette Racing entries at Detroit – Corvette C6.R (2007-08) and Corvette C8.R/Z06 GT3.R (2020-present)
• 3: Wins in Detroit for Corvette Racing in as many starts – 2007 and 2008 in GT1, and 2021 in GTLM (although it was a non-points event)
• 8: Victories at Detroit for Chevrolet in IMSA competition. In addition to three wins for Corvette Racing, Corvette Daytona Prototypes won overall each year on Belle Isle from 2012-2016
• 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, Portimăo, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 48: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – DXDT Racing’s Alec Udell being the latest in GT World Challenge America at Circuit of The Americas
• 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
• 197: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and two in GT World Challenge America
• 293: Event starts by Corvette Racing since 1999
• 378,689.70: 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
Corvette Racing at Detroit (all previously on Belle Isle)
2007
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 1st in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Olivier Beretta – 2nd in GT1
2008
No. 3 Corvette C6.R: Jan Magnussen/Johnny O’Connell – 2nd in GT1
No. 4 Corvette C6.R: Oliver Gavin/Olivier Beretta – 1st in GT1
2021 (unofficial race)
No. 3 Corvette C8.R: Antonio Garcia/Jordan Taylor – 2nd in GTLM
No. 4 Corvette C8.R: Tommy Milner/Nick Tandy – 1st in GTLM
Detroit Grand Prix
May 31 - June 1, 2024
Detroit Street Circuit
DURATION: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
1.7 miles - 9 corners
Television & Online Broadcast:
Entry by Class:
GTP (10)
GTD PRO (11)
Qualifying -Watch live IMSA TV https://imsatv.imsa.com/
Peacock Streaming
May 31, 2024, WeatherTech Championship:
GTD Pro: 4:40-4:55 pm ET
GTP: 5:55-5:20 pm ET
Television/Online Broadcast:
Saturday, June 1, 2024
TV Coverage Eastern Time
Corvette Corral Tickets: Note: Corvette Corral vehicle passes are sold out. If you would like to be added to our waitlist should inventory become available Sign Up Here https://tickets.detroitgp.com/buy-ti...orm-car-corral
CORVETTE RACING AT DETROIT: Corvettes Qualify 1-2… Again!
PRESS RELEASE:
CORVETTE RACING AT DETROIT: Corvettes Qualify 1-2… Again!
Garcia puts No. 3 Z06 GT3.R on class pole with Milner second in shadow of GM RenCen
DETROIT (May 31, 2024) – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports will roll off 1-2 in class for the hometown race for the team and Chevrolet after Friday’s 15-minute qualifying session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic.
Antonio Garcia captured pole position in the GTD PRO class in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with a lap of 1:09.092 (85.711 mph) around the 1.654-mile, nine-turn street circuit in downtown Detroit. He was 0.336 seconds clear of teammate Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette.
It’s the second consecutive pole position in IMSA competition for the Z06 GT3.R following a pole for Nicky Catsburg – Milner’s teammate – earlier this month at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The pair of yellow GTD PRO Corvettes also started first and second at Laguna Seca with Milner and Catsburg going on to finish third in class for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R’s first podium.
"Congratulations to Antonio Garcia on his pole-winning lap in GTD PRO with the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R on the streets of Detroit – the second consecutive pole position for our new Corvette GT3 entry in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship," said Scott Bell, Vice President, Global Chevrolet. "Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports continues to show the performance capabilities of the Z06 GT3.R, which is a testament to the work of the team, and our Chevrolet and GM engineering groups.”
Pre-race work at Chevrolet’s Driver-in-the-Loop simulator paid immediate dividends in each of Friday’s two practice sessions. Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports engineers leaned on the learnings of Chevrolet’s NTT INDYCAR program to help establish a baseline for a handful of sessions on Chevy’s Driver in the Loop simulator.
That helped with the results in pre-qualifying running. Alexander Sims, who shares the No. 3 Corvette with Garcia, went fastest in GTD PRO during the opening 90-minute session. Milner paced the two-hour afternoon practice in the field’s final track time before qualifying.
The Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, June 1. The race will air live on USA Network with full streaming coverage also on Peacock. IMSA Radio will air the race at IMSA.com along XM 206, SiriusXM Online 996.
CORVETTE RACING BY PRATT MILLER MOTORSPORTS QUALIFYING DRIVER QUOTES
ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R – GTD PRO POLE-WINNER: “I think it’s great. That’s the first goal we had - to get as soon as possible up front. So having another Corvette one-two really helps with that. It's nice to have two yellow Corvettes up front around these buildings. It means the whole team is running really, really good. We just need to keep everything together. Let’s hope it’s not like Laguna where we went from up there to somewhere else. So we just need to be cautious and we need to stay on track, for sure. There’s probably going to be some yellows, too. We just need to be smart. That's it."
Controlling the race from up front: "In a place like this, where it’s almost impossible to pass, it’s really good to have track position, for sure. But now we get to the point where maybe a ton of people roll the dice and maybe the whole thing changes. We've seen these things at these kinds of race tracks many, many times. The fastest race car doesn’t always win. We just need to play smart and that’s all we can do. If everything falls as it should, I think it would be great to have a Corvette one-two around the RenCen.”
TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R - QUALIFIED SECOND IN GTD PRO: “I’m definitely happy. I would like to have been P1, but I just didn’t put the laps together. I’m curious to see what the best sectors would have been. I don’t think I had quite enough for pole with Antonio going fast again on his last lap. But overall I’m happy. It’s great to be here in Detroit, in the shadow of the RenCen and having both Corvettes on the front row it’s great. That’s the first part of the job done. The second part is to go win this thing tomorrow. We have two really great cars. The guys are working really hard and well right now. As long as we do our job tomorrow we should be in a good position."
Race outlook: “It will be a challenge, no question about it. With the Lexus and the Porsche behind us, both those cars and guys are quick, obviously. Some are more aggressive than others. Passing is hard here so we’ll have to be prepared for how they normally race and be prepared to race as hard as they normally do.”
That's what I heard at the beginning, but also heard that it was more than that. And, for the record, IMO #4's altercation was the driver's fault. He pinched the Lexus into the inside wall and that was that.
That's what I heard at the beginning, but also heard that it was more than that. And, for the record, IMO #4's altercation was the driver's fault. He pinched the Lexus into the inside wall and that was that.
Disagree. He was driving the normal line and the idiot Lexus dive bombed him. Typical Nascar move. I was hoping the #4 could get behind the Lexus again and return the favor.
No excuse for the #3.
Le Mans BoP is out. As a note, Le Mans (like Daytona) is a low downforce track, so cars will operate differently there than they do elsewhere.
Sorry about the initial post, Confirmed the power level chart and should have this ok now.
Every car gained weight.
Aston +22 KG
BMW +13
Corvette +11
Ferrari +2
Mustang +9
Lamborghini +25
Lexus +10
McLaren +6
Porsche +1
Power below 200 KPH
Most power gains: Aston, Ford.
Moderate Power Gains: Corvette, Ferrari, Lexus, Porsche.
No change in Power BMW, McLaren
Less Power: Lamborghini
Below 200 KPH, Lamborgh
They slowed pretty much every car down from Spa. Instead of listing out all the crazy made up WEC thing we get I can say.
Aston was hit pretty hard.
Corvette was probably next, hit a little harder than all the others. Lexus, McLaren, Porsche probably got off lightest.
Lamborghini was the only odd one out as they were "reconfigured" It was the only car to get more power, but they also gained the most weight -- so not sure where they stand.
EDIT:
SportsCar365 has a BoP article that explains the Le Mans Power level differently than it had been previously explained to me. Assuming they are correct, I have some of this off (as I have power below 200 KPH reversed).
Lamborghini would be hit the hardest with a power loss and the big weight gain. Aston has the second biggest weight game, but has a power increase.
Corvette gains some wait as well (less than Aston) buy gains power below 200 KPH (also, less than Aston's gain) to offset.
Ford would do well with the second biggest power gain (tied with Aston) and only a small weight increase.
Sorry for the confusion, I'll see if I can't figure this out and update when clarified.
Press Release:
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Taking on the World
TF Sport seeking to add to Corvette’s Le Mans legacy with first-year Z06 GT3.Rs
DETROIT (June 5, 2024) – TF Sport and its pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs are ready to take on the toughest test in sports car racing: the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the blue-riband event of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The lineup of the No. 81 Corvette and No. 82 Z06 GT3.R from TF Sport will look to add to the legacy of the Corvette Racing program at Le Mans – nine class victories and a strong following from fans around the world who flock to the race each year.
The pair of lineups for the June 15-16 race in the TF Sport Corvettes are the same as the previous three rounds of the FIA WEC – Tom Van Rompuy, Rui Andrade and Corvette factory driver Charlie Eastwood in the No. 81 Z06 GT3.R while Hiroshi Koizumi, Sebastien Baud and factory driver Daniel Juncadella are in the No. 82 Corvette.
The experience factor at Le Mans between the two cars is unique. The No. 81 trio has eight combined starts, and 2020 GTE Am winner Eastwood is the only of the three to have raced a GT car at the 24 Hours. Meanwhile, the No. 82 trio is an all-rookie Le Mans lineup.
Despite that, hopes are high for continued Corvette success at this year’s race. Corvette Racing won last year’s GTE Am race – en route to the WEC championship – in the final year of the Corvette C8.R GTE car. It capped a run of nine class victories in the race since 2000 and one of the most successful eras for a single program at Le Mans in the modern era.
This year with WEC adopting GT3 regulations for this year, the entire category will feature cars that will race in the 24 Hours for the first time. From the Corvette and TF Sport side, preparation for the race has been multi-pronged.
The TF team recently completed a test at Silverstone Circuit to test the Corvettes in low-downforce configuration. Meanwhile, Corvette Racing’s factory drivers from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship have spent time in Chevrolet’s Driver-in-the-Loop simulator to help explore different setup options for the Z06 GT3.R.
The results will come into view with a combined six hours of running Sunday around the 8.48-mile Le Mans circuit – made up of permanent racetrack and public roads. The annual Test Day will set the stage for practice and qualifying, plus Thursday’s Hyperpole session to set the grid for this year’s race.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 15. MotorTrend will air live television coverage while streaming coverage on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S., will begin Wednesday, June 12. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of all on-track sessions including Sunday’s Test Day.
TF SPORT PRE-EVENT DRIVER QUOTES
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Le Mans is the big one. It’s a very important race for us, and obviously it’s a big race for everyone. It’s the first time the Z06 GT3.R is going to hit the streets of Le Mans. From that, we have a lot of data to gather on the Test Day. The good thing is that both Rui and Tom have been to Le Mans, and of course I’ve been there many times myself. So hopefully as the driver crew we will be strong from the start, which should give us more time to get an understanding of what this car needs. It’s the first time we’ve had a low-downforce track with long straights. The guys at Corvette Racing, Pratt Miller and GM have run a lot of simulations and been in the DiL to get some good baseline setups ready for us, which will play a big part in helping us get up to speed. We just need to be on-track for every single minute that the track is green to get as much data as we can. I’m looking forward to it. For the full crew, we need a proper result at Le Mans. We’ve had some misfortune at the last couple of races, so we’re all as determined as ever to make no mistakes and make sure we are there at the end of the 24 Hours.”
TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I am super excited for the biggest race of the season. Le Mans is always a very special race and is the one where you really want to achieve a good result. I'm very proud to be driving the Corvette this year in Le Mans. We prepared ourselves and the car in the best possible way to be able to try to finish on the LM GT3 podium. Let's hope the luck is on our side for the big one. I can't wait to feel the Le Mans atmosphere again and to see all the fans with full support to help us finish the race in the best way."
DANIEL JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “These are some pretty exciting days coming up. This will be the first time for me at Le Mans and first time with such a successful brand in Le Mans like Corvette. So that makes it even more exciting – to have my own debut at this race with the winning program from last year with so much experience. It’s going to be quite special for me to debut at Le Mans. The Test Day will be about learning the track, and the bits and pieces that are there in real life compared to simulations and how the car feels. I’m quite confident that we can have a strong race. Seb is also going to have a big highlight being a Frenchman. Hiro has some experience at Le Mans, so they are a little more prepared than myself, which is good. When it’s me that gets up to speed, it makes me feel confident. We should have a good car and let’s see how it goes. But yes, very exciting weeks are coming ahead.”
SEBASTIEN BAUD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It's a dream come true for me, finally being able to take the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and be a participant in the most legendary race in the world. Since I was very young, It always has been the one thing in my career that I wanted to experience. It is very much a dream race for me, especially now to do this with Corvette Racing, of which I have always been a fan and have followed them around the world. So now I have the opportunity to be able to drive a Corvette for TF Sport in the most prestigious race in the world. I have been pushing myself to achieve this goal for four years now, and today it is a childhood dream that is gradually taking shape. So we hope the fans support us, the Corvette team and the 82 car because we will compete with passion and give our best to represent the winning team of last year’s centenary edition.”
14. Charlie Eastwood/Rui Andrade/Tom Van Rompuy – 7
16. Daniel Juncadella/Hiroshi Koizumi/Sebastien Baud – 6
LMGT3 Teams Standings
1. No. 92 Manthey PureRxcing – 72
2. No. 31 Team WRT – 37
3. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team – 37
4. No. 46 Team WRT – 36
5. No. 777 D’Station Racing – 30
13. No. 81 TF Sport – 7
15. No. 82 TF Sport – 6
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: By the Numbers
• 0: Number of combined 24 Hours of Le Mans starts for the No. 82 Corvette trio of Dani Juncadella, Sebastien Baud and Hiroshi Koizumi
• 2: Number of victories for TF Sport at Le Mans (2020 and 2022 in GTE Am)
• 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 at Le Mans since 2000 – Corvette C5-R (2000-04), Corvette C6.R (2005-13), Corvette C7.R (2014-2019) and Corvette C8.R (2021-2023)
• 8: Number of combined 24 Hours of Le Mans starts for the No. 81 Corvette trio of Charlie Eastwood (four), Rui Andrade (three) and Tom Van Rompuy (one)
• 9: Class victories for Corvette Racing at Le Mans – all since 2001
• 12: Number of drivers who have won races at Le Mans for Corvette Racing – Olivier Beretta, Nicky Catsburg, Ron Fellows, Antonio Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Ben Keating, Jan Magnussen, Tommy Milner, Johnny O’Connell, Scott Pruett, Jordan Taylor and Nico Varrone
• 14: Manufacturer Championships for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing since 2001
• 27: Number of drivers to compete for Corvette Racing at Le Mans. That number grows this year with the additions of all six TF Sport drivers
• 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, Portimăo, Portland, Road America, Road Atlanta, Sebring, Sonoma, St. Petersburg, Texas, Trois Rivieres, Utah, VIR, Washington DC and Watkins Glen
• 48: Number of drivers in Corvette Racing entries since 1999 – DXDT Racing’s Alec Udell being the latest in GT World Challenge America at Circuit of The Americas
• 127: Victories worldwide for Corvette Racing – 115 in North America, nine at Le Mans, three in the FIA WEC and two in GT World Challenge America
• 294: Event starts by Corvette Racing entries since 1999.
• 111,009.33: Number of racing miles completed by Corvette Racing entries in 24 previous trips to Le Mans. That represents 13,163 laps… or more than four full trips around the Earth at its equator. Corvette Racing combined to go over the 100,000-mile mark at Le Mans in the 2021 race.
• 378,900.27: 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
PRESS RELEASE:
CORVETTE RACING AT LE MANS: Satisfying Sunday
TF Sport drivers, team make positive steps forward in six hours of testing
LE MANS, France (June 9, 2024) – TF Sport’s pair of Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs ran through a relatively trouble-free six hours of testing Sunday ahead of the coming week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans – the first appearance for the Z06 GT3.R in the French classic, as well as for the LM GT3 field in which it will compete.
Both Corvettes were firmly entrenched in the lead pack of GT3 cars following two three-hour sessions around the 8.48-mile Le Mans circuit. Sebastien Baud in the No. 82 Corvette was the quickest driver in class but only by a couple of hundredths of a second. His time of 3:59.883 (127.070 mph) in the Z06 GT3.R that he shares with Hiroshi Koizumi and factory driver Daniel Juncadella gave him a slim 0.037-second margin over the next two cars in class. The gap from Baud to the 14th-place GT3 car was only 0.774 seconds, which further shows the depth of quality in the first-year class.
Among those cars was the No. 81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Rui Andrade, Tom Van Rompuy and factory driver Charlie Eastwood. Andrade set the best lap of the trio – a 4:00.444 (126.760 mph) effort in the afternoon portion, as well.
The Test Day results put TF Sport in a position to continue the Corvette Racing program’s strong history at Le Mans. Corvette Racing won last year’s GTE Am race – en route to the WEC championship – in the final year of the Corvette C8.R GTE car. It capped a run of nine class victories in the race since 2000 and one of the most successful stints for a single program at Le Mans in the modern era.
TF Sport and the rest of the Le Mans field will have Monday and Tuesday to analyze data and make additional adjustments ahead of Wednesday’s first official practice sessions and qualifying, plus Thursday’s Hyperpole session to set the grid for this year’s race.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is scheduled for 4 p.m. CET / 10 a.m. ET on Saturday, June 15. MotorTrend will air live television coverage while streaming coverage on the FIA WEC app and the MAX app in the U.S., will begin Wednesday, June 12. Radio Le Mans also will stream audio coverage of all on-track sessions.
TF SPORT POST-TEST DAY DRIVER QUOTES
CHARLIE EASTWOOD, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “There is such a big build-up to the race and a bit of anticipation of how it’s going to be. For the last few years with GTE, it’s always been the same thing time and time again. For us now, it’s a completely new tire and completely new car. I think everyone likes the fact that we have the test in and have two or three days to digest it all. If it were straight into the race weekend, it would all ramp up pretty quickly. It was pretty good today and the pace looks strong. We’re trying to get an understanding how to get the Z06 GT3.R as fast possible around Le Mans.”
(Are you satisfied?) “Absolutely. We had a lot of confidence in the car coming in. We didn’t even do an install lap; we just went straight into the run because we knew it was going to be solid, which was a relief and great. Now straight away, we’re already just fine-tuning things. We’re not going to be changing it upside-down or anything. All in all, things are pretty good.”
RUI ANDRADE, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “Today was a big learning curve, having only driven around Le Mans in a P2, which has different characteristics to the Corvette. But I’m really pleased with how it went. The car feels incredible and suits the track really well. In the morning, the track was pretty dirty but the team made some good adjustments. I’m feeling strong and we had some strong runs toward the end between myself and Seb. The pace was strong, and I’m pretty happy with the balance. A place like Le Mans is all about feeling and confidence. You need that confidence to attack the corners with high speeds. It’s the kind of place where if you make a small mistake, the race can be over. So having a day like this where you feel so comfortable from the beginning and you can just push. This car gives you that confidence. This is a good first step for us."
TOM VAN ROMPUY, NO. 81 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “The first laps are now complete, so the first milestone is complete for this big race at Le Mans. I’m happy with that. I was able to explore the track with this fabulous Corvette GT3, and it was great. There are some small things where we need to work on and improve. But already I feel like we already are in a strong window. I’m confident that we will keep working and improving for the first session Wednesday. Everyone has little things to work on. But even with those things for us, I believe we are in a strong spot. I’m very happy.”
DANI JUNCADELLA, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “It’s my debut in Le Mans, and this was fun. It looks exactly the same like in my iRacing simulator, so that was pretty cool because I’ve done many laps on there. I was able to get up to speed quite quickly thanks to that. The car feels very nice so far. My teammates are doing well so far. Hiroshi made an improvement of six seconds from this morning, which is encouraging. It does feel special being part of Le Mans with the atmosphere. But to be honest, nothing really caught me by surprise. It just looks so similar (to the simulator)… I was like, ‘I’ve been here. I know this.’ So that was very telling and quite cool.”
SEBASTIEN BAUD, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “For me, today I realized a very big dream. I started in motorsport 10 years ago… my dream was to be at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And my second dream was to drive a Corvette. Today was very good because the car was a pleasure to drive. The feeling was incredible, just like it was at the start of the season. My first time coming out of pitlane this morning, I had a big smile on my face. It was crazy to realize my dream. Now I’m focused on the race. This is just the pre-event test so the pressure will come a little more for practice and qualifying Wednesday. We will all stay connected with the team the next couple of days because this is very important to me as this is part of endurance racing.”
HIROSHI KOIZUMI, NO. 82 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: “I am very happy with today. My goal was to learn this car on this track and not make mistakes. I feel I did that and even beat my personal target for laptime. It was nice to get a lot of green flag time. This was not the case last year when I did Michelin Le Mans Cup. I am happy and I think the team is happy, too. I am more excited now for Wednesday and the race.”
Motor Trend Channel showing all 24 hours Saturday June 15, 2024 start: 9:00 am ET
Sunday June 16, 2024 ending: 11:00 am ET
International: Canada: Discovery-Velocity channel
Le Mans has offered an app to you can download. You can also purchase the race for a premimum package Program: https://www.fiawec.com/en/official-fia-wec-app/45 or download Google Play Store or Apple store. (note-cannot purchase the race in the US but you can follow live timing)
05-15-2024, 02:02 PM
CORVETTE RACING AT COTA: Doubling Up in GT World Challenge
