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The C7.R’s will be racing for the first time in Asia this November in this November. Since WEC racing is part of the questioning that GM is going though as to the future of Corvette racing, maybe they are just exploring, or maybe just what GM is presenting is accurate, e.g., providing its China market a chance to see and hear the Corvettes — even though they are just selling a pittance amount there. Anyway, FWIW (or most likely nothing)...
Striking livery:
Originally Posted by Media.Chevrolet
CORVETTE C7.R TO RACE IN WEC IN SHANGHAI
Its first race in Asia will close Corvette Racing’s historic 20th season!
SHENZHEN, China – Chevrolet announced today that Corvette Racing will close its 20th season of competition in grand style by competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2018 race in Shanghai. The C7.R race car, which will wear a special Redline livery for the competition, will be the first factory-run Corvette to race in Asia.
The 6 Hours of Shanghai will take place November 16-18 at the 16-turn, 5.45-km Shanghai International Circuit. Built in 2004, the venue plays host to a number of motorsports’ top championships, including the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix.
“Corvette is a global icon that we are excited to be bringing to race in China – the second-largest market for Chevrolet,” said Scott Lawson, general director of Chevrolet for SAIC-GM.
The WEC is one of the world's key sports car series and features racing at venues across the world with all races at least six hours in duration. The Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race is the WEC's most famous stop and will take place twice in the 2018-2019 calendar. The race tests not only speed and driving skills, but also the stability and fuel economy of cars in extreme driving.
“Corvette Racing has proven itself as a world-class racing program,” said Mark Kent, Chevrolet director of Motorsports Competition. “Competing in the Shanghai race provides us an additional opportunity to test ourselves against the top manufacturers and teams in the FIA WEC.”
Corvette Racing team highlights:
Winner of 107 races around the world.
12 manufacturer championships in International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) competition.
11 driver’s championships in IMSA competition.
11-time class champion of the Sebring 12-hour endurance race.
Eight victories in the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race.
Three-time class champion of the Daytona 24-hour endurance race.
Captured wins in Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans endurance races in 2015.
Racing has been part of Chevrolet’s DNA since the brand was established by race car driver Louis Chevrolet more than a century ago. This performance-inspired DNA continues to influence the entire Chevrolet lineup today.
The Corvette C7.R will wear a special Redline livery for the race in Shanghai to promote the launch of the special edition in China across Chevrolet’s portfolio.
Redline made its global debut in concept form at the 2015 SEMA Show. Inspired by a strong positive response, it became the broadest cross-portfolio special edition ever offered by Chevrolet.
Last year, Chevrolet introduced its Redline special edition portfolio for China at Auto Guangzhou 2017 and announced that four Redline models will enter the domestic market in 2018. In the future, nearly all Chevrolet models in China will have Redline variants.
“Chevrolet is strengthening its brand in China by boosting our product lineup and our overall customer and ownership experience. We have begun rolling out our more youthful and sporty Redline edition to help us reach younger customers,” said Lawson.
Doug saying that we will continue seeing the C7R is a hint towards the fact that GM is trying to figure out how to race the mid engine Corvette AND the front engine Corvette. I stated some time ago that I felt that running the front engine cars is WEC and the mid engine cars in Weathertech was a stepping stone. Labre competition asked GM to run a pro team in WEC in 2016 and it never happened. Doug cited the fact that GM North America pays for the US program and that overseas GM divisions wouldn't cover the cost of a racing program. Seems GM China division is willing.
This is the 3rd or 4th article where Fehan has said the C7.R will continue racing for a while.
“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.”
But I know, I know. Despite homologation rules and the launch pace of every prior Corvette and the on the record quotes with people in the know, the whole thing is an elaborate marketing plot and GM is really planning a shock reveal where they'll have the race car competing world wide just 5 minutes after the production car launches.
So is CR going to possibly expand to a 4 or more car team running Weathertech next year or will they wait to run the C8's in 2020 in the proposed hybrid class?
I have to say watching 4 vettes running at once is very appealing.
That is what I was referring to from the post above when I said "the opening shot in the negotiation for the C8.R."
We have seen homologation rules bent in the past when ALMS, etc. wanted a particular manufacturer.
Considering the history and political power GM enjoys in motorsports, I don't think CR would have any problems with governing bodies if they wanted to launch the ME next season.
So is CR going to possibly expand to a 4 or more car team running Weathertech next year or will they wait to run the C8's in 2020 in the proposed hybrid class?
I have to say watching 4 vettes running at once is very appealing.
If anything, I think GM China would probably run C7.Rs in WEC GTE Am for a couple of years so they can get a team going. Once the C8.R arrives, they’d be in GTE Pro and winning races. GM is gigantic in China and a mid-engine Corvette would outsell Camaros over there. China’s economy is great and expensive looking cars are in over there.
That is what I was referring to from the post above when I said "the opening shot in the negotiation for the C8.R."
We have seen homologation rules bent in the past when ALMS, etc. wanted a particular manufacturer.
Considering the history and political power GM enjoys in motorsports, I don't think CR would have any problems with governing bodies if they wanted to launch the ME next season.
If the Ford GT can race a year early, so can the C8.R. However, the C8.R won’t.
Doesn’t Bowling Green always start the production of a new generation in June? The WEC season ends with the next Le Mans race, and C8 production could coincidentally begin as the WEC season begins. I don’t think GM would want to miss out of running full-time in WEC if they plan on competing in more WEC races. Perhaps the C8.R will be ready for Silverstone next August...
If the Ford GT can race a year early, so can the C8.R. However, the C8.R won’t.
Doesn’t Bowling Green always start the production of a new generation in June? The WEC season ends with the next Le Mans race, and C8 production could coincidentally begin as the WEC season begins. I don’t think GM would want to miss out of running full-time in WEC if they plan on competing in more WEC races. Perhaps the C8.R will be ready for Silverstone next August...
Not always. They started the C7 2019 model year in Nov (?) of 2017.
For all the people who keep using the Ford GT as an example of rules being bent, the road car was introduced in Jan 2015 in Detroit. The race car didn't surface until early 2016, and it didn't go to Le Mans until June 2016. The so-called scandal with the GT is that Ford had only delivered a tiny handful of token VIP customer cars at the time of the race, rather than being in full 'production'. But the car was known to the public for roughly a year before it went racing.
This would be consistent with the launch cadence Corvette Racing has followed since their inception, and it would also line up with the 3 year homologation windows that have been mentioned in previous interviews and public statements. The C7.R / Z06 is homologated through 2019.
There may be some leaks or 'testing' or whatever in late 2019. But we will not see a C8.R, or whatever it's called, competing until 2020.
But I know, I know. Despite homologation rules and the launch pace of every prior Corvette and the on the record quotes with people in the know, the whole thing is an elaborate marketing plot and GM is really planning a shock reveal where they'll have the race car competing world wide just 5 minutes after the production car launches.
They will race it before the production car launches...remember win on Sunday sell on Monday....LOL
06-22-2018, 11:29 AM
C7.R’s Last Hurrah; Just A Coincidence???
